Raytheon gets DARPA funding for future combat systems

Raytheon Co., Waltham, Mass., will receive $8 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop and demonstrate networking and communications technologies for the Army's Future Combat Systems program, the company said today.

"The new FCS communications paradigms and protocols that we are developing and demonstrating will permit warfighters to have access to high-quality data at very high data rates, enabling a better understanding of their tactical environment and improving situational awareness," said Mike Keebaugh, president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems.

The challenge facing Raytheon and DARPA is to develop a technology that provides high data rates and low latency, while also protecting against jamming and enemy detection. Raytheon is working on a multi-tiered, mobile ad hoc network that will address the challenge by employing low-band and high-band directional antennas.

With 2003 revenues of $18.1 billion, Raytheon ranked No. 7 on Washington Technology's 2004 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue.