FlexRadio Systems and Raytheon
are working jointly on a project to bring software-defined HF radio to the U.S.
Air Force. The $36 million project will use the architecture of the Flex-6000
Smart SDR software to develop SDRs for use in airborne HF communications
platforms.
In a joint news release, FlexRadio CEO Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, said, “Our partnership brings together the vast
resources and experience of Raytheon in airborne tactical communications
systems with FlexRadio’s commercial off-the-shelf high frequency Software
Defined Radios to deliver a modular, extensible, and flexible communications
platform for the warfighter."
Youngblood also predicted that the company's amateur products would benefit
from its work with Raytheon and the Air Force. "Throughout
FlexRadio's history," he said, "commercial amateur products have been
leveraged into defense products, which in turn, have been leveraged back into commercial
products. We are certain that these efforts will cycle back again."
The FlexRadio/Raytheon team is one of two groups participating in the
development project. After approximately two years, one of the groups will be
selected to produce the new Air Force radios.
