CHINA LAKE NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION, Calif. – U.S. Navy combat aircraft experts needed microwave power modules for amplifying avionics radio frequency signals to high-power levels. They found their solution from Photonis Defense Inc. in Lancaster, Pa.
Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, Calif., announced a $38.9 million contract to Photonis Defense last week to build, test, and deliver amplifier microwave power modules.
The contract also calls for RF and microwave power amplifier module hardware evaluation, repair, and modifications in support of electronic attack threat simulator systems for the Navy.
Photonis Defense combines knowledge of vacuum technology and modern solid-state components to build compact, integrated microwave power modules for amplifying RF signals in military and commercial applications.
Photonis Defense experts combine a high-gain monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) solid-state driver, a multi-collector traveling wave tube, and power supplies in a powerful lightweight amplifier, company officials say.
Photonis Defense power modules meet the power, bandwidth, and spectral requirements of many modern microwave systems in applications like electronic countermeasures, point-to-point and satellite communications (SATCOM) data links, and radar systems.
The company specializes in airborne applications where volume, weight, and prime power are at a premium. For research applications, Photonis Defense microwave power modules can also be used as compact laboratory amplifiers.
Photonis Defense capitalizes on a miniature traveling wave tube for designing efficient low-noise amplifiers with a low size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP).
For more information contact Photonis Defense online at https://photonisdefense.com, or the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrsw/installations/naws_china_lake/about/tenant_commands/NAWCWD.html.
