Raytheon to improve US Army air defenses, better identify targets

Raytheon under a contract modification from the U.S. Army, is adding new capabilities to the Identification Friend or Foe interrogator to reduce Radio Frequency (RF) emissions and enhance target identification for the warfighter.

"We understood that the warfighter needed an improved identification capability, so Raytheon is both increasing the capability of the interrogator system and reducing RF emissions," said Glen Bassett, director of Advanced Communication and Countermeasures for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business.

The addition of Mode S, awarded to Raytheon in September 2012, will allow the warfighter to query targets individually and has the ability to track and identify targets passively rather than filling the airspace with RF.

The U.S. Army requires the use of Mode S interrogations to maintain the ability to distinguish the intent and identify civil targets that operate in the airspace to avoid fratricide. This modification will reduce the impact of military operations on civil air traffic control in the National Airspace.

The new Mode S and passive receive capability will be initially integrated on the Air Traffic, Navigation, Integration, and Coordination System's (ATNAVICS) host platform, and has applications for other air defense systems.