Magnetics Business & Technology - March/April 2025 - 16

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Defense Contractors Apply Advanced Radar to Fighter Jets; Magnetic Systems & Components
Play Key Role as Technology Expands to Maritime & Commercial Use
ing essential power systems and magnetic products to support the
cutting-edge radar systems.
Comments David O'Neil, Espey CEO, " As AESA radar systems
continue to advance and integrate into multiple flight platforms,
Espey stands alongside its customers, supporting their power
system requirements. We take great pride in our role as a key
participant in advancing this groundbreaking technology and the
essential power enhancements that accompany it. "
From its 150,000-plus square foot facility in Sarasota Springs,
New York, Espey is a top supplier of power conversion, magnetics
and built-to-print products as well as dynamic life-cycle management
services for military and industrial programs. It maintains
all the necessary facilities of a specialty magnetics manufacturer
including the capabilities of a power transformer and power supply
design manufacturing operation.
Active electronically steered array radars have revolutionized the
way we perceive and respond to targets in the air, on land and at
sea - a modern technological marvel performing rapid and precise
beam steering without the need for any moving parts. Photo: Raytheon.
In
the unrelenting global race for air combat superiority, the
progressive development and integration of Active Electronically
Scanned Array (AESA) radar has become an industry standard for
virtually all new fighter jets. Additionally, many older aircraft are
being retrofit to incorporate the radars because it provides what
Lockheed Martin, whose subsidiary Northrop Grumman is the
largest provider of the systems, describes as " first-look, first-shot,
first-kill capability. "
Leading defense contractors globally are tasked with providing
the systems through a stream of military contracts. Top players
include Lockheed Martin and its subsidiary Northrop Grumman,
BAE Systems, Leonardo, Raytheon, Thales. As the systems have
increasingly proven their merit, military and defense organizations
worldwide have spurred advancement of the technology, competing
for the latest advantage. Adapting AESA to warships, land
systems and surveillance drones have also become important in
its continuing development, leading to commercial aviation and
maritime uses.
From a magnetics research & development standpoint, some of
the more exotic work has focused on developing integrated magnetic
components such as circulators, isolators and inductors on
semiconductor substrates to reduce size and enable new functionality
for military electromagnetic systems.
Power electronics & magnetic components play key role
At the sub-system level, high-reliability power electronics and
magnetic components play a key role in the technology for enabling
pilots to detect an enemy aircraft quickly and with stealth,
fire a missile, and neutralize the target without giving the opposing
pilot a chance to respond.
Among those elements are essential power systems and magnetic
products such as those provided by Espey Mfg. & Electronics
Corporation and other sub-system suppliers. Espey, whose
primary business is the development, design and production of
specialized military and industrial power supplies and transformers,
is actively engaged in several AESA radar programs, provid16
Magnetics Business & Technology * March/April 2025
One of more than 70 AESA retrofits on F-16 Fighting Falcons across
12 Air National Guard units, this one at Andrews Air Force Base
For prime defense contractors, the AESA programs for both new
and retrofit applications are far-reaching. A few examples are
given here. One example of the retrofit programs is that more than
70 F-16 Fighting Falcons across a dozen Air National Guard units
are now flying with the new active electronically scanned array
radar in projects handled by Northrop Grumman.
" (With the F-16's previous APG-68 fire control radar), I had the
ability to target up to two tracks, that's it, " said Lt. Col. Michael
Trujillo, District of Columbia ANG's 113th Aerospace Control Alert
Detachment commander, the unit responsible for the air defense
of the national capital region. " At that point, my radar is completely
saturated and has no more bandwidth. With the AESA radar,
(without getting into) specific numbers, I can target more things
than I can shoot. "
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Publicly held, Espey has been reporting significantly higher sales
and profits lately including a 27% increase in sales and recordhigh
order backlogs. Recent bookings include a $29.5 million
order from General Dynamics Electric Boat and the U.S. Navy
for components for the Navy's next-generation ballistic missile
submarine fleet.
AESA programs are far-reaching
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Magnetics Business & Technology - March/April 2025

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