Raytheon has been awarded a $3.8 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to allow armed forces to conduct jamming operations with minimal communication and control interference to friendly forces.

The High-Power Efficient Rf Digital-to-Analog Converter (HiPERDAC) program seeks to enable tactical platforms, such as maritime craft, ground vehicles, tactical aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as individual soldiers, to conduct battlefield jamming operations while minimizing frequency interference with friendly forces.

By generating signals that are both linear (that is, the ability of a signal to remain within a certain frequency) and efficient, HiPERDAC allows jamming across the frequency spectrum while providing precise gaps for communication frequencies used by friendly forces.

Achieving signal linearity and efficiency has traditionally been very difficult, particularly at high power levels.

"Being able to maintain combat effectiveness while simultaneously disrupting enemy sensors and communication systems represents one of the greatest challenges in asymmetric warfare," said Joe Biondi, vice president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"With extensive experience and expertise developing defense systems across the entire frequency spectrum, Raytheon is uniquely qualified to take on this challenge."

Under the two-year contract, Raytheon aims to produce a technology demonstration showcasing the ability to efficiently generate high-power, rapidly tunable, linear microwave signals across a broad range of frequencies.