Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a “major” contract to produce 120 SharpSight radar systems for Blue Raven Solutions, a defense and aerospace supply chain provider headquartered in New Jersey.
A spokesperson told Dallas Innovates the radar systems will be built within Raytheon’s McKinney Consolidated Manufacturing Center, a 200,000-square-foot advanced facility at the company’s Space and Airborne Systems headquarters in McKinney. The Space and Airborne Systems HQ focuses on the development and production of advanced intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and high-energy laser systems.
Last October, we wrote about SharpSight’s initial production launch in McKinney. The Blue Raven contract marks the largest single order to date for the new SharpSight system, Raytheon said, and is a key step in expanding the radar’s availability to customers worldwide.
Designed to enable ‘anti-surface warfare,’ long-range surveillance, and more
Raytheon’s SharpSight system [Photo: RTX]
The next-gen SharpSight radar provides high-altitude, real-time, high-resolution imaging with wide-area search and tracking for land and maritime surveillance, operating day or night in any weather condition.
Designed for both drones and manned platforms, SharpSight is a platform-agnostic, multi-domain surveillance radar system. It enables critical missions including “anti-surface warfare, border protection, coastal monitoring, search and rescue, and long-range surveillance,” Raytheon said.
Under the contract, Raytheon will produce and sustain the radar systems, while Blue Raven—formerly known as Crestwood Technology Group—focuses on global resale and distribution. The partnership aims to provide operators with faster, more affordable access to advanced surveillance capability in a highly competitive international market, Raytheon said.
Dan Theisen, president of advanced products and solutions at Raytheon, called the contract “a clear signal of strong global demand for SharpSight and the advanced surveillance capabilities it brings to the fight.”
“By partnering with Blue Raven, we’re making it easier and more affordable for customers to field this capability at the scale that fits their mission,” Thelsen added in a statement, “whether that’s a small fleet or a larger enterprise deployment.”
‘Building radar systems in bulk’
Amid growing demand for defense systems in the U.S. and worldwide, Raytheon said it’s increasing production capacity and “building radar systems in bulk” to enable larger monthly output and reduce contract to delivery timelines.
“We’re excited to partner with Raytheon on SharpSight, to grow its market across a broader range of platforms, fleets and mission profiles,” Paul Elefonte, chief growth officer at Blue Raven, said in a statement. “This collaboration will help improve accessibility, reduce lead times and maintain price stability, creating a stronger path to field this advanced capability at scale.”
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