Photonic Interconnects for RF Phased Arrays in Military Platforms

Modern warfare is shifting from a handful of exquisite platforms toward mass, networked systems—stealth assets, long-range precision weapons, and large swarms of inexpensive drones. Traditional, monolithic sensor/communications subsystems are struggling to keep pace on cost, flexibility, and upgrade cadence. Recent work by Ayar Labs and Lockheed Martin on radio-frequency (RF)–converged phased-array antennas with silicon photonics highlights a path to re-architect...