Ongoing activity in March and April included mergers and acquisitions, product launches and milestones, as well as seemingly healthy contract activity, but financials continue to emphasize the difficulties faced by the defense industry. Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service reports, "Defense Electronics Industry Review: March 2013," and "Defense Electronics Industry Review: April 2013," detail significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance as the first quarter of 2013 came to a close.

Taking a snapshot of financials from companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and United Technologies, revenues were by and large flat for most companies for the first quarter of 2013. The defense industry continues to focus on streamlining operations and ensuring profitability as revenue growth slows, stagnates or declines. While revenues stayed on a par with the prior year, most company outlooks point to full-year revenues declines as purchases are offset and uncertainty around future expenditure remains.

However, revenues are not the whole story and activity around contracts, business tie-ups, product launches and milestones remained robust over March and April. March saw several key systems passing tests such as the Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and Raytheon testing a dual-band datalink with a Thales Nederland Advanced Phased Array Radar (APAR). The competition to upgrade fourth generation fast-jet platforms with fifth generation capabilities such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is also starting to heat up with offerings from Raytheon and Northrop Grumman targeted at the F-16 platform. While the competition for the US fleet is yet to be initiated, the first skirmish between the solutions has gone the way of Raytheon’s Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) AESA radar selected by the Republic of Korea to upgrade the country's KF-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcon fleet.

There were a number of new semiconductor products released over March and April targeted for use in defense systems and platforms. TriQuint was announcing products in conjunction with GOMACTech 2013 with the release of broadband integrated packaged solutions that combine a limiter with LNA for use in radar and electronic warfare as well as a 25W Ku-band GaN RF power amplifier for satellite communications. Comtech Xicom Technology also focused on GaN with the introduction of a compact and highly efficient GaN-based amplifier for X-band MILSATCOM service in March and followed this with a GaN 6-to-18 GHz RF amplifier for electronic warfare, radar transmitters, and communications applications in April. API Technologies also expanded its GaN power amplifier line targeting electronic warfare, RCIED countermeasures, and national security jammer applications. GaAs-based products were also in the offing with OMMIC announcing sampling of three new production ready X band power amplifiers as well as GaAs-based products from Custom MMIC and M/A-COM Tech.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here

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

Gilat Satellite Networks provides products and services for satellite-based broadband communications, with both ground segment equipment and VSATs. In operation for over 25 years, Gilat has developed an international footprint providing enterprises, service providers and operators with satellite-based connectivity solutions, including cellular backhaul, banking, retail, e-government and rural communication networks as well as developing an increasing focus on the consumer and Ka-band market. Over the past three years, Gilat has started to address the defense sector by expanding existing modem capabilities into this area as well as through the strategic acquisitions of Raysat Antenna Systems and Wavestream, companies that not only bring capabilities but are already entrenched in military programs.

The move into the defense sector has been driven by two trends which the company believes will underpin military technology investment over the next two to three decades. First is a move towards a net-centric environment which promotes the delivery of IT and communications systems down to the tactical level. Examples in this context include the US Win-T and Indian Tactical Communications Systems (TCS) programs. The ability to be able to deliver information and provide communication at the tactical level will need to be underpinned by equipment capable of providing these capabilities within the SWaP requirements for on-the-move communications.

The second related trend is the increasing use of UAS platforms and a growing need to have BLOS capabilities to enhance the mission envelopes for which these platforms are being used. In addition, the inclusion of BLOS capabilities into missile systems, robotic systems and other platforms is also being actively explored.

To this end, Gilat has been developing internal capabilities as well as acquiring companies to help the company establish an early presence in this market. Raysat Antenna Systems provides low-profile, in-motion, two-way array antennas for OTM applications at the tactical level with solutions target a wide range of platforms from UAS platforms to tanks. Meanwhile, US-based Wavestream was acquired in 2010, and specializes in the provision of high power solid-state amplifiers for integration into systems including defense satellite communication systems with a focus on Ka- and Ku-band as well as offerings in C- and X-band. Central to the company’s technology is the Spatial Power Advantage, which uses spatially power combined amplifiers to produce high to very-high power at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies using solid-state technologies such as GaAs and GaN while maintaining small form factors and high efficiencies.

Gilat’s own internal capabilities in satellite modems are also being leveraged with the company developing  a waveform that can handle small antenna in OTM environments. Key features include the ability to work in low SNR environments, small antenna reacquisition capability, the ability to control antenna and fast reacquisition times of less than 1ms. The modems have been developed in small ruggedized form factor to allow their use in platforms such as tanks.

Ku- and Ka-band is the primary focus for these components as Gilat looks to enable OTM capabilities in small, lightweight terminals that can be targeted at small platforms requiring low profile antennas.  The company has complete terminals in operational use on UAS platforms and ground systems. Both mechanical and phased array antennas are offered and the company is also developing fully phased array antennas. Gilat’s current UAS platform terminal weighs 10.5kg and is capable of transmitting 1Mbps of IP-based data. It comprises a ruggedized spread spectrum Gilat satellite modem, a two-way, on-the-move RaySat flat panel tracking antenna and a compact, up to 40W, Ku-band WaveStream block up-converter (BUC) and power amplifier. Moving forwards, the company is looking to develop a next generation terminal featuring a phased array antenna with the aim of halving the size of the terminal.

Setting up stall early should provide Gilat with an early competitive advantage as demand for SOTM/COTM capabilities continues to increase with target markets including the US as well as emerging markets in Asia and Soutn America.

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

Phased array technology featured heavily in radar contracts and other activities during September. Platforms ranged from large ground-based early warning radar (EWR) systems to scaled-down AESAs for incorporation into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology dominated a host of radar contract announcements during September including news of Northrop Grumman completing tests of its Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) S-band radar system as well as demonstrating technologies for the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program. Raytheon was also actively involved in the supply of AESA-based systems, receiving a second contract for low-rate initial production (LRIP) of AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA radar systems for the U.S. Air Force F-15E Radar Modernization Program.

In other areas, Harris, L-3 Communications and Selex Elsag were supplying communications systems, Boeing received further contracts for Laser JDAM kits and ITT Exelis announced another successful demonstration of its Advanced Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS). The use of laser technology was also being demonstrated. MBDA Germany achieved a power of 40 kW using its high-energy laser demonstrator during a laser firing campaign while ITT Exelis is partnering with Innovative Technical Solutions to develop a laser communications system for the US Navy and Marine Corps.

Business news for the month was dominated by the discussions between Europe's largest defense corporations, BAE Systems and EADS. The deal has been shelved primarily as a result of the respective UK, France and German governments not being able to agree on terms. BAE Systems-EADS Merger Dead in the Water provides some more thoughts on this news.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report Defense Electronics Industry Review: September 2012 which details significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance.

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

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

With budget cuts continuing to threaten the outlook for the defense industry, a snapshot of some of the financials, from companies including General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and United Technologies released in April, comparing fourth quarter 2011 revenues with revenues achieved in the first quarter of 2012 shows negative quarterly growth with an average decline of 9 percent. On a positive note, the companies considered in this snapshot all achieved positive net income for the quarter. The challenge will be maintaining profitability especially if quarterly revenues continue on the same trend.

On the other hand, contract activity across platforms, systems and component technologies appeared to be robust. Examples included Textron winning the competitive MEUAS (Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems) II award and BAE Systems upgrading Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S electronic warfare capabilities.

Other highlights in April included the continuing development of GaN technology capabilities for use in military systems leading to contract awards to Raytheon, Rockwell Collins and TriQuint. ELTA Systems successfully demonstrating its new wideband LTE Tactical Communication Network, the TAC4G, while Herley Industries received an order for the production and supply of specialty microwave products for a new missile platform.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here

Also, don’t miss my monthly column in the Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

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

Asif

DARPA released a broad-agency announcement (DARPA-BAA-12-27) for the Fixed Wireless at a Distance program. The program aims to overcome perceived limitations of today's military mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) and develop mobile communications infrastructure that interconnects small groups of military radios. The system should be able to support legacy and emerging military systems and integrate commercial 3G or 4G commercial cellular and commercial Wi-Fi base station technology.

Communications must be supported over distances of up to twelve miles for legacy systems and beyond 30 miles for emerging systems that may have MIMO capabilities and be capable of two to twenty simultaneous coherent signal streams. Technology options under consideration include increasing transmit power or receive sensitivity; increasing base station antenna height; increasing base station antenna gain; and space-time coding.

There are solutions already available that could potentially be adapted to meet these requirements without necessitating the development of new solutions and one example for consideration could be Lockheed Martin’s MONAX network and Raytheon’s MAINGATE solution.

It will be interesting to see what solutions are put forward by industry and whether budgetary constraints will lead to a more pragmatic approach to meeting DARPA requirements as opposed to the traditional philosophy of designing systems from scratch leading to the inevitable cycle of delays and cost overruns.

A couple of examples from the NTISR (non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) front as the extension of an existing EW solution show how the defense industry can support future efforts without having to design whole new systems.

Northrop Grumman received two follow-on LRIP contract awards from the USAF to provide additional LITENING SE advanced targeting pods. LITENING SE pods include full 1Kx1K forward looking infrared, 1Kx1K charge-coupled device and short wave infrared sensors, color symbols, tracker improvement, enhanced zoom, and two-way multi-band data link. LITENING SE recently completed an extensive flight test program on the F-16 Block 40/50 and A-10C aircraft.

Meanwhile, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a contract to adapt ASTAC tactical reconnaissance pods for the Mirage 2000D. The ASTAC pod is designed to be carried under the fuselage of F4 Phantom, Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000 combat aircraft to provide an ELINT and tactical reconnaissance capability, including updating the overall situation and generating the electronic order of battle.

Roke Manor Research, a Chemring Group company, has expanded its RESOLVE Electronic Warfare (EW) range to include permanent vehicle fixtures and static mast-mounted deployments. The new systems extend RESOLVE’s modular manpack capabilities allowing it to be fitted to a variety of platforms, whilst maintaining the flexibility to be easily dismounted for use in complex terrain or discreet operations.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has unveiled the F-16V, a new variant and upgrade package that comes with AESA radar as well as upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit.

On the unmanned front, while the Global Hawk is not a legacy platform per se when compared to the F-16, an expanding mission envelope towards maritime surveillance has led to the sensor capabilities being upgraded. Northrop Grumman recently commenced flight tests of the first developmental multifunction active sensor (MFAS) radar destined for the U.S. Navy's MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS).

Lockheed Martin’s new F-16V variant and upgrade package will also include datalinks allowing the aircraft to operate alongside the F-35 and F-22. The new capability on the F-16 means even if a country is unable to buy the F-35 or F-22, it can still have fighters that can operate alongside U.S. and other air forces’ fifth generation fighters.

Lockheed Martin is targeting both the domestic and export market with V upgrades with South Korea’s requirement to upgrade its F-16s and the U.S. Air Force’s interest in upgrading 300-350 F-16s. Other potential opportunities could include Singapore and Taiwan.

LONGBOW recently delivered the first production Unmanned Aerial Systems Tactical Common Data Link Assembly (UTA) to the U.S. Army for the Apache Block III helicopter. LONGBOW UTA is a two-way, high-bandwidth data link for the Apache that enables aircrews to control the sensor and flight path of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.  UTA-equipped Apache aircrews can operate a UAS at long range and receive real-time, high-definition streaming video on their multi-function displays.

With budgetary constraints in mind, it will be interesting to see whether a more pragmatic approach to meeting future DARPA requirements will be adopted especially where it appears that there are existing solutions can be adapted. The drive to provide extended capabilities is also being seen in other areas and while in some cases the extension of capabilities will be a “nice to have” feature there will also be a genuine requirement to adapt legacy platforms to meet future needs with communications, radar and electronic warfare systems and the underlying RF technologies pivotal in extending these capabilities.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report, Reinventing the wheel (?), extending capabilities and talking with the next generation 

In electronic warfare (EW) the US Army Contracting Command, MICC, Aberdeen Proving Ground awarded BAE Systems E&IS, Electronic Warfare - Information Dominance Systems (IDS) a contract for procurement of SIGINT Traveler Pod (T-Pod) Systems for the MQ-1C Sky Warrior / Gray Eagle UAS while ITT Exelis has successfully installed and tested an advanced self-defense electronic warfare system on F-16 aircraft operated by an international customer.

Looking ahead, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon joined forces to compete for a US Navy contract that will upgrade the fleet's capability to electronically attack anti-ship missiles.

Through its Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 upgrade, the Navy seeks to cost effectively enhance the electronic attack capability of its AN/SLQ-32 V(3) and V(4) EW systems to counter threat technology advances. All US aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships use the AN/SLQ-32 EW system.

Staying with EW, the team of ITT Exelis and Boeing has successfully successfully demonstrated multiple critical technology elements, including digital beam-forming, mid band and high band power amplifiers as part of the U.S. Navy Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program’s technology maturation phase.

The digital beam-forming technology demonstrated recent advancements made in broad band electronically steerable antenna arrays which have come through the use of AESA technology in the radar field. As discussed during the Strategy Analytics webinar, “AESA Radar Trends: Fast-jets and Beyond” AESA technology is starting to extend beyond radar into EW and communications applications and the NGJ program is one example.

Another aspect discussed in “AESA Radar Trends: Fast-jets and Beyond” is the move towards GaN-based technology and NGJ program again affirms our prediction that GaN technology will become a pivotal technology for future generations of radar, communications and EW systems.

Other developments in the first month of January 2012 included Harris Corporation reporting several communications contracts. In the weapons area, MBDA was awarded the FLAADS Demonstration Phase Contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to develop the SEA CEPTOR naval air defence system. Finally, in radar applications, Raytheon received additional contracts for maintenance of the COBRA DANE radar facility while Elta Systems anticipates the first sale of its developmental system as Airbus Military completed initial flight test activities on an AEW&C derivative of its C-295 medium transport.

To read more about defense industry events in January, see Defense Electronics Industry Review: January 2012 which covers defense industry news for the month of January, covering radar, electronic warfare, weapons systems and communications. The report also looks at microwave, optoelectronic and other components discussing business event, product announcments, milestones and contract activity.

Despite the uncertainties as budget cuts loom over the industry, there was continued activity across all areas including contracts, business transactions and technology development in the closing month of 2011.

On the business front, there were also a number of business acquisitions in December with Raytheon acquiring two companies to further extend Raytheon's capabilities to defend against sophisticated cybersecurity threats facing customers in the intelligence community, DoD and commercial organizations. General Dynamics sold its holdings in UAS Dynamics to partner Elbit Systems of America while also completing its acquisition of Force Protection. Back in Europe, a MoU was signed between Cassidian and Alenia Aeronautica to jointly investigate the potential cooperation in the field of MALE UAS and UCAV platforms. Safran and Thales signed a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture to develop and market new electro-optical equipment for the defense market, and Thales also acquired US-based Tampa Microwave to complement Thales’s existing product portfolio and expand its capabilities in the wideband SATCOM domain.

Contract activity remained robust with Lockheed Martin involved in the Aegis program and for the continued contractor engineering technical support (CETS) services in support of the Egyptian AN/TPS-59(V)3E and M34 radar sets. Raytheon booked $320 million in new contract awards related to its AESA radar programs for domestic and international customers while the Missile Defense Agency awarded Raytheon a contract to provide two AN/TPY-2 radars to the U.S. Army as the radar component to the THAAD missile defense system. Raytheon also announced $50 million worth of contract bookings related to its electronic warfare business and was also prolific in the weapons sector with contracts for the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA as well as multimillion-dollar contracts for the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and contract awards the Phalanx, SeaRAM and Land-based Phalanx weapons systems as well as the NATO SEASPARROW surface missile systems.

In the area of communications and navigation, Northrop Grumman announced a follow-on contract by the U.S. Navy to provide integration and laboratory test support for the LN-251 embedded GPS/fiber-optic inertial navigation system on the new CH-53K Super Stallion helicopter and is also working with ITT Exelis to compete for the U.S. Army's new vehicle-mounted, software-defined radio, the Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio (MNVR), which replaces the cancelled Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Ground Mobile Radio. Meanwhile, Rockwell Collins received an order for more than 20,000 additional Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) units for use by the U.S. Armed Services and Allies, while BAE Systems has received a contract to design, install and test onboard radio communications and network capability for the U.S. Navy’s new DDG 113 and DDG 114 destroyers.

On the technology development front, Cassidian introduced the Spexer 2000 Coastal which uses AESA radar technology to provide a multi-tasking and multi-mode capability for wide-area protection of coastlines, maritime infrastructure and harbors against asymmetric threats. Both Raytheon and the ITT Exelis and Boeing Team completed wind tunnel tests for their respective offerings for the Next Generation Jammer, while Lockheed Martin launched a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Plus (GMLRS+) rocket in a test at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Finally, Northrop Grumman & TriQuint are collaborating on a DARPA contract through the Microscale Power Conversion program. Northrop Grumman will conduct research on high-efficiency transmitters with GaN Class E power amplifiers in conjunction with RF wideband contour modulation and sub-banded switching supply modulation. The objective of the program is to develop innovative RF power amplifier designs that incorporate supply modulation and control enabled by novel power switch technology. TriQuint Semiconductor will work on GaN and related process technologies.

The latest ADS monthly review includes coverage of European Microwave Week in Manchester, UK where TriQuint launched a family of reflective GaN-based SPDT (single pole double throw) switches. Operating at 10-40 W over 6-18 GHz, the switches allow designers of defense, aerospace or high-performance commercial systems to use much smaller semiconductor devices in many applications where the only alternative previously option was to use larger, heavier electromechanical devices.

Scalability is another feature often talked about when discussing AESA radar capabilities, and where the STARlite demonstrates lightweight, small sized solutions, the other end of the scale is amply demonstrated by Raytheon’s involvement in the Cobra Judy Replacement program Raytheon has completed the shipboard installation of the Cobra Judy Replacement program's X- and S-band antennas onto the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen. These massive active phased-array antennas weigh more than 500,000 pounds and comprise an estimated 20,000 T/R modules. Northrop Grumman also demonstrated the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system to senior Department of Defense leaders at the Pentagon as well as the Highly Adaptable Multi-Mission Radar (HAMMR), which is a derivative of the Defense Department's Ground Based Fighter Radar (GBFR).

BAE Systems was involved in multiple activity on the EW front including an announcement that the company will begin full-rate production of the U.S. Navy AN/ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy, an RF airborne countermeasure designed to protect the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from radar-guided missiles. Meanwhile, Italian electronics specialist ELT Elettronica has developed a dedicated command-and-control (C2) system that improves EW capabilities in a network-centric environment and simultaneously resists cyberattacks. The Loki ELT/950 NSM (networked system manager) coordinates and exploits passive and active networked sensors and continuously checks network security.

In the area of smart weapons, Northrop Grumman will provide personnel for expanded operations of Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) sense-and-warn systems in Afghanistan and Iraq, while ATK has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy for a third lot of LRIP Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM). Meanwhile, the French air force and Naval aviation began operational deployment of the infrared terminal guidance version (SBU-64) of the Hammer IR AASM modular air-to-ground weapon. Developed and produced by Sagem (Safran group), the Hammer AASM is a family of air-to-ground weapons, comprising a guidance kit with an infrared imager in the nose cone, along with the standard hybrid GPS / inertial guidance systems.

Harris led the field in terms of announcements for the communications sector, with the company’s Falcon III AN/PRC-117G radios being selected both by US and international customers. Meanwhile, Boeing announced that it has successfully demonstrated high-data-rate transmissions between a FAB-T system and a test terminal for the AEHF satellite. This was one in a series of development tests that are demonstrating extended data rate voice, text and data communication with a FAB-T unit.

The latest ADS report, "Defense Electronics Industry Review: July 2011" covers defense industry news in July 2011. The focus is on news related to defense systems/electronics and avionics emphasizing radar, communications & navigation, electronic warfare, weapon systems, sensors and others.

International activity provided the largest contract awards for July with Thales and Dassault involved in a deal worth about $1.42 billion as part of India's plans to upgrade its Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet. Meanwhile the UK has signed a deal worth $1bn with the US Government for three RC-135W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The MoU establishes a cooperative agreement through to 2025 for the support of the UK Rivet Joint system while also partially bridging the gap in capabilities between the decommissioned Nimrod R1s and the introduction of the RAF's new aircraft.

The increasing pace of AESA-based capability deployment was also being demonstrating with Northrop Grumman's RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk completing its first full system flight with the high performance AN/ZPY-2, also referred to as the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor. This will deliver long range, very high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ground moving target indicator (GMTI) capabilities and air target tracking. The flight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on July 21.

Sticking with phased array technology, M/A-COM Tech, announced that the Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) Panel has been named as one of R&D Magazines' 2011 R&D 100 Winners. Co-developed by M/A-COM Tech and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory under sponsorship from the Federal Aviation Administration, the MPAR Phased Array Panel aims to consolidate up to eight separate radar systems.

On the weapons systems front, Raytheon was awarded a contract modification for engineering and technical services in support of the MK15 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System. The contract combines purchases for the United States government and the governments of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

Harris continued to dominate contracting activity in the communications sector with several contract awards totaling over $76 million with the Falcon III AN/PRC-117G featuring prominently amongst the orders for Falcon II and Falcon III variants. Meanwhile NovelSat claims to have the solution to MilSatCom bandwidth constraints with its NS3 satellite transmission modulation technology that the company claims can improve satellite bandwidth by up to 78%.

On the EO-IR side, BAE Systems was awarded another task order to produce the Driver's Vision Enhancer Family of Systems (DVE-FOS), a system of infrared sensors that provide 24-hour all-weather visibility for operators of U.S. Army and Marine Corps vehicles, while Cassidian announced a contract to provide its missile launch detection system (MILDS) equipment for KAI Surion transport helicopters operated by the South Korean army.

Space was a focus for digital processing with both Microsemi and Xilinx were targeting space-based applications. Xilinx announced availability of its radiation-hardened-by-design space-grade Virtex-5QV FPGA, while Microsemi was claiming to be the first FPGA supplier to achieve AS9100 Rev C certification for aviation, space, and defense markets.

Finally, on the RF component front, Hittite unveiled several products that included aerospace and defense amongst the target applications. TriQuint also unveiled a high-linearity power amplifier designed using the firm's GaAs power pHEMT production process to operate at 10?12 GHz for X-band communication applications.

TriQuint also announced the appointment of a new VP for its Defense and Aerospace business. James Klein was most recently with Raytheon in the Space and Airborne Systems division and responsible for design and manufacturing of advanced RF and microwave subsystems and components. He'll be working with TriQuint's current VP and General Manager of Defense and Aerospace, Thomas Cordner during a transitionary phase before Mr. Cordner retires after a successful career. We wish Tom the best of luck in his future endeavours.