Raytheon will begin incorporating Gallium Nitride components for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's existing and future AN/TPY-2 radars.

The alterations are set to begin following a contract modification that tasks Raytheon with transitioning the radars away from Gallium Arsenide technology. Company officials say the modifications aim to modernize missile defense radars, and drive down obsolescence.

"GaN components have significant, proven advantages when compared to the previous generation GaAs technology," Raytheon's Dave Gulla said in a press release. "Through this effort, Raytheon will develop a clear modernization upgrade path for the AN/TPY-2 radar, enabling the system to better defend people and critical assets against ballistic missile threats at home and abroad."

Currently, AN/TPY-2 radars use Gallium Arsenide components to transmit high power radiation. Gallium Nitride technologies are designed to perform the same tasks more efficiently.

AN/TPY-2 radars are used by warfighters to scan the skies for ballistic missile threats using complex computer algorithms. The devices are capable of discriminating between incoming warheads and non-threats, such as countermeasures. The radars can be deployed for use in enemy territory, and can also be integrated with missile defense systems such as THAAD interceptors.