Qorvo has announced that one of its gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifiers has been selected by Lockheed Martin to provide GaN modules for production of the U.S. Army’s Q-53 radar system. The insertion of GaN technology into this multi-mission mobile radar will provide superior efficiency, power density, reliability and lifecycle cost over the gallium arsenide (GaAs) amplifiers currently used in the system.
The S-band MMIC high power amplifier (HPA) is built on Qorvo’s ultra-reliable gallium nitride on silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) technology. The GaN HPA delivers more than twice the saturated output power and a fifteen-point improvement in power-added efficiency (PAE) over the GaAs predecessor.
These capabilities support needed functions of the phased-array Q-53 radar, such as long-range counterfire acquisition. The amplifier’s compact size and exceptional performance supports a wide range of challenging operating conditions. GaN-on-SiC technology has the added benefit of increasing system reliability and reducing lifecycle ownership costs.
Qorvo offers one of the largest, most innovative GaN-on-SiC portfolios to help customers realize significant improvements in efficiency and operational bandwidth. The company’s products deliver high power density, reduced size, excellent gain, high reliability, and process maturity, with volume production dating back to 2000.
Lockheed Martin has used an open GaN foundry model leveraging relationships with commercial suppliers, like Qorvo, that utilize the power of the expansive telecommunications market. This process takes advantage of the commercial industry’s investment in GaN, enables competition and ultimately reduces costs.
