(Reuters) - The U.S. government has approved Raytheon Co to export a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) sensor based on gallium nitride semiconductor technology to countries that have Patriot missile defense systems, the company said Thursday.
Raytheon has invested more than $150 million over the past 15 years in gallium nitride, or GaN, and it is part of a new Air and Missile Defense Radar that Raytheon is building for the U.S. Navy, as well as several Air Force programs.
The export release of the new GaN-based AESA radar could boost Raytheon's prospects in a big Polish missile defense competition since it would give the system the ability to see a 360-degree view of potential threats.
Tim Glaeser, vice president at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, said the new GaN-based sensor was "gamechanging" because it would help improve the reliability of the radar and lower its operating and maintenance costs.
Raytheon is bidding against a French competitor in Poland.
Glaeser said a decision by Poland or another foreign country to buy the new GaN-based AESA radar would help ensure that the U.S. Army could upgrade to the new capability in 2017.
U.S. Army officials have said they plan to operate the Patriot system through 2048, but there is no funding in the Army budget for Patriot upgrades until 2017.
Over $100 million in research and development investments, and a big order by the United Arab Emirates helped kick off the previous modernization of the Patriot weapons system.
Glaeser said Raytheon had demonstrated the new GaN-based sensors at its test facility in New Hampshire in December for a U.S. government group and a high-level German delegation. The testing showed the sensors could help the Patriot system track ballistic missiles and other targets outside its current range.
He said Germany is expected to make a decision in the late spring or early summer. Poland is also expected to make a decision about a new missile defense system this year.
"We've been able to demonstrate a solution that's low-cost, low-risk and very, very effective," Glaeser said, noting the new sensor could be added onto existing Patriot fire units without having to bring the fire units back to the company's facilities.
He said the new technology would be available to each of the 13 countries already operating the Patriot system and other countries like Turkey that are looking at possible orders.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
