Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the Apache Attack Helicopter Project Management Office to develop the Gen 3 Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI) / Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) APR-48B system for the U.S. Army’s Apache helicopter fleet. This contract underscores Lockheed Martin’s commitment to advancing electronic warfare capabilities.
The Gen 3 RFI system promises significant enhancements, leveraging advanced microelectronics technology. This initiative builds on Lockheed Martin’s more than 30-year legacy of developing and producing the Gen 1 and Gen 2 RFI systems for the Apache.
The Gen 3 RFI system is a culmination of ongoing collaborations with industry leaders, including Intel, Altera, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E). These partnerships have been instrumental in the Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) program, particularly through projects like Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging (STAMP) and State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integration Packaging (SHIP).
Through SHIP, Intel’s Altera has created a Multi-Chip Package (MCP-2) tailored for various applications, modernizing mission-critical Department of Defence (DoD) systems. The STAMP initiative has allowed Lockheed Martin and Altera to optimize these architectures for electronic warfare, expediting the delivery of capabilities to military personnel.
Lockheed Martin is drawing on its 50 years of electronic warfare expertise and investments in cutting-edge microelectronics and software to design the Gen 3 RFI system. In collaboration with the Apache Program Office, the new system will feature significantly improved sensor performance in a smaller, lighter package, allowing for additional functionality.
The development plan aims to phase out all currently fielded Gen 2 systems, ultimately integrating the Gen 3 system across the Apache fleet. A key component of this upgrade is the MCP-2 microchip, which facilitates a full-system technology upgrade, making the new system more efficient and powerful than its predecessor.
Notably, this will be the first application of Radio Frequency System on a Chip (RFSOC) in the APR-48B electronic warfare system, highlighting Lockheed Martin’s dedication to advancing microchip capabilities in electronic warfare.
“This accomplishment aligns with Lockheed Martin’s electronic warfare strategy to partner with commercial microelectronics companies and use our subject matter expertise to deliver our customers game-changing solutions that maximize capability, while minimizing size, weight, power, cost, and development time,” stated Deon Viergutz, Spectrum Convergence vice president at Lockheed Martin. “We are honored to partner with our commercial partners and committed to providing technology to our service members that helps to keep them ahead of ready.”
The OUSD(R&E)’s T&AM program is focused on modernizing DoD microelectronics through the integration of state-of-the-art, commercially driven technologies. By harnessing these technologies and partnerships, T&AM is set to accelerate the delivery of top-tier solutions for the warfighter.
In the coming years, Lockheed Martin will work closely with the Apache Attack Helicopter Project Management Office to design, test, produce, and deliver the Gen 3 RFI system. The integration of microelectronics with Lockheed Martin’s established expertise in system architecture is essential for delivering advanced electromagnetic spectrum capabilities in more compact and cost-effective packages.
With over five decades of experience in airborne electronic warfare, Lockheed Martin is strategically positioned to continue advancing microelectronic technologies for military applications.