Raytheon Develops Software-Defined Naval Radars for US Navy

This article is based on an official press release from RTX.

On May 18, 2026, RTX’s Raytheon announced it was awarded a contract by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop advanced software for next-generation naval radars. According to the official press release, this initiative aims to transition radar capabilities from traditional hardware-dependent systems to highly adaptable, software-defined architectures.

The core innovation of this contract centers on enabling individual building blocks within a single Radar-Systems to operate independently. This modular approach allows the radar to perform multiple missions simultaneously, a critical requirement for modern naval operations facing diverse and complex threats.

Furthermore, the technology focuses heavily on spectrum sharing. By relying on software updates rather than physical hardware redesigns, the U.S. Navy anticipates upgrading radar performance faster, at a lower cost, and with significantly reduced risk compared to legacy systems.

The Shift to Software-Defined Apertures

Raytheon’s Advanced Technology team is spearheading the project, which treats each radar building block as its own “software-defined aperture.” As detailed in the company’s announcement, this architecture ensures that operational modes, performance metrics, and mission functions can be modified entirely through software updates, bypassing the need for extensive hardware overhauls.

“The electromagnetic spectrum is more crowded than ever, and our systems have to be smarter about how they operate in it. With precise, software-driven control over where and how we radiate, we’re taking an important step forward in how we use software‑defined apertures to keep pace with evolving mission demands,” said Colin Whelan, President of Advanced Technology at Raytheon.

Navigating a Crowded Electromagnetic Spectrum

Coexisting with Commercial 5G

A primary driver for this technological leap is the increasingly congested radio frequency spectrum. As commercial wireless technologies, particularly 5G and upcoming 6G networks, expand globally, military radars face challenges in securing the wide, uninterrupted bands they traditionally require to detect threats.

The newly contracted software will allow naval radars to dynamically navigate and share these crowded frequencies. According to the provided project details, this capability ensures that military systems can operate effectively without losing operational effectiveness or interfering with civilian telecommunications networks.

Tactical Advantages and Future Deployment

Addressing Modern Maritime Threats

Modern naval vessels are confronted with complex, simultaneous threats, ranging from hypersonic missiles to swarms of aerial and surface drones. A radar system capable of independently tasking its internal modules to track diverse threat profiles simultaneously provides a distinct tactical advantage for the fleet.

The immediate roadmap for this technology involves software engineering by Raytheon, followed by a demonstration phase to validate independent module control and 5G spectrum-sharing capabilities. Upon successful validation, the technology is slated for direct transition into operational U.S. naval radar systems.

AirPro News analysis

We observe that the defense industry is undergoing a massive paradigm shift toward “open architecture” systems. Historically, upgrading a military radar necessitated taking a ship out of service to physically rip out and replace heavy hardware. By transitioning to software-defined systems, the U.S. Navy is effectively moving toward a model where warships can be upgraded much like smartphones, receiving new combat capabilities via software patches. This approach not only accelerates deployment timelines but also significantly reduces lifecycle costs and operational downtime, ensuring the fleet remains agile against rapidly evolving global threats.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Who awarded the contract? The contract was awarded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR).
• What is the main goal of the software? To transition naval radars to software-defined architectures, allowing them to perform multiple missions simultaneously and share crowded electromagnetic spectrums (like 5G) with commercial networks.
• How will this affect radar upgrades? Future upgrades will be delivered via software patches rather than physical hardware replacements, saving time and reducing costs.

Sources

• RTX