Raytheon’s new PhantomStrike active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has performed successfully in its first airborne test.
For the test, the radar was installed on a company testbed aircraft and was able to track airborne targets and map terrain, says the company. The sortie was conducted from Ontario, California.
The air-cooled system is powered by gallium nitride, which Raytheon says improves detection ranges. The set is optimised for use aboard light-attack aircraft, fighters, helicopters, and uncrewed aircraft, and Raytheon says its weight is about half of an ordinary AESA system.
According to Cirium, an aviation data company, Raytheon operates a Boeing 727-200 (N289MT) as a testbed aircraft. Raytheon has operated the jet since 2003. Prior to this the jet served as a passenger aircraft with American Airlines following its delivery in 1981.
The company adds that the system offers a “faster, more agile digital beam” and is resistant to jamming.
One early application for PhantomStrike will be the Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 light combat aircraft on order with Poland. In May 2023, Raytheon said that PhantomStrike had been cleared for export to Seoul on a direct commercial sale basis, bypassing the US government’s cumbersome Foreign Military Sales process.
“The threat environment is evolving, and this test demonstrates how PhantomStrike can make enhanced situational awareness available to a broader set of our partners and allies – offering unparalleled performance and potential US weapons integration – at an affordable price,” says Bryan Rosselli, president of advanced products and solutions at Raytheon.
“This next-generation radar dramatically changes how we identify and respond to threats.”
At the 2022 Farnborough air show, Raytheon told FlightGlobal that PhantomStrike is pitched at a range of aircraft, from legacy fighters to the emerging class of ‘loyal wingman’ uncrewed aircraft.
Loyal wingmen require capable sensors, but a key requirement for such platforms is relatively low cost as compared with traditional fighters.
