Raytheon software for Air Missile Defense Radar tracks target during demonstration
NewsNovember 17, 2014
TEWKSBURY, Mass. The first software build for Raytheon's Air and Missile Defense Radar tracked a simulated Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) target during a recent software build review for the Navy. The demonstration occurred less than eight months after the contract was awarded.
The software was developed using Raytheon's agile software development methodology, which promotes accelerated development, early risk mitigation, and enhanced software maturity. Segmented into monthly software increments or "sprints" that go through the full development cycle – requirements, design, implementation, integration and test – issues, errors or defects are identified and resolved early, not after all code has been written and functionality built in, according to Raytheon.
"Our Navy team plays an integral role in the agile development process" -- from program planning through every phase of execution, says U.S. Navy Captain Doug Small, PEO IWS 2.0, AMDR program manager. The program remains on track for deploying the capability to sailors in the FY16 DDG-51 Flight III, he adds.
AMDR's first software build was validated with the track-loop simulation, where the software detected the incoming AAW target and then tracked its path using data and feedback from the radar. The build also comprised ballistic missile search and initial track as well as other operational functionality, such as start-up/shut-down, and the beginning framework for supporting hardware integration.
Agile was followed as part of the DDG 1000 program for the development of more than six million lines of software code for the destroyers' Total Ship Computing Environment.
AMDR is the next-generation integrated air and ballistic missile defense radar for the U.S. Navy. It is the first truly scalable radar, built with radar building blocks that can be grouped to form any size radar aperture, either smaller or significantly larger than today's SPY-1D(V). All cooling, power, command logic and software are inherently scalable. The program leverages Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology to efficiently manage power in a smaller size, taking up less space onboard, with lower power and cooling demands.
