Raytheon to develop software upgrades for naval radars under new ONR contract

Raytheon, the defense subsidiary of RTX, has been awarded a contract by the Office of Naval Research to create software that will broaden detection range, boost sensitivity and raise efficiency of naval radar systems. The work will be carried out at Raytheon's facilities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and is scheduled to run through 2031. Colin Whelan, who leads Raytheon's Advanced Technology division, said the upgrades will let operators spot smaller objects farther away and classify targets more quickly.

The company notes that the software‑first approach is a fast and cost‑effective way to add capability, which could translate into future sales of upgraded radar kits for the SPY‑6 family and later platforms. No contract price was disclosed, so the immediate impact on earnings is unclear, but the program may generate revenue in the coming years.

  • 1Raytheon received a contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop advanced target‑detection software for naval radars.
  • 2The effort will involve creating and testing new signal‑processing and data‑processing algorithms.
  • 3Work will be performed at Raytheon's sites in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and Andover, Massachusetts.
  • 4The program is planned to continue until 2031.
  • 5Colin Whelan is president of Raytheon's Advanced Technology division and commented on the expected performance gains.
  • 6The software upgrades are intended for integration into the SPY‑6 radar family and future naval radar platforms.

Sources