On December 19th, the American company Raytheon announced that it had been awarded a new contract by the United States Air Force to equip its AI-controlled F-16s with the new PhantomStrike AESA radar, significantly expanding their operational capabilities. Also known as the X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA), the aircraft had already been upgraded from the Block 30 standard to incorporate avionics from the Block 40 variant, facilitating its use as a testing platform for the advanced software that pilots it.
Raytheon’s President of Advanced Products and Solutions, Dan Theisen, stated the following: “Autonomous aircraft are poised to play a key role in helping the United States maintain air superiority, and Raytheon’s PhantomStrike radar is specifically designed for this purpose. This radar is revolutionary due to its use of GaN, fully air-cooled technology, and innovative manufacturing, all at a lower cost than other modern radars.”
Regarding the PhantomStrike radar to be installed on the aircraft, the manufacturer emphasizes that it is the first of its kind to be air-cooled, specifically designed for long-range target detection and tracking. This is a significant advantage, given that its design allows it to operate without the need for a liquid cooling system on the aircraft, which would increase its weight. This also simplifies the associated integration tasks, both on the F-16 itself and on other combat platforms, including unmanned ones.
Furthermore, the American company states that this new AESA radar not only offers operational capabilities that far surpass those of a conventional radar thanks to its multimode functionality and interleaved ground-air orientation, but it also does so at a cost roughly half that of previous models. It is also worth noting that these systems have a greater range and scanning speed than mechanically scanned radars, while also incorporating technologies that make them more resistant to enemy electronic interference for increased reliability.
On the other hand, regarding the F-16 in question, it’s worth remembering that it’s being developed within the framework of DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program as a sort of laboratory for testing advanced AI algorithms with the fighter pilot acting as the sole pilot. As such, the platform had already made headlines on previous occasions after its participation in simulated air combat tests against US Air Force F-16 fighters, in which it had pilots on board with the ability to activate a kill switch in case of potential malfunctions.
As expected, news of this test flight and the technological advancements achieved raised concerns among several of Washington’s geopolitical rivals due to their various implications, most notably China. Furthermore, a series of reports and analyses emerged at the time pointing to the Asian giant as one of the few countries with the capacity and intention to advance in acquiring similar capabilities, especially to equip its new drones.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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