Raytheon to equip U.S. Air Force autonomous X-62A aircraft with PhantomStrike radar

By Martin Chomsky (Defence Industry Europe)

Raytheon has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to equip the autonomous X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) with a PhantomStrike radar. VISTA is a modified F-16D Block 30 test aircraft upgraded with Block 40 avionics and used as a hybrid test bed integrated with machine learning and specialised software.
Photo: U.S. Air Force.

Raytheon has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to equip the autonomous X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) with a PhantomStrike radar. VISTA is a modified F-16D Block 30 test aircraft upgraded with Block 40 avionics and used as a hybrid test bed integrated with machine learning and specialised software.

 

PhantomStrike is an air-cooled, compact fire-control radar that is smaller, lighter and requires less power than modern AESA radars. It is designed for a wide range of platforms, including uncrewed aerial vehicles, light-attack aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft.

 

assured version b 300x600 1

 

“Autonomous aircraft are poised to play a key role in helping the U.S. maintain air superiority, and Raytheon’s PhantomStrike radar is uniquely designed to help them do it. This radar is revolutionary in its use of GaN, completely air-cooled technology, and innovation in how we manufacture it – at a lower cost than other modern-day radars,” said Dan Theisen, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon.

 

 

With digital beam forming and steering, multimode functionality and interleaved ground and air targeting, PhantomStrike delivers advanced radar capability. The system offers these capabilities at nearly half the cost of typical fire-control radars.

 

Tags:

Related news & articles

Latest news

Featured