Cassidian extends its leading position in state-of-the-art radar technology

22 November 2012 eads.com

        New generation of transmit & receive modules increases performance and reduces costs

        Broader range of applications where the benefits of AESA technology can be used

    Cassidian further increases its leading position in state-of-the-art radar technology. The company has developed a new generation of transmit & receive modules which give the new AESA radars with electronic beam scanning (AESA = Active Electronically Scanned Array) previously unattained performance. (c) Cassidian

Cassidian further increases its leading position in state-of-the-art radar technology. The company has developed a new generation of transmit & receive modules which give the new AESA radars with electronic beam scanning (AESA = Active Electronically Scanned Array) previously unattained performance. Thanks to the new modules, the multi-mode and multi-tasking capabilities of AESA antennas can be enhanced on a sustained basis while at the same time significantly reducing production costs.

“Our new-generation modules increase radar performance, while the cost of production is reduced by more than 30 per cent,” says Dr. Elmar Compans, head of the Sensors & Electronic Warfare unit at Cassidian.

In contrast to conventional systems, radars based on AESA technology can perform several tasks practically simultaneously. The transmitting energy is generated directly in the antenna, namely in a multitude of transmit & receive modules (TRM), instead of in a delicate central transmitter.

With environmental qualification to IEC 60748, Cassidian now has completed the basic development of a new generation of transmit & receive modules. This milestone will pave the way for using these high-tech components in particularly demanding applications in the aerospace sector. Cassidian has optimised the industrial production of these modules using a standard design based on a modular principle. Operating Europe’s largest production line for this type of radar module, Cassidian is the pioneer of this technology in Europe.

The new technology offers so many operational advantages for the customer that Cassidian can expect AESA radars to be used in many fields of reconnaissance and surveillance in future. The Cassidian products using the new TRMs include the Eurofighter’s future e-scan radar, the security radars in the Spexer family as well as spaceborne earth observation radars.

About CASSIDIAN

Cassidian, an EADS company, is a worldwide leader in global security solutions and systems, providing Lead Systems Integration and value-added products and services to civil and military customers around the globe: air systems (aircraft and unmanned aerial systems), land, naval and joint systems, intelligence and surveillance, cyber security, secure communications, test systems, missiles, services and support solutions. In 2011, Cassidian – with around 28,000 employees – achieved revenues of € 5.8 billion. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2011, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 49.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 133,000.

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