Jamie Bennet
Raytheon Technologies‘ missiles and defense business received the 2022 Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement award for enhancing its gallium nitride production process.
The new version of GaN is covered by the Defense Production Act Title III contract and manufactured at the semiconductor foundry of Raytheon Missiles & Defense in Andover, Massachusetts, the company said Thursday.
The chemical compound is used to boost radio frequency signals in defense systems and military radars, such as Raytheon’s Patriot, GhostEye and SPY-6 used by the U.S. Navy.
The company won the DPA Title III contract in 2016 to modernize the compound’s manufacturing process. Based on performance tests, the military-grade GaN showed higher gain and efficiency compared to previous versions that cost more to make.
Winners of the Department of Defense recognition are chosen annually by the DOD Manufacturing Technology Program and the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel.
