The Department of War (DoW) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) has awarded AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), the leader in all-domain defense technologies, a three-year, $43M contract to integrate its PANTHER (Phased Array Next-gen Telemetry Hypersonic Emitter Receiver) phased array antenna system on DoW SkyRange platforms. This program will enhance the nation’s weapons testing capabilities and accelerate testing timelines by delivering rapidly deployable antenna systems to track multiple targets simultaneously.
“As near-peer threats evolve and global tensions rise, our country is developing the technologies required to maintain military dominance–and the next-generation tracking and telemetry tools to support them,” said Mary Clum, President of AV’s Space, Cyber & Directed Energy segment. “Alongside our customers at TRMC and across the War Department, AV is transforming the nation’s security testing infrastructure with defense tech innovation to address growing threats.”
PANTHER creates a scalable, reconfigurable antenna that supports multi-band, multi-target tracking for various missions and test scenarios. The all-digital framework facilitates autonomous operation along with remote access and control. PANTHER is agile, modular, and platform agnostic–delivering a significant increase in efficacy with a reduced footprint as compared to traditional parabolic dish systems currently used to test long-range missiles. Integrating PANTHER on DoW SkyRange platforms provides a mobile, rapidly deployable air-based solution to track multiple targets.
SkyRange is a DoW TRMC initiative that leverages high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft outfitted with advanced telemetry, communications, and data-collection payloads to create a more flexible, airborne test infrastructure.
“PANTHER provides a reliable, efficient method for gathering the critical data needed for long-range missile testing,” said Dr. Satya Ponnaluri, Vice President of Hypersonic RF and Radar at AV. “Ultimately, this multi-band, multi-target tracking technology will allow for more frequent testing cycles and faster weapons development timelines for our nation–neutralizing global threats and maintaining our strong national security posture.”
This program builds upon AV’s proven experience in delivering transformative testing capabilities–drastically reducing technical risks, development costs, and delivery timelines. AV continues to integrate PANTHER on DoW SkyRange platforms at GrandSKY in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The team is collaborating with the state of North Dakota and Bismarck State College to develop a certification program that will train technicians and build a highly-skilled workforce pipeline in support of PANTHER operation and maintenance at GrandSKY.