Raytheon has received a $1.1 million grant from the Army Research Laboratory to develop technology for the Army's next-generation radar program, the company announced Monday.

The alliance will seek to develop Scalable, Agile, Multimode, Front End Technology, or SAMFET, for modular building blocks that can easily integrate with next-generation radar systems, Raytheon said in a statement.

The 24-month research agreement will aim to enhance the radar-reliant air defense and counter rocket and mortar system performance, particularly in portable configurations such as hand-held, vehicle-mounted and airborne deployments.

Raytheon will work with the Army to explore novel approaches for the design and fabrication of modular components that will fit into next-generation radar's open architecture, offering processing flexibility, agility and efficiency across radar bands, the company said.

The effort involves Raytheon's gallium nitride technology, a semiconductor material that enables radars to operate five times more powerfully compared to older semiconductor technology without overheating.