Name: Pulsed Radar TWT Amplifiers
Brand: Teledyne MEC

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Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice

Teledyne TWT Products are controlled by the U.S. Government and may require an approved export license. They may not be resold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of, to any other country or to any person other than the authorized ultimate consignee or end-user(s), either in their original form or after being incorporated into other items, without first obtaining approval from the U.S.

Solutions

24-model pulsed radar TWT amplifier family covering 2 to 18 GHz across S, C, X, and Ku bands
Peak power from 700 W to 13 kW at duty cycles from 2 to 10 percent
Shadow gridded helix (GRID) construction standard across the full product family
Narrowband models for fixed-frequency radar assignments and wideband models covering multiple octaves in a single unit
Coaxial outputs (SC, TNC, N-type) and waveguide outputs (WR 62, WR 90, WRD 350/475/650/750) for radar transmitter integration
Gain up to 68 dB with efficiency ratings reaching 40 percent in select X-band models

Applications

Long-range air surveillance radar requiring very high peak power at S-band and C-band
Fire control and tracking radar systems at X-band with peak power up to 8,700 W
Electronic warfare and jamming systems requiring wideband pulsed RF output across C, X, and Ku bands
Ground-based and shipborne air defense radar transmitters demanding high-peak-power TWT amplification
Airborne radar systems requiring efficient GRID TWT amplifiers at X or Ku band
Radar cross-section (RCS) measurement facilities requiring calibrated pulsed RF sources

Radar Bands

S-band (2.0 to 4.0 GHz): peak power up to 13 kW for long-range surveillance and air traffic control radar
C-band (4.0 to 8.0 GHz): models up to 7,000 W for fire control, instrumentation, and EW systems
X-band (8.0 to 12.4 GHz): peak power up to 8,700 W for airborne and shipborne fire control and tracking radar
Ku-band (12.0 to 18.0 GHz): models up to 4,000 W for airborne Ku-band radar and EW transmitters
Wideband models: MTI 3444L spans 6.5 to 18 GHz; MEC 3096 covers 5.0 to 11.0 GHz for multi-function systems

Specifications

Frequency Range: 2.0 to 18.0 GHz (S, C, X, Ku bands)
Peak Power Range: 700 W to 13,000 W
Duty Cycle: 2 to 10 percent
Typical Gain: Up to 68 dB
Efficiency: Up to 40 percent
Output Configuration: GRID (shadow gridded helix)
Coaxial Outputs: SC, TNC, N-type
Waveguide Outputs: WR 62, WR 90, WRD 350, WRD 475, WRD 650/750

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pulsed radar TWT amplifier?

A pulsed radar TWT amplifier produces very high peak RF power in short bursts at a low duty cycle of 2 to 10 percent, matching the pulse transmission format used by surveillance, fire control, and tracking radar systems. Low duty cycle operation allows the amplifier to deliver peak power levels far exceeding what the average power dissipation capacity would permit at continuous wave operation.

What frequency bands do Teledyne MEC pulsed radar TWT amplifiers cover?

The product family spans 2.0 to 18.0 GHz covering S-band, C-band, X-band, and Ku-band. Narrowband models serve fixed-frequency radar assignments while wideband models such as the MTI 3444L covering 6.5 to 18.0 GHz and MEC 3096 covering 5.0 to 11.0 GHz serve multi-function radar and electronic warfare requirements.

What peak power levels are available?

Peak power ranges from 700 W to 13,000 W. High-power S-band models include the MEC 3082B at 10,000 W and MEC 3090X at 13,000 W for long-range surveillance and air defense radar. X-band models reaching 8,000 to 8,700 W including the MEC 3848 and MTI 3948 series support shipborne and airborne fire control and tracking radar transmitters.

What duty cycles are supported?

Duty cycles range from 2 to 10 percent with most models at 4 to 6 percent, typical of medium-PRF and high-PRF radar waveforms. The MEC 3090X operates at 2 percent duty cycle to manage average power at 13 kW peak while the MTI 3048D operates at 10 percent for applications requiring a higher average power-to-peak power ratio. Duty cycle must be matched to the radar waveform design.

What is shadow gridded helix (GRID) construction and why does it matter?

Shadow gridded helix construction uses a control grid to modulate beam current, improving efficiency by reducing DC power consumed relative to RF output. All 24 pulsed radar TWT models use GRID construction achieving efficiency from 12 to 40 percent. Higher efficiency reduces prime power and cooling infrastructure required in the radar system, particularly important in mobile, shipborne, and airborne installations.

What output connector interfaces are available?

Coaxial output interfaces include SC, TNC, and N-type connectors used primarily on S-band and C-band models and compact X-band designs. Waveguide output interfaces include WR 62, WR 90, WRD 350, WRD 475, and WRD 650/750 standard flanges. Output interface selection must be matched to the downstream transmission line in the radar transmitter chain.

How do pulsed radar TWTs differ from solid-state power amplifiers for radar?

At peak power levels above 1 kW in S, C, X, and Ku bands, TWT amplifiers offer significant size, weight, and efficiency advantages over solid-state amplifier architectures requiring large numbers of combined modules. For radar systems requiring 1 kW or more peak power particularly in X-band and above, TWT amplifiers remain the established technology used across defense radar programs.

What radar system types use pulsed TWT amplifiers?

Long-range air surveillance and ground-based air defense systems use high-power S-band and C-band pulsed TWTs. Airborne and shipborne fire control, tracking, and missile guidance radar use X-band pulsed TWTs. Electronic warfare systems use wideband pulsed TWT amplifiers. Instrumentation radar and RCS measurement systems use pulsed TWT amplifiers as calibrated high-power RF sources.

How do I select the right pulsed radar TWT amplifier model?

Define the required frequency range and whether narrowband or wideband coverage is needed. Specify the peak power required at the amplifier output accounting for transmission line losses. Confirm the required duty cycle based on the radar waveform: pulse width multiplied by pulse repetition frequency must not exceed the rated duty cycle. Select the output interface and request datasheets for shortlisted models.

Pulsed Radar TWT AmplifierA pulsed radar TWT amplifier produces very high peak RF power in short pulses at a low duty cycle of 2 to 10 percent, matching the transmission format of surveillance, fire control, and tracking radar systems. Teledyne MEC offers pulsed radar TWT amplifiers from 2 to 18 GHz with peak power up to 13 kW across S, C, X, and Ku bands.

Teledyne Microwave Solutions MEC offers pulsed radar TWT amplifier solutions for defense radar transmitters, electronic warfare systems, and high-power pulsed RF applications. Key capabilities include: 2 to 18 GHz frequency coverage, peak power from 700 W to 13 kW, duty cycles from 2 to 10 percent, and efficiency up to 40 percent in a 24-model shadow gridded helix family.

Frequency Range: 2.0 to 18.0 GHz
Peak Power Range: 700 W to 13,000 W
Duty Cycle: 2 to 10 percent
Efficiency: Up to 40 percent
Gain: Up to 68 dB
Number of Models: 24

Pulsed radar TWT amplifiers from Teledyne MEC are used in long-range air surveillance radar, shipborne and airborne fire control radar, electronic warfare jamming systems, air defense radar transmitters, and radar cross-section measurement facilities in the defense and aerospace industry.