Raytheon developing new version of advanced synthetic aperture radar for U-2 aircraft.

Raytheon is developing a new version of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar that flies on the U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft under a $320 million undefinitized contract from the U.S. Air Force.

A Lockheed U-2S in flight (Picture source: US Air Force)

Equipped with an active electronically scanned array antenna, ASARS-2B doubles the surveillance range while maintaining the mapping and imagery resolution of the current ASARS-2A system. ASARS-2B completed flight test at Edwards Air Force Base in California in early 2019.

"ASARS-2B allows the Dragon Lady to see further than ever before," said Eric Ditmars, vice president of Raytheon Secure Sensor Solutions. "That kind of range is crucial for commanders to achieve decision superiority - and it ensures that the U-2 remains a preferred option for manned airborne surveillance operations."

ASARS-2B is a high-resolution, multimode, long-range, air-to-ground radar that provides operators with critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data. Capable of operating in all weather, day or night, ASARS detects and precisely locates fixed and moving targets on the ground.