TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IWS 2.0 Air and Missile Defense Radar, ACAT I

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative models, circuits, and MMIC high power amplifiers with power added efficiency 10-20 percent greater than current class AB amplifiers.

DESCRIPTION: Inefficiencies in RADAR transmitters lead to large prime power and cooling requirements for RADARs. The resulting RADAR prime power and cooling needs have a significant impact on RADAR weight, deckhouse volume, and cost and in turn can drive platform design. These problems are exacerbated for Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) applications requiring long pulse lengths. Power amplifier (PA) inefficiencies are the driving factor for transmitter inefficiencies and improvements in power amplifier efficiency will provide significant RADAR and platform benefits.

PHASE I: Identify and analyze potential innovative research and development approaches to address the PA performance issues discussed in this topic.

PHASE II: Demonstrate S-band PA MMIC with = lot average 60% PAE. Integrate PAs into packaging representative of that used in a phased array application and evaluate with RADAR waveforms. The PA shall be compatible with S-band phased array RADAR requirements and packaging. The ability to perform classified research may be required.

PHASE III: Transition this technology into an operational radar transmit/receive module.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The high-efficiency transmit modules should have application to all avionics manufacturers, communications, commercial radar applications, and all marine radar applications.

REFERENCES:
1. R. Tayrani, "A Highly Efficient Broadband (7-14 GHz) Monolithic Class E Power Amplifier for Space Based Radar," IEEE RFIC Symposium, June 2007, pp. 721-724.

2. Y. Woo, Y. Yang, "Analysis and Experiments for High-Efficiency Class-F and Inverse Class-F Power Amplifiers," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 54, No. 5, May 2006, pp. 1969-1974.

KEYWORDS: Power Added Efficiency; Power Amplifier; non-linear modeling.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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