Tag: Raytheon

U.S. Navy, Raytheon test precision-guided munitions

Guided projectiles can provide sailors with precision fires

Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy completed a new round of successful Excalibur N5 munition test firings at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

Raytheon’s sea-based Excalibur N5 projectile will more than double the maximum range of conventional 5-inch munitions and provide the same accuracy as the land-based version. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)

The precision-guided projectiles demonstrated various short-, mid- and long-range capabilities.

Besides satellite navigation, Raytheon’s precision weapon systems incorporate laser guidance, high-definition radars, advanced seekers and other technologies.

Designed to be fired from the Navy’s five-inch guns, Excalibur N5 is the sea-based variant of the extended-range, precision munition used by ground forces around the globe. The Excalibur weapon provides accurate, first-round effects at all ranges in all weather conditions.

“Excalibur N5 answers the Navy’s need for a sea-launched, precision-guided projectile,” said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “N5 doubles the range of the Navy’s big guns and delivers the same accuracy as the land-based version.”

Excalibur is a true precision weapon, impacting at a radial miss distance of less than two meters from the target. Widely used by U.S. and international artillery forces, Excalibur has been fired more than 1,400 times in combat.

The precision-guided projectile was co-developed by Raytheon Company and BAE Systems Bofors.

Besides N5, Raytheon has developed other variants such as the laser-guided Excalibur S, Excalibur HTK and Excalibur Shaped Charged Trajectory.

May 7, 2019
Raytheon demos land-based version of GPS-based landing system

Photo: Raytheon

Earlier this year, Raytheon Company demonstrated a land-based expeditionary version of its Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) for the first time to U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps officials at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona.

During the demonstration, F-35B pilots used the JPALS system on the jet to connect with the expeditionary system on the ground from 200 nautical miles away. From there, the system guided the pilot to a designated landing point on the runway.

“The need for precision landings in harsh environments isn’t limited to one military service and one airplane,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president at Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business. “JPALS can help any fixed or rotary-wing aircraft land in rugged, low-visibility environments at austere bases worldwide.”

The proof-of-concept event showed how the GPS-based system, which is currently used to guide F-35Bs onto ships in all weather, could be reconfigured into a mobile version to support landings in a traditional airport setting.

Infographic: Raytheon

Expeditionary JPALS supports the U.S. Air Force’s desire to use more austere, bare-base locations for future flying operations.

Currently in five transit cases, it could be repackaged for a variety of small transit vehicles transportable by C-130. Once on the ground, the system can be fully operational in under 90 minutes.

April 8, 2019
Registration open for 35th Space Symposium

Registration has opened for the 35th Space Symposium, sponsored by the Space Foundation and taking place April 8-11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Space Symposium provides a forum to discuss, address and plan for future achievements in space.

According to show organizers, the event represents all sectors of the space community from multiple spacefaring nations, including space agencies; commercial space businesses and associated subcontractors; military, national security and intelligence organizations; cyber security organizations; federal and state government agencies and organizations; research and development facilities; think tanks; educational institutions; space entrepreneurs and private space travel providers; businesses engaged in adapting, manufacturing or selling space technologies for commercial use; and media that inspire and educate the general public about space.

The event will feature a number of speakers from NASA, Raytheon, the U.S. Air Force, the Canadian Space Agency, the Mexican Space Agency, the Korean Aerospace Research Institute and more.

Attendees can also choose from a number of sessions, as well as purchase tickets for a variety of networking opportunities, including the Corporate Partnership Dinner, General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award Luncheon, Women’s Global Gathering Luncheon and Space Technology Hall of Fame Luncheon.

November 27, 2018
Raytheon’s GPS OCX passes cybersecurity tests

System prevented broadcast of corrupt navigation, timing data.

The GPS Operational Control System’s launch and checkout system will control launch and early orbit operations and the on-orbit checkout of all GPS III satellites. (Image: Raytheon)

Raytheon Company’s GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System, known as GPS OCX, has completed several cybersecurity vulnerability assessments that tested the system’s ability to defend against both internal and external cyber threats, the company said.

GPS OCX, based at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, prevented the broadcast of corrupt navigation and timing data in all tests, bolstering the program’s readiness for the GPS III launch in December, the company added.

“We’ve built a layered defense and implemented all information assurance requirements for the program into this system,” said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “We’re cognizant that the cyber threat will always change, so we’ve built GPS OCX to evolve and to make sure it’s always operating at this level of protection.”

GPS OCX is the enhanced ground control segment of a U.S. Air Force-led effort to modernize America’s GPS system. The program has implemented 100 percent of the Department of Defense’s 8500.2 Defense in Depth information assurance standards without waivers, giving it the highest level of cybersecurity protections of any DoD space system.

The first tests took place April 2-13, and were led by a contracted “blue team” that aimed to breach the system from within its information assurance boundary.

The second round of tests took place May 16-20, and were led by an Air Force “red team” of cyber-penetration testers who tried to breach the system’s IA boundary from outside. The system worked as designed, validating it is secure.

The assessments took place on the launch and checkout system, GPS OCX Block 0, which was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 2017 as a fully cyber-secure satellite ground system.

November 2, 2018
U.S. Army awards Raytheon $191M contract for anti-UAV radar

KuRFS radars address urgent operational need against drone threats.

The U.S. Army awarded Raytheon Company a $191 million contract for Ku-band radio frequency radars. KuRFS, an advanced electronically scanned array system, fills an immediate U.S. Army operational need for a counter-unmanned aerial vehicle radar, Raytheon said.

Already deployed, KuRFS delivers precision fire control as well as “sense and warn” capability for multiple missions including detection of swarming UAS threats, as well as rocket, artillery and mortar threats.

Raytheon’s KuRFS radar. (Photo: Raytheon)

“Seeing threats — like swarming drones — as soon as possible on the battlefield is essential to protecting critical assets and saving soldiers’ lives,” said Andrew Hajek, senior director of tactical radars at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. “KuRFS makes this possible by delivering a unique combination 360-degree situational awareness, precision and mobility.”

KuRFS enables defense against multiple threat types through integration with the Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System, 50-caliber guns and 30-mm cannons. The radar also supports high-energy laser and the Coyote weapon system in both a ground-mounted or vehicle-mounted configuration, Raytheon said.

Raytheon’ KuRFS is able to quickly address the urgent needs of the army through a model of rapid-turn development and deployment, the company added. This reduces time to fielding, while providing enhanced flexibility to adapt to a quickly-changing threat environment in the drone space.

November 1, 2018
Enhanced Stinger missile counters enemy UAVs

U.S. Army completes qualification testing for new Stinger missile proximity fuze.

The new proximity fuze enables the Stinger missile to destroy a wider array of battlefield threats such as enemy unmanned aircraft systems. (Photo: U.S. Army)

The U.S. Army has completed qualification testing for a new proximity fuze that significantly enhances the combat-proven Stinger missile produced by Raytheon Company.

The proximity fuze detonates the warhead if the missile passes within a certain radius of the target, creating a cloud of shrapnel that eliminates the target.

During testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in April 2017, the upgraded weapon system scored a perfect 100 percent hit rate against a variety of targets. The missiles were shoulder- and vehicle-launched.

The new proximity fuze enables the lightweight, self-contained air defense system to destroy a wider array of battlefield threats such as enemy unmanned aircraft systems by detonating the missile’s warhead near the target, while maintaining its hit-to-kill capability.

“Equipped with a new proximity fuze, Stinger is an affordable, near-term and proven solution for countering emerging threats in the battlespace,” said Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “Together with the Army, we are putting the most capable Stinger yet into the hands of our brave men and women on the battlefield.”

https://youtu.be/h75hxN-hcMQ

With qualification testing complete, the Army can move toward a near-term fielding under an Urgent Materiel Release. Plans call for the new proximity fuze to be integrated into Stinger missiles as part of a Service Life Extension Program to be conducted at the Army’s ammunition plant in McAlester, Oklahoma.

Combat proven, the Stinger missile has more than 270 fixed- and rotary-wing intercepts to its credit. It’s deployed in more than 18 nations and with all four U.S. military services. The weapon can be rapidly deployed by ground troops and on military platforms, and has been integrated for use on the Apache Attack Helicopter.

October 10, 2018
USS Wasp first carrier to use GPS-based JPALS on deployment

F-35Bs can use JPALS for precision landings in zero visibility conditions.

Early in 2018, U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighters deployed to the Pacific aboard the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship, and used Raytheon Company’s Intelligence, Information and Services business’ Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) to guide them onto the ship’s deck.

An F-35B Lightning II prepares to land on the flight deck of the USS Wasp while underway in the Philippine Sea, March 23, 2018. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Amy Phan)

JPALS is a differential, GPS-based precision landing system that guides aircraft onto carriers and amphibious assault ships in all weather and surface conditions, including rough waters.

It uses an encrypted, jam-proof datalink, connecting to software and receiver hardware on the aircraft and an array of GPS sensors, mast-mounted antennas and shipboard equipment, the company said.

“We’re asking our pilots to land in some of the most difficult conditions on Earth,” said U.S. Navy Captain B. Joseph Hornbuckle III, program manager, Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office. “JPALS goes a long way toward ensuring the safety of our aircrews and the success of our missions.”

JPAL’s precision navigation is equally effective ashore. A land-based version of the system can be small enough to be either dropped into an austere environment via parachute or driven in on a trailer.

“Deploying with the F-35 is a good start, but it’s just the beginning,” said Matt Gilligan, Raytheon vice president of Navigation, Weather and Services. “There are many fixed and rotary wing aircraft around the world and across the services that deploy to harsh, low-visibility environments where JPALS would be extremely valuable.”

The system is slated to go into production in 2019 and will be outfitted on the U.S. Navy’s newest fighter — the F-35 Lightning II — allowing pilots to land with accuracy.

July 17, 2018
GEO 5 joins WAAS, giving FAA better coverage across US

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting 5 Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) navigation payload, developed by Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business, is now operational and fully integrated into the WAAS network.

The GEO 5 payload joins two others already on orbit in correcting GPS satellite signal ionospheric disturbances, timing issues and minor orbit adjustments, giving users increased coverage, improved accuracy and better reliability, Raytheon said.

“GPS alone can’t meet the FAA’s stringent requirements for accuracy, integrity and availability,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon’s Navigation, Weather and Services mission area. “The WAAS network corrects even the slightest errors, and that provides peace of mind when it comes to safety of flight.”

In operation since 2003, WAAS increases GPS satellite signal accuracy from 10 meters to 1 meter, ensuring GPS signals meet rigorous air navigation performance and safety requirements for all classes of aircraft in all phases of flight, Raytheon added.

WAAS provides precision navigation service to users across the United States from Maine to Alaska, as well as portions of Canada and Mexico.

For aviation users, WAAS offers pilots more direct flight paths, precision airport approaches and access to remote landing sites without depending on local ground-based landing systems.

Raytheon is the system integrator on the GEO 5 system, which includes a WAAS navigation payload on Eutelsat’s GEO satellite, two ComSAT ground sites and SED Systems specialized equipment.

June 21, 2018
Raytheon to partner on drone-testing airspace corridor
The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance selected Raytheon as a key partner in the development of America’s first and most advanced unmanned aircraft system-testing airspace corridor in New York state.

Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business will help plan, design, build and support the state’s next-generation air traffic management system to safely test and manage drones.

“UASs are playing an increasingly important role in our society, which means we must have low-altitude air traffic management solutions,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon’s Navigation, Weather and Services mission area. “The New York airspace corridor is the first-of-its kind, but it won’t be the last.”

A single-engine plane lands with the aid of a compact, Raytheon-made low-power radar during a flight-check demonstration for the U.S. government. (Photo: Raytheon)

The new corridor will extend 50 miles (80 kilometers) west from Griffiss International Airport, which is one of only seven Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved unmanned aircraft systems test sites in America.

The corridor will allow companies to test both drones and air traffic management technologies in real-world settings, generating valuable data that will inform industry and regulators and ultimately advance the commercial use of drones.

“We have identified the most qualified organizations to complete the New York UTM corridor and expand our UAS testing capabilities,” said Maj. Gen. Marke F. “Hoot” Gibson (ret), NUAIR Alliance’s chief executive officer. “With all our state economic and technical support, I think we are well positioned to accelerate the UAS industry and further establish this region as a national leader.”

Raytheon’s leadership in air traffic management includes the low-power radar (LPR), a small, one-meter square Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) software-defined radar unit. When numerous LPRs are networked together, the radar units can cover and control the low-altitude flights of smaller craft — a feat not possible with current large radar systems.

A distributed, low-level LPR network could be created with relative ease, mounting the system atop current cell-phone towers or tall buildings.

A LPR network could support:
- safe plane and drone landings
- aviation surveillance
- precision weather observations (including 3D wind information and urban hydrology)
- small drone detection and tracking
- border security and surveillance
- wildfire detection
- elevation and geographic gap fills.
May 3, 2018
F-35 fighter gets Raytheon missile with GPS-inertial positioning

Screenshot from U.S. Navy video of a March 2016 test of an F-35 releasing the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW).

Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy completed the final developmental test to integrate the Joint Standoff Weapon C onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s C variant, keeping the low-cost, air-to-ground missile on track for full deployment in 2019.

The JSOW glide weapon uses a GPS-inertial navigation system with an imaging infrared seeker that can identify and track targets autonomously. JSOW C weighs 1,000 pounds and is effective against high-value land targets at ranges greater than 70 nautical miles, day or night, and in adverse weather conditions.

“With JSOW C in its internal weapons bay, the Navy’s F-35C can now eliminate the toughest ground targets from significant standoff ranges,” said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Raytheon Air Warfare Systems. “JSOW’s advanced warhead and smart fuse provide fighter pilots with plenty of flexibility against hard and soft targets — plus, it has many programmable effects.”

Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F-35, and the F-35 Joint Program Office participated in the latest test, which took place on the Navy’s China Lake ranges in California.

https://youtu.be/IAzWKu_4njI

April 17, 2018
Raytheon contracted to demonstrate Army mobile intelligence platform

FoXTEN software product gives soldiers access to real-time intelligence data in the field.

Raytheon Company has been awarded a U.S. Army contract to demonstrate the company’s commercially available mobile intelligence platform that will allow soldiers to quickly collect and access information on the battlefield.

Raytheon’s commercial laptop-based platform, called the FoXTEN, may be considered as a future mobile component of the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS).

FoXTEN provides mapping functions in both MIL-STD-2525B and MIL-STD-2525C symbology.

DCGS is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system that enables deployed soldiers to collect, process and display intelligence information from a variety of sources and sensors. The Army is upgrading its existing DCGS system with a series of new components and capabilities, including the mobile platform.

“Our soldiers need real-time access to intelligence and surveillance data, and FoXTEN is designed to get that information to and from the most remote edges of the battlefield,” said Todd Probert, vice president of mission support and modernization at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “We’ll be bringing our deep experience integrating the best commercial software into a system our soldiers can trust to keep them constantly aware of threats and give them the advantage they need to win on any battlefield.”

Under the contract awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Raytheon will demonstrate the company’s FoXTEN software product, which can be loaded onto a commercially procured laptop and easily deployed and used by soldiers operating in the field.

FoXTEN quickly connects warfighters to intelligence from various sources, giving them the real-time information they need to make mission decisions across all battle domains. FoXTEN, when loaded onto a laptop, is lightweight, requires little power and can operate at low-transmission speeds.

“Our system is intuitive, easy to use and only takes eight hours of training compared to the current system,” said Probert. “It’s also completely open, allowing the Army to integrate new capabilities from any developer. The system is designed from the ground up to be easily upgraded so our soldiers always have the best technology and intelligence in their hands.”

The Army will conduct a series of operational tests of the FoXTEN software over the next year before making a final procurement decision.

April 11, 2018
High-power microwaves and lasers defeat drones in U.S. Army exercise

Forty-five unmanned aerial vehicles and drones fell out of the sky during a U.S. Army exercise after Raytheon’s advanced high-power microwave and laser dune buggy engaged and destroyed them.

These common threats were knocked down during a Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX), held in December at the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The directed energy system emits an adjustable energy beam that renders drones unable to fly. (Photo: U.S. Army)

The directed energy system emits an adjustable energy beam that, when aimed at airborne targets such as drones, renders them unable to fly.

The MFIX event brought military and industry leaders together to demonstrate ways to bridge the Army’s capability gaps in long-range fires and maneuver short-range air defense.

Raytheon’s high-power microwave system engaged multiple UAV swarms, downing 33 drones, two and three at a time.

Raytheon’s high-energy laser, or HEL, system identified, tracked, engaged and killed 12 airborne, maneuvering Class I and II UAVs, and destroyed six stationary mortar projectiles.

The vehicle-mounted laser is installed on an all-terrain Polaris militarized vehicle. (Photo: U.S. Army)

The vehicle-mounted laser combined a solid state laser with an advanced variant of the company’s Multi-Spectral Targeting System and installed them on a small, all-terrain Polaris militarized vehicle.

The system delivers 300 seconds of invisible, precise and instantaneous energy and five hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from a single charge, Raytheon said.

Coupled with a generator, the HEL weapon system provides military members with counter-UAV capabilities and a virtually unlimited magazine.

“The speed and low cost per engagement of directed energy is revolutionary in protecting our troops against drones,” said Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president. “We have spent decades perfecting the high-power microwave system, which may soon give our military a significant advantage against this proliferating threat.”

Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory worked together under a $2 million contract to test and demonstrate high-power microwave, counter-UAV capabilities.

“Our customer needed a solution, and they needed it fast,” said Ben Allison, director of Raytheon’s HEL product line. “So, we took what we’ve learned and combined it with combat-proven components to rapidly deliver a small, self-contained and easily deployed counter-UAV system.”

March 20, 2018