The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Raytheon Company's Advanced Products & Solutions division a $6.15 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract on August 9, 2022, to develop integration technologies for compact, high-performance radio frequency electronics at G-band frequencies (110-300 GHz) under the Electronics for G-Band Arrays (ELGAR) program. The contract supports Phase 1 of a multi-phase effort originally anticipated to total approximately $55 million across three phases over 48 months. Under this Phase 1 effort, Raytheon will focus on developing monolithic microwave integrated circuits and transmit/receive array test articles to enable next-generation communication and sensing systems. The work will be performed at Raytheon's facility in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, with an ultimate completion date of February 28, 2025, and involves subcontracts with specialized semiconductor suppliers including Newport Fab, IQE KC LLC, Nhanced Semiconductors, Columbia University, and Collins Aerospace Government Systems.
The contract represents a non-set-aside competitive award with no small business designations. Notably, DARPA has elected not to exercise the Phase 2 (Option 1) and Phase 3 (Option 2) options valued at $10.32 million in accordance with White House guidance on radical transparency regarding wasteful spending. The subcontractor team provides critical capabilities across wafer fabrication, advanced semiconductor materials (gallium nitride and silicon carbide), technical and design engineering services, and systems integration expertise. Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, leverages its established position as a leading defense electronics contractor to execute this advanced research initiative supporting the Department of Defense's modernization of communications and sensing capabilities at millimeter-wave frequencies.