Raytheon completes first flight test for PhantomStrike radar

Raytheon has completed the first flight test of its PhantomStrike radar on its Multi-Program Testbed aircraft in Ontario, California. PhantomStrike tracked several airborne targets and accurately mapped the terrain.

PhantomStrike is a fully air-cooled fire-control radar designed to provide long-range threat detection, tracking, and targeting. At nearly half the cost of a typical fire-control radar, it delivers superior radar capability due to its faster, more agile digital beam, advanced target detection, and resistance to jamming, according to the manufacturer.

"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 U.S. weapons integration - at an affordable price," said Bryan Rosselli, president of Advanced Products and Solutions at Raytheon. "This next-generation radar dramatically changes how we identify and respond to threats."

PhantomStrike is a gallium nitride (GaN) powered radar designed for various platforms, including uncrewed and light-attack aircraft, fighter jets, helicopters, and ground-based towers. Production of the radars takes place in Forest, Mississippi; Tucson, Arizona; and Scotland, with support from Raytheon UK.

(article source: RTX / editor: Anton van Rijsbergen)