ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. Navy researchers are asking RTX Corp. to devise an ultra-wideband low-latency digital signal processing subsystem packaged on a standard 6U VPX open-architecture embedded computing card for radar, communications, and electronic warfare (EW) applications.
Officials of the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Va., announced a $26.8 million contract last week to the RTX Raytheon segment in Tewksbury, Mass., for the BladeRunner program.
BladeRunner seeks to prototype ultra-wideband low-latency signal processing in a standardized 6U VPX form-factor with a multi-beam, multi-polarization phased array and system controller for advanced phased-array RF and microwave technology.
The goal of BladeRunner is to build and demonstrate a prototype high-performance RF system for radar, communications, or EW that can handle several beams and polarizations simultaneously, with very fast processing.
Dense signal environments
This type of capability is important for military systems must scan many directions, handle dense signal environments, and rapidly adapt to changing conditions. Phased arrays can steer beams electronically without mechanical movement and support several functions at once.
BladeRunner is part of broader U.S. military efforts to push phased-array performance into compact, modular, and adaptable forms.
On this contract, RTX Raytheon will do the work in McKinney, Texas; Tewksbury, Mass.; and Arlington, Va., and should be finished by February 2028. For more information contact RTX Raytheon online at www.rtx.com/raytheon/what-we-do/advanced-technology/ground-and-ship-based-sensors, or the Office of Naval Research at www.onr.navy.mil.
