EL SEGUNDO, Calif., 25 January 2005. Raytheon Company's option to proceed with its X-band thin radar aperture (XTRA) contract has been exercised, allowing the company to produce the next generation radar antenna technology for the J-UCAS (Joint Unmanned Air Combat System) that could revolutionize manned and unmanned combat systems.
The AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory) exercised the option following the proof of concept phase of the contract that was issued in April 2004.
The XTRA array technology has advanced transmit and receive capabilities, is lighter weight and lower cost than existing technology, and is suitable for the larger unmanned combat systems, such as the J-UCAS, as well as smaller unmanned airborne systems and other manned aircraft. The initial funding for this effort is $4 million.
Raytheon received its first award to develop the design for XTRA in April 2004. XTRA is one of several revolutionary approaches to small and affordable arrays in development by Raytheon.
"This is a significant confirmation of the innovative technologies that are at the heart of the next generation systems Raytheon is developing for our customers," said Nick Uros, vice president of Advanced Concepts and Technologies business unit. "The design of the XTRA antenna is a revolutionary technology and low cost approach to what exists today."
"The XTRA technology is a leap-ahead approach for the unique challenges of smaller and lighter unmanned systems," said Tom Kennedy, vice president, Unmanned & Reconnaissance Systems business unit. "We look forward to applying XTRA to a variety of platforms."
Raytheon Company's Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) designs, develops and manufactures advanced mission systems for precision engagement; missile defense; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., SAS has 11,000 employees and additional facilities in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.
Raytheon Co., with 2003 sales of $18.1 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide. For more information, see www.raytheon.com.
