尖端科技軍事雜誌社

愛國者導引增強飛彈 (Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile TBM，GEM-T) 是第一種駕馭了氮化鎵威力的飛彈

GEM-T是美國陸軍愛國者防空暨反飛彈系統的支柱，它被用來擊敗敵方的飛行器、戰術彈道飛彈和巡弋飛彈。從智慧電燈泡到快速充電手機到雷射，很多新技術裡面都有一種稱為氮化鎵的強勁物質在工作。這種又稱為GaN的半導體材料增強了各種裝置的能力。第一種駕馭了GaN威力的飛彈是簡稱為GEM-T的強化導引飛彈-戰術彈道飛彈，它也是愛國者防空暨反飛彈系統的支柱。但所有的GaN並不是生而平等的。雷神技術公司花費了至少3億美元在開發出針對防務部門使用的精密GaN技術。

用於對付來襲飛行器以及戰術彈道飛彈和巡弋飛彈的GEM-T飛彈，現在搭載了一台在飛彈45年壽命期內不需要重新認證的GaN無線電發射機。

愛國者系統國際專案經理克莉絲汀瓦許說：「雷神技術公司的GaN正在賦予這些發射機新生命」

本公司獲得美國國防部的可信賴晶片製造商認證的工廠花了幾乎20年去擴展GaN的功率和效率極限，以生產高性能的GaN功率放大器。

GaN發射機的用途

無線電發射機將飛彈和地面系統連接起來，容許地面系統控制飛行中的飛彈。GEM-T裡面的GaN版本發射機使用固態電路而不是傳統的行波管設計。行波管需要零組件供應還有重新認證來匹配飛彈的壽命期。使用GaN的新式發射機則不需要。新式發射機和老式發射機具有相同的外形、尺寸和功能。新式發射機也很強韌，不要求額外的冷卻，而且在通電幾秒鐘後就可以待命運行。

依照愛國者產品線的飛彈整合產品小組前任組長傑森拉思伯恩(Jason Rathbone)的說法，新式發射機技術已經為美國陸軍準備好了。

「今天，」他說，「現有的GEM-T飛彈上的老式發射機必須定期加以重建和重新認證，所以使用新式發射機取代老式發射機是聰明的一步棋。」

生產線已經準備好了

雷神技術公司旗下的雷神飛彈防禦公司是愛國者系統的製造商，它正在提高GEM-T飛彈的生產速度，以履行好幾個國際合同。新式發射機被設計成可以接納未來的創新，它正在完成制式裝備認證之路上順利前進，而且將會在未來的試飛中繼續進行測試。

GEM-T第一次實彈射擊是在新墨西哥州白沙飛彈靶場(White Sands Missile Range)對處於複雜環境中的目標發射1枚GEM-T飛彈。前任愛國者系統測試主管布萊恩麥克唐納(Brian MacDonald)說：「GEM-T系統跟蹤那個目標，解算交戰參數、發射飛彈、攔截而且擊殺目標。」

雷達和飛彈只是開始，GaN技術也有潛力取代在狹小空間內要求高功率和高效率的任何射頻應用。那些應用包括無線電資料鏈、主動尋標器和近發信管。

GEM-T is the first missile to harness the power of gallium nitride

GEM-T, a mainstay of the U.S. Army’s Patriot air and missile defense system, is used to defeat aircraft and tactical ballistic and cruise missiles.

There's a powerful substance called gallium nitride working inside many new technologies, from smart light bulbs to quick-charging cellphones to the lasers.

Also known as GaN, the semiconductor material boosts power in all kinds of devices. The first missile to harness the power of GaN tech is GEM-T, short for the Guidance Enhanced Missile – Tactical Ballistic Missile, a mainstay of the Patriot™ air and missile defense system. But not all GaN is created equal; Raytheon Technologies spent more than $300 million developing the sophisticated GaN tech for the defense sector.

GEM-T, used against attacking aircraft and tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, now packs a GaN transmitter that never needs to be recertified over the 45-year life of the missile.

“Our GaN is what’s breathing new life into these transmitters,” said Christine Walsh, program manager for an international Patriot program.

Those years — nearly two decades — have been spent pushing the limits of power and efficiency of GaN in the company's Department of Defense-accredited Trusted Foundry, where high performance GaN amplifiers are made.

How it works

Transmitters connect the missile with the ground system, allowing it to control the weapon during flight. The GaN version in GEM-T uses solid state instead of the conventional traveling wave tube design, which requires a supply of parts and recertification to match the life of the missile. The new versions with GaN do not.

The new transmitter has the same form, fit and function as the old one. It’s also tough, doesn’t require additional cooling, and is ready to operate within seconds of powering up. 

The tech is ready for the U.S. Army, according to Jason Rathbone, former missile integrated product team lead for the Patriot product line.

“Today,” he said, “the legacy transmitters on the current GEM-T missiles need to be periodically rebuilt and recertified, so replacing the old one with the new solid-state transmitter is a smart move.”

Production lines are ready

Patriot maker Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, is ramping up production of the GEM-T missile under a number of international contracts. The new transmitter, which was designed to allow future innovations, is well on its way to completing its qualification programs and will be continually tested during future flight tests.

The first live fire flight test consisted of firing one GEM-T missile at a target in a complex environment at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

“The system tracked the target, processed the engagement, launched the missile, intercepted and killed the target,” said Brian MacDonald, former director of testing for Patriot. 

Radars and missiles are just the beginning, as GaN technology also has the potential to replace any radio frequency application that requires high power and efficiency in a small space. That includes radio data links, active seekers and proximity fuzes.

https://www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com/news/feature/packing-punch