Graphene for high-power solid state radars?

[Modax]

Basically what the title says. I've read that the AESA in an F-22 produces 10-20 kW peak, whereas the vacuum-tube radar in a Mig-25 had a peak power of over 500 kW. The F-22's radar is better, I suppose simply because it is backed up by tremendously better computer power and software, and because it has a low probability of intercept (for it's power). I've read that these days, solid state radars are made from gallium-arsenide. Now I've seen many layperson level articles in the last couple years suggesting graphene is a vastly superior semiconductor that could eventually replace silicon (or gallium-arsenide) in our computers, but not much has been said about other applications.

So would a graphene-based radar array with (ultra-high electron mobility, ultra-low resistivity) narrow the power gap with tubes? Would it allow you to squeeze the capabilities of a powerful ship-based AESA into the fuselage of a fighter aircraft? What effect would this have on detection of stealth aircraft?

[Sea Skimmer]

The MiG-25 had an exceptionally high power radar which basically did nothing but light up one target with RAW POWER to make jamming impossible. Its almost a microwave cannon the Russians mounted on that plane. In comparison the radar on the F-14 was about 10kw peak power and this was still better then most fighters. Much more modern PESA and AESA sets are similar in power levels. The performance gains of AESA radar are more from the higher sensitivity of the antenna, and precision of the pulse control and beam steering then from a sudden change in power. AESA can generate more then one radar beam at a time which really transforms what the radar can do within its range limits.

Graphene is expected to let us roughly double power levels over what we can do now. But you are not going to get something like a shipboard radar into a plane with that, you need a bigger antenna too. The holy grail for this is very small AESA chips which can be integrated into a composite aircraft skin, complete with control wiring. Then the whole wing surface can become an antenna, and you could start thinking about a big fighter with a SPY-1 class of radar on it. However even assuming this ever works out, its obviously going to lead to a very expensive aircraft.

[Modax]

The holy grail for this is very small AESA chips which can be integrated into a composite aircraft skin, complete with control wiring. Then the whole wing surface can become an antenna, and you could start thinking about a big fighter with a SPY-1 class of radar on it.

That's really cool. But theoretically speaking, wouldn't it be difficult to make such an aircraft stealthy? What happens when you put radar absorbing materials on your antenna? EDIT: or maybe the radar absorbing materials make the antenna that much better and picking up its radar's echo at long range, making it a win-win situation?

[Modax]

The holy grail for this is very small AESA chips which can be integrated into a composite aircraft skin, complete with control wiring. Then the whole wing surface can become an antenna, and you could start thinking about a big fighter with a SPY-1 class of radar on it.

That's really cool. But theoretically speaking, wouldn't it be difficult to make such an aircraft stealthy? What happens when you put radar absorbing materials on your antenna? EDIT: or maybe the radar absorbing materials make the antenna that much better at picking up its radar's echo at long range, making it a win-win situation?

[Sea Skimmer]

That's really cool. But theoretically speaking, wouldn't it be difficult to make such an aircraft stealthy? What happens when you put radar absorbing materials on your antenna? EDIT: or maybe the radar absorbing materials make the antenna that much better and picking up its radar's echo at long range, making it a win-win situation?

Existing stealth aircraft have radar antennas that are stealthy. Active absorption is probably one of the ways they work, but that would have to be frequency limited. The radar on the B-2 is already a sort of distributed array with two rectangular antennas on the cheeks of the aircraft instead of a big central antenna. The F-22 has provisions for adding a radar like that as well, but its not likely to happen now that production is so limited. But cheek antennas are still not nearly as good as being able to use the full wingspan.

The Russians are claiming PAK-FA will have conventional radar antennas down the wing leading edges, but we'll see how long it takes to get that operational. The weight penalty is bound to be considerable, and they don't seem to be claiming integration with the nose antenna. Its two separate radars.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Graphene has to offer a few hundred percent improvement over silicon for it to be sufficient motivator for the semiconductor industry to make any significant rumbling. As it is, there is no such significant improvement, and quantum dots with silicon might be sufficient to kill any need to switch to graphene.

[Jeremy]

Graphene is expected to let us roughly double power levels over what we can do now. But you are not going to get something like a shipboard radar into a plane with that, you need a bigger antenna too. The holy grail for this is very small AESA chips which can be integrated into a composite aircraft skin, complete with control wiring. Then the whole wing surface can become an antenna, and you could start thinking about a big fighter with a SPY-1 class of radar on it. However even assuming this ever works out, its obviously going to lead to a very expensive aircraft.

Wouldn't such a system be better suited to an AWACS plane?

[Sea Skimmer]

Wouldn't such a system be better suited to an AWACS plane?

Better suited maybe, but a large dedicated AWACS is a rare and vulnerable platform and always will be. What's more we now want them to do a lot more roles like integrated air and ground search at the same time, so the need for numbers is higher then ever. A fighter with a similar capability would be very valuable and also able to get close enough to targets to use its giant antenna as a high power microwave weapon.