Active Electronically Scanned Array

Active Electronically Scanned Array
ILA_Berlin_2012_PD_193.JPG: Bin im Garten derivative work: MagentaGreen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Active Electronically Scanned Array
Type	Phased array radar

Active Electronically Scanned Array

Active Electronically Scanned Array technology is a form of phased array radar characterized by individually powered transmit/receive modules that enable rapid beam steering and multifunction operation. Developed and fielded across aerospace, naval, and ground platforms, it underpins modern systems used by organizations and programs worldwide. Major adopters and collaborators include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and programs such as AN/SPY-1, Aegis Combat System, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II.

Overview

AESAs replace mechanically rotated antennas in systems like AN/APG-77 and AN/APG-81 to provide electronic beam steering used in platforms including Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Dassault Rafale, and Sukhoi Su-57. Key programs and procurement agencies involved are United States Department of Defense, Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), NATO, DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and industry partners such as Thales Group and Hensoldt. Allied systems and export efforts link to projects managed by Japan Ministry of Defense, Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and Indian Space Research Organisation. AESA technology intersects with standards and initiatives like Joint Strike Fighter program and collaborations among corporations such as General Dynamics and Boeing.

Design and Components

An AESA consists of many elements: transmit/receive (T/R) modules produced by companies such as Analog Devices, NXP Semiconductors, and Qorvo, phase shifters supplied by suppliers like Broadcom Inc., solid-state amplifiers using gallium arsenide or gallium nitride by firms like Cree, Inc. and Infineon Technologies, and cooling systems designed by contractors including Honeywell International and Rolls-Royce. Supporting subsystems often originate from partners such as Babcock International, Thales Alenia Space, Leonardo S.p.A. and research institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Imperial College London. Platforms add integration work by integrators including MITRE Corporation, SAIC, and Leidos.

Operating Principles

Beamforming in AESA uses individual T/R modules controlled by digital beamforming processors from companies such as Nvidia, Xilinx, and Intel Corporation to create constructive interference in desired directions, a concept researched at institutions like Bell Labs, Caltech, and University of Michigan. Electronic steering enables scan strategies used in doctrines by organizations such as United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, and People's Liberation Army Air Force. Waveforms and signal processing employ techniques advanced by researchers at Lincoln Laboratory, Fraunhofer Society, and CSIRO. AESA operation supports modes like tracking used in Patriot missile system, search functions similar to SPY-6, and electronic warfare integration analogous to developments by Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Performance Characteristics and Metrics

Key metrics include element count seen in arrays like AN/SPY-6, power-aperture product discussed in studies by Naval Research Laboratory, beam agility evaluated by MITRE Corporation, and sensitivity measured in noise figure standards developed at National Institute of Standards and Technology. Other performance indicators derive from tests conducted by entities such as US Naval Aviation and Airbus Defence and Space, with metrics comparable across systems like SAMPSON radar and APAR. Reliability and mean time between failures are tracked by defense agencies including Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and companies like Rolls-Royce Holdings.

Applications

AESAs are used in fighter aircraft such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, MiG-35, and JAS 39 Gripen E, naval vessels including Type 45 destroyer, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and Zumwalt-class destroyer, as well as ground-based systems like SAMP/T and spaceborne sensors on platforms developed by European Space Agency, Roscosmos, and Indian Space Research Organisation. Civil and dual-use applications include air traffic management upgrades associated with Eurocontrol, satellite communications on projects by Inmarsat and SES S.A., and meteorological sensing in programs run by World Meteorological Organization partners.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages noted by analysts at RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies include low probability of intercept improvements relevant to Signals intelligence collectors and survivability enhancements similar to doctrines espoused by US Naval Forces. Limitations arise from cost and complexity factors familiar to procurement offices in Ministry of Defence (India), thermal management challenges studied at Sandia National Laboratories, and supply-chain dependencies traced to suppliers like Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics. Export controls such as those influenced by Wassenaar Arrangement and Arms Trade Treaty affect dissemination and collaboration.

History and Development

Foundational research occurred in laboratories like Bell Labs, Lincoln Laboratory, and projects sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and US Air Force Research Laboratory. Early operational systems emerged from programs led by Hughes Aircraft Company and Marconi Electronic Systems, evolving through generations produced by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, General Electric, Philips Electronics, and later by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies. International development tracks include contributions from France, Germany, United Kingdom, Israel, and Japan, with cooperative procurement programs such as those between Australia and United States for naval and air systems.

Category:Radar