Lockheed Martin [LMT] publicly announced its newest radar technology on Tuesday, the Digital Array Row Transceiver (CART), based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology.
The DART is a combined transmit and receive LRU with GaN T/R modules. Using the DaN technology, DART has a greater performance within current Lockheed Martin radar products and lowers lifecycle costs thanks to increased energy efficiency, the company said.
The new DART technology is available in the recently launched TPS-77 Multi Role Radar systems and is also compatible with legacy products like the TPS-77, TPS-59, and FPS-117, extending their useful life.
“This technology is based in part on feedback we have received from customers with whom we’ve developed strong partnerships with over decades. We are excited to offer this enhanced technology to all our ground-based radar customers,” Mark Mekker, Lockheed Martin director of surveillance radar, said in a statement.
Lockheed Martin first unveiled DART at its regular radar users’ conference in Orlando, Fla., the company noted. The conference included representatives from over 25 countries.
The company highlighted that even before the unveiling of the DART technology, no FPS-117, TPS-77 or TPS-59 radars have ever been taken out of service and they continue to operate beyond their original 20-year service lives.