Radar specialist MatrixSpace has been selected for a USD 1.9 million (EUR 1.73 million) AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) Phase II sequential contract to develop a distributed dual-mode mesh radar for base defence derived from its MatrixSpace Radar
Measuring 14.1 cm wide, 8.7 cm high and 4.2 cm deep, the MatrixSpace Radar is billed as “the smallest, lightest and most portable high-performance radar available on the market”.
AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Its mission is to bring cutting-edge ingenuity from small US businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the US Air Force.
The project, which starts immediately and will run for 22 months, is in support of the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) 87th Security Forces Squadron. It involves scaling the MatrixSpace Radar for use in tactical, expeditionary, installed base force protection scenarios by creating a scalable low-cost distributed radar sensor mesh for low-airspace surveillance. The sensor mesh must detect, track, and identify low-flying objects such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions and other one-way attack vehicles that are radio-frequency silent. The deployable system will provide the USAF with a model for a network of rapidly deployable security sensors that is scalable and does not require additional infrastructure for power and communications.
“This TACFI project addresses a core requirement in new force protection, which is providing an enhanced level of awareness in complex, challenging environments, quickly,” Matthew Kling, MatrixSpace’s vice president for intelligent systems, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “A distributed radar sensor mesh has the ability to detect and identify previously undetected objects, making it essential for the new world of battlespace awareness. This project enables MatrixSpace to demonstrate our product for field use.”
Designed and developed in the United States, the MatrixSpace Radar offers robust situational awareness of both airborne and ground-based objects, regardless of lighting and weather conditions. This facilitates highly accurate drone detection and counter-UAV capabilities, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight for uncrewed, autonomous and tethered aircraft, and overall general airspace awareness and security.
MatrixSpace noted in its press release that it is “already in production with several branches across the Department of Defense”.
