🔷 Fire Control

Seeing Further:
Fire Control Radars

In modern air combat, weapons are only as effective as the sensors that inform them.

Raytheon’s Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars are at the heart of this equation, providing aircrew with unmatched situational awareness, targeting precision, and survivability.

AESA

What sets AESA radars apart is their superior performance and reliability compared to older mechanically scanned arrays.

AESA radars deliver increased range, resolution, and resilience, effectively permitting the detection, tracking, and engagement of threats at greater distances with unparalleled accuracy—even in jamming environments.

Additionally, AESA radars require significantly less maintenance due to their solid-state design, eliminating moving parts that traditionally wear down over time.

APG-79

At the core of Raytheon’s fire control radar portfolio is the APG-79, the radar system that revolutionized the capabilities of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets.

In service since the 2000s, it has set the standard for multi-mode radar performance with air-to-air “search while track" methodology as well as high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mapping for air-to-ground operations.

The latest iteration, the APG-79(V)4, implements Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that further improves performance—but permits a scaled-down yet still highly advanced AESA for legacy F/A-18 Hornets. The US Marine Corps selected the APG-79(V)4 to keep their F/A-18C fleet flying through 2030.

OBTW: a version of the APG-79 is also going in the B-52 bomber as part of its Radar Modernization Program.

APG-82

For the F-15E Strike Eagle, Raytheon developed the APG-82, an evolution of Raytheon’s APG-63(V)3 that leverages the APG-79 back-end electronics.

As one of the largest and most powerful AESA radars in the world, the APG-82 delivers a decisive first-look, first-shot advantage.

Its advanced multi-mode functionality enables near-simultaneous air-to-air tracking and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mapping, providing unparalleled situational awareness and targeting precision.

The APG-82 is also the radar in the new F-15EX, continuing the legacy of Raytheon radars in the F-15 Eagle.

PhantomStrike

Pushing the envelope even further, Raytheon’s newest radar is called PhantomStrike, an innovative AESA with GaN-based technology that is compact, air-cooled, and designed for Size, Weight and Power (SWAP) constrained applications at a low-cost

This compact, cost-effective system is designed for a wide variety of platforms and mission sets, from light combat aircraft and training assets to next-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and helicopters.

Fight’s On

For an inside look at these cutting-edge systems, tune in for our upcoming discussion with Joe “Grip” Beissner, Director of Requirements and Capabilities for Radio Frequency Solutions at Raytheon.

It goes live tomorrow—you can find it on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast content.

Learn more about Raytheon’s Air Warfare Solutions here: Air | Raytheon

In That Number

$35 billion

Ukraine forecasts $35 billion in domestic defense production for 2025, up from $1 billion in 2022.

TRIVIA

On this day in 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder commenced, launching a sustained US bombing campaign over North Vietnam. Over the course of the operation, approximately how many American aircraft were lost?

A) 9
B) 90
C) 900

On the Radar

South Korea unveiled the first CCA prototype aircraft. The Low Observable Wingman Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (LOWUS) looks eerily similar to Kratos’ XQ-58 Valkyrie and is being developed for manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) with piloted aircraft like the KF-21.

• The Merge’s Take: Everyone seems to have a CCA concept these days, but LOWUS could be a dark horse in the race to field them. LOWUS started way back in 2021 when very few countries were even thinking about CCAs. The flight test campaign kicks off this year and will continue through 2027, providing critical data to shape a decision on launching a full-scale production program.

The Army will field its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), known as Dark Eagle, in the next 6 months. The system includes a mobile launcher, command-and-control, and a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), providing long-range precision strike capability.

• The Merge’s Take: If the latest schedule holds, it’ll be 2 years behind schedule. When they field, the jury is still out on how effective they will be due to the large footprint and the number of missiles—or lack thereof. When you factor in the development ($4.4B), the production ($2.5B), and how many missiles will be bought (48-66), it works out to a whopping $106M per shot. In other words, each missile shot costs more than an F-35.

They Said It

“Some believe that we can go straight to full autonomous systems: we don't need a next-generation fighter and we could use the F-35, updated…as a strategy. Others feel we really need the next-generation fighter despite its expense and difficulty.”

— Stephen Feinber, nominee to be the next DepSecDef, during his confirmation hearing this week.

He didn’t take a position but did indicate a classified threat-informed assessment would be the most critical deciding factor.

 Together with Raytheon

Knowledge Bombs

• Raytheon revealed it’s working on a ground-launched version of its StormBreaker glide munition

• Boeing KC-46 tanker deliveries to the Air Force have been paused after the discovery of cracks

• The UK’s Meteor missile began F-35 flight testing

• Taiwan start testing an air-launched variant of the HF-III supersonic anti-ship missile on the F-CK-1 fighter

• Rafael and Kratos are creating a joint venture—Prometheus Energetics—to build solid rocket motors

• The Air Force flight tested Harpoon missiles on the F-16

• The Navy unveiled an image of AIM-260 JATM missile

• The Air Force named OA-1K the Skyraider II

• RTX unveiled the first AI-powered radar warning receiver

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ANSWER
C) 900. Operation Rolling Thunder took place from March 1965 to October 1968, during which the U.S. conducted over 300,000 attack sorties, dropped 864,000 tons of bombs, and lost 900 aircraft. The campaign’s strategic missteps profoundly influenced the doctrine, culture, and technological evolution of the modern US Air Force.