The beginning of 2013 started to see revenue results for companies. Most companies reported results that were essentially stable with minor increases or declines year-on-year. Boeing was the exception with revenues growing 19% year-on-year on the back of the company's commercial business. Company results reflected a slowing defense market, but contract activity was surprisingly good in January with new contracts across all sectors including radar, communications and EW.

There were a number of international shows in February providing the stage for companies to establish strategic relationships, form joint ventures and highlight their capabilities as well as signing major contracts. Saab is partnering with Tawazun to create a new UAE-based radar company. Amongst the UAS related developments, Northrop Grumman successfully flew a RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft for the first time using open architecture-based command and control software and hardware developed by the company. Other business activity included Boeing and Elbit Systems signing a MoU to support joint pursuit of opportunities for self-defense solutions and the O'Gara Group, completing its purchase agreement to acquire BAE Systems Commercial Armored Vehicles.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full reports:

Defense Electronics Industry Review: January 2013

Defense Electronics Industry Review: February 2013

Also, don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Despite the ongoing uncertainty with defense expenditure facing challenges and the threat of sequestration hanging over US companies there was positive news on the financial front as companies finished releasing results for the second quarter of the calendar year. Taking a snapshot of financial results and looking at quarterly revenue growth over the second and first quarters shows a turnaround with companies growing revenue as opposed to the quarter-to-quarter revenue declines observed after the first quarter of 2012.

There was also plenty of activity in August including new product launches, technology demonstrations and contracts as well as business acquisitions.

Amongst the business deals concluded in August, Mercury Computer Systems completed its acquisition of Micronetics, allowing the company to continue solidifying a portfolio of offerings that will now include RF capabilities. Meanwhile, BAE Systems signed a MoU with MASS to work on EW systems for the export market. The partnership is designed to offer customers electronic warfare training and data management, operational analysis, countermeasure development, mission data validation and mission evaluation.

There were also a number of announcements in the area of UAVs, with for example, an emphasis on developing secure communications. Northrop Grumman awarded Cubic Communications a contract to produce a new multiband digital data link system for the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter which will feature the ability to transmit Ku- and C-band transmissions at the same time. Expanding the role of UAVs with the addition of weapons is also being actively pursued and Raytheon completed a successful warhead and guidance system test of its Pyros small tactical munition to validate the weapon's semi-active laser and GPS guidance modes.

In July one of the notable events was NETMA issuing a RfP to Eurofighter GmbH for the development of an AESA Radar (E-scan). Officials said the target is to have a contract by the middle of next year and to have an E-Scan entering into service by 2015. The contract would mean development of the radar would come early next year with Eurofighter and Euroradar, the Selex Galileo-led consortium supplying radars for the Typhoon. The other European fighter, the Saab Gripen NG aircraft is now flying with a SELEX Galileo Raven ES-05 AESA fire control radar installed.

In August, there was considerable activity for naval radar platforms that included Lockheed Martin submitting its final proposal to the US Navy to design, build, integrate and test the new Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) S-band radar and radar suite controller for the future DDG-51 Flight III class destroyer.

At the component level, Northrop Grumman demonstrated an 850 GHz integrated receiver under Phase 2 of the DARPA Terahertz Electronics program, setting a new performance record. Under Phase 1, the company had already developed a Terahertz Monolithic Integrated Circuit that operated at 670 GHz in 2010. In addition to demonstrating low-noise integrated receivers, the company also developed and tested LNAs and PAs. Meanwhile, M/A-COM introduced a 40W GaN-on-SiC transistor suitable for S-band military radar. Perhaps more importantly, M/A-COM was suggesting that the MAGX-002735-040L00 will provide an MTTF of 600 years or better based on HTOL RF accelerated life testing.

In conclusion, the summer period was arguably quite upbeat for the defense industry with financials looking positive and plenty of activity in terms of new product launches, technology demonstrations, contracts as well as mergers and acquisitions. Whether this momentum can be maintained as the year draws to a close will be dependent on how well companies are able or perhaps in some cases allowed to adapt to a changing environment and proactively seek out opportunities away from their traditional territories.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full reports:

Defense Electronics Industry Review: July 2012

Defense Electronics Industry Review: August 2012

Also, don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Eurosatory is held in Paris on a biannual basis with Eurosatory 2012 continuing to focus as an event centered on land and air platforms. The event boasted over 53,000 attendees and included a new focus on security this year including cyber. There were a range of technologies showcased at Eurosatory 2012 emphasizing the importance of enhancing capabilities and meeting the needs of SwaP-constrained platforms.

The growing use of COTS-based platforms was also highlighted by both DRS Technologies and Harris with the introduction of ruggedized, Military-grade Android-based handheld computer and tablet products. Elektrobit’s Counter-RCIED platform was demonstrated as a potential tool for convoy mission planning. Rohde & Schwarz was emphasizing the use of IP technologies for radio communication platforms. Finally, there was a range of radar technologies on show with Cassidian, FLIR and Camero showing solutions targeting applications from border surveillance to through-wall imaging.

IMS 2012 was held in Montreal, Canada for the first time in its 60 year history and a strong industrial program was complimented with a good mix of technical sessions and social events. While attendance was flat, there was an overall increase of around 40% year-on-year in the number of paper submissions.

Main themes that came out of the technical sessions centered on low cost millimeter-wave technologies based on Si CMOS. Terahertz technologies also continued to be a key topic with new concepts and a look towards integrated devices. Finally, nanotechnology was discussed in technical sessions with tunable devices including MEMS-based switches looking to commercial markets. Other areas of interest identified included energy harvesting, wireless energy transmission and the use of RF technologies in biomedical applications as well as the role RF will play in the “Internet of Everything”.

On the show floor, there was a positive atmosphere with companies focused on both commercial and defense markets. Strategy Analytics was also on the show floor to kick off a series of Richardson RFPD Supplier presentations where we outlined our thoughts on how GaN is becoming a pivotal technology in the defense sector. Strategy Analytics’ breakfast session at IMS 2012 was held in conjunction with Microwave Journal this year and included participation from Cree, Nitronex, NXP, RFMD, TriQuint and UMS with the presentations serving as a platform to confirm the applicability of GaN to addressing communications, electronic warfare, and radar applications.

The need for wideband communications including demand from the UAV and SATCOM sector at Ku-band and the need to address Ka-band requirements from SOTM, missile seekers and other communications applications is also driving opportunities for GaN device suppliers. However, while GaN technology hits a lot of the parameters being asked for by military system designers, other technologies including TWTs, LDMOS and SiC will also continue to play a role in future defense system design.

Finally, the Farnborough International Airshow 2012 took place in July acting as a conduit for the trade, with orders and commitments covering a total of 758 aircraft and worth $72 billion. More impressive, given the current economic uncertainty was the fact that the order value represented a 53 percent increase on 2010.

Attendance was equally impressive with just over 107,000 trade visitors and over 1500 exhibitors with representation right across the supply chain. Over 70 military delegations from 46 countries attended with a further 13 delegations from the civil sector. The UK Prime Minister opened the show, and other UK Cabinet members made keynote speeches, with other senior ministers visiting from the UK and overseas.

Over 140 aircraft took part in the static and flying displays at the Farnborough Aerodrome in Hampshire. While the Airbus A400M was unable to fly (again!) due to mechanical issues, the Airbus A380 was in attendance and other flying display highlights included the Korean T50 jet trainer, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Saab Gripen Fighter.

Perhaps surprisingly, the continuing requirement for a range of technologies was emphasized during meetings at Farnborough. TMD Technologies was showcasing its S-band TWT solutions as well as highlighting the capabilities of the company’s X-band 8kW PAMs which can be combined with up to 12 units to enable land-based radar solutions and provide the graceful degradation typically associated with GaAs and GaN-based AESA systems. On the GaAs front, Plextek’s Blighter B400 FMCW/Doppler Ku-band PESA radar was being demonstrated and Eletronnica was also showcasing GaAs-based solutions with the Virgilius EW system which provides both ESM and jamming functionality based around an AESA RF front-end.

In conclusion, there were a range of technologies showcased at all the shows with radar, communications and electronic warfare capabilities and requirements driving demand for technologies that can enhance the capabilities of existing platforms as well as meet the ever growing need to optimize SWaP parameters across both existing and emerging platforms.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full reports on the Eurosatory, IMS and Farnborough shows:

Defense Technology Highlights from Eurosatory 2012

RF Technologies for Defense at IMS 2012 Centered on GaN

Satellites, UAVs, Radar and Travelling Wave Tubes at Farnborough 2012

Also, don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Military applications will continue to grow and drive fundamental development of semiconductor technologies such as gallium nitride (GaN) and this was highlighted with product announcements during IMS 2012 reviewed in the Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Defense Electronics Industry Review: June 2012.” Additionally, the report details significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance for the month of June.

Strategy Analytics’ breakfast session held in conjunction with Microwave Journal during IMS 2012 included participation from Cree, Nitronex, NXP, RFMD, TriQuint and UMS with the presentations serving as a platform to confirm the applicability of GaN to addressing communications, electronic warfare, and radar applications. The panelist presentations confirmed applicability of GaN to addressing EW, radar and communications applications, by highlighting products with some combination of high power, high efficiency and wide bandwidth performance. During the conference itself, there were also a number of product announcements showcasing GaN capabilities including Toshiba’s new X-band GaN hybrid IC (HIC) targeted at TRMs (transmit-receive modules) used in active electronically scanned array (AESA) and passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar applications.

Eurosatory 2012 in Paris was also in June allowing defense companies to showcase new products and capabilities with a focus on the land and air domains. Elbit Systems Ltd announced the launch of the VWS radar, a new, continuous wave (CW) radar, specifically designed for Active Protection Systems (APS) to provides soft/hard protection for light or heavy armored vehicles. On the EW front, Netline launched a new, extremely small, lightweight, accurate jammers, such as the C-Guard HHJ and the PJP - Portable Jammer Pack – based on new exciter technology as well as using RF capabilities provided by semiconductor technologies such as GaN.

In communications systems, ITT Exelis upgraded its hand-held SpearNet radio with enhancements that further extend its capabilities with an emphasis on providing cellular-like mobility coupled with increased bandwidth throughputs to enable voice, video and data communications. Harris introduced the Falcon III RF-7800H wideband manpack, reportedly the world's smallest, lightest and fastest wideband HF radio as well as the next generation of the combat-proven Falcon III® RF-7800W High-Capacity Line-of-Sight radio. The company has also introduced a handheld variant – the RF-7800M – designed to connect dismounted warfighters to emerging wideband tactical networks.

Other system level activity during June also included systems that employ semiconductor technologies. Boeing and Raytheon received contracts related to AN/APG-79 AESA radar upgrades, while Northrop Grumman demonstrated the capabilities of the company's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS) and AN/APG-81 AESA radar, both featured on the F-35.

All of these developments will continue to drive demand for RF technologies such as GaN. As these technologies mature, the boundaries around performance and applicability are also crystallising and over the course of IMS 2012 and more recently at Farnborough, it is clear that GaN is no longer seen as a TWT (traveling wave tube) killer by either side. Where there is a need for high power at high frequency without compromising efficiency, then TWT technologies from companies such as e2v Technologies, TMD Technologies, L-3 Communications Electron Technologies will continue to play a key role in defense systems. Indeed, there is potential for these technologies to complement each other especially in the growing trend towards MPMs which utilise mini-TWTs typically in conjunction with a solid-state driver amplifier. As with commercial markets, the military sector will find that these respective technologies as well as other technologies (both existing and emerging) are best utilised in complementary fashion rather than trying to hone in on one flavour of technology alone as the panacea for all future system and platform design.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here.

Also, don’t miss this month’s column in the Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Recent defense industry developments center around future platforms with the US Navy looking ahead to the 2030s for a new fighter that could be unmanned. Other areas of focus included next generation systems underpinned by new technologies. The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Defense Electronics Industry Review: May 2012,” reviews significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance.

Even though the JSF has yet to make its operational debut, the US Navy is already looking ahead, issuing a Request for Information (RfI) for a new fighter, which could be manned or unmanned, to replace the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler in the 2030s. In the short term, unmanned platforms remain in focus also with Northrop Grumman announcing a deal for NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system which includes five Block 40 Global Hawk UAS. Elbit Systems was also active in Europe with a contract that will see the company supply UAS platforms over the next two years. Also in Europe, BAE Systems has begun testing technology to enable conventional aircraft to fly safely without pilots, including weather-avoidance and emergency landing systems.

New technologies will underpin these new platforms and the capabilities that they bring. For example, the Block 40 UAS platforms for the AGS program will utilize the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) ground surveillance radar sensor which uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology based using compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide (GaAs).  In other radar related news, Selex Galileo will begin delivering a new version of its Raven ES-05 AESA radar for integration with Saab's two-seat demonstrator for the next-generation Gripen E/F. Progress is also being made on the Euroradar Captor-E AESA for Eurofighter Typhoon where Cassidian is acting as design authority.

Other examples of semiconductor technologies underpinning the next generation of systems include the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) electronic warfare program, which is providing opportunities for companies such as ITT Exelis. It will utilize AESA technology based around gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors. Cassidian is also using GaN technology for the electronic components that will be used for the German Armed Forces' new software-defined radio communications system (KommSysBw).

On the research front, TriQuint has been selected by DARPA to lead a development program focused on ultra-fast GaN switch technology for the Microscale Power Conversion (MPC) program. TriQuint is teamed with Rockwell Collins, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Northrop Grumman to create a new generation of RF power amplifiers that use contour modulation for very high efficiency performance that exceeds the capabilities of devices currently available.

GaN continues to play a large part in future defense systems and is also gaining traction in the commercial world. Strategy Analytics explored this technology in detail last week during IMS 2012 in Montreal, Canada. Our special panel session, “Where are the emerging RF market opportunities for GaN?” attracted over 130 participants and provided a great overview of where this technology is going. Thanks to Microwave Journal for working with Strategy Analytics to set up the event and a special thank you to Cree, Nitronex, NXP, RFMD, TriQuint and UMS and Nitronex for presenting such great insightful content.

Finally, laser weapons appeared to be once again in vogue. Northrop Grumman test fired the first product in its next-generation FIRESTRIKE™ family of high-energy, solid-state lasers demonstrating that the laser could burn through the skin and critical components of a target drone. Meanwhile, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is looking to develop a solid-state laser weapon prototype for multi-mission capabilities aboard a ship.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here.

Also, don’t miss this month’s column in the Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

Finally, I’ll be attending IQPC’s Military Satellites 2012 conference this week including a site visit to the headquarters of Surrey Satellite Technology to learn about micro and nano-satellite development from a leader in the global satellite market.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

The Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service has just released, “Defense Electronics Industry Review: March 2012,” covering defense industry news including business events, product announcements, milestones and contract activity for the month of March.

Some highlights include Boeing delivering the first production P-8A Poseidon aircraft and also completing delivery of the U.S. Navy's first aircraft acquired through the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) III contract. Meanwhile, Saab’s Gripen project looks to be on track with commitments from the Swedish Armed Forces for 60-80 Gripens in a future air force that will involve the upgraded Gripen NG (or Gripen E/F) configuration. Staying in Europe, the Rafale fast-jet from Dassault will be amongst the first European platform to be fielded with AESA radar capabilities. Thales confirmed that it delivered the first series-produced RBE2 radar with AESA to the Dassault Aviation facility in Mérignac, France.

AESA technology was also in evidence as the US Army awarded contracts for the AN/TPQ-53 Firefinder Radar to Lockheed Martin worth up to $881 million with the base year and two option years yielding up to 51 systems. Raytheon was also involved in a number of radar contracts including efforts to improve C-RAM S&W (Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar Sense & Warn) systems by producing a Ku-band radar.

Northrop Grumman was demonstrating its market leadership in the optoelectronics space with contracts and milestones around the company’s LAIRCM (Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures) and LITENING pod systems while communications contracts continued to be dominated by Harris in March.

Component technology development included DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) funded efforts resulting in TowerJazz and UCSD demonstrating a SiGe (silicon germanium) -based wafer-scale phased array. DARPA is also involved in a range of efforts looking at III-V-on-Silicon technologies. One of the efforts is the Diverse Accessible Heterogeneous Integration (DAHI) program which is launching the DAHI Foundry Technology effort to advance novel methods for combining a variety of devices and materials onto a single silicon chip.

On the III-V front, TriQuint released a 30W wideband GaN PA with high power and efficiency at GOMACTech 2012, providing another example of how GaN (gallium nitride) continues to cement a position as a key enabling technology for defense systems.

Overall, activity across radar, communications, electronic warfare and other systems remained robust in March from platforms down to components despite uncertainties, such as the countdown to sequestration in the US and general budgetary constraints in the global environ, that continue to dog the defense industry.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here