Northrop Grumman has introduced FORTITUDE™, a gallium nitride (GaN) microchip for radio-frequency (RF) applications, including radar, satellite communications, electronic warfare, advanced sensing and wireless networks. Operating across frequencies from kilohertz to 20 GHz, the chip combines high-speed switching and signal filtering in a single device.
Previously known as the Super Lattice Castellated Field Effect Transistor, FORTITUDE™ uses a patented GaN “superlattice” structure made from ultrathin stacked layers. Northrop Grumman says the structure carries ten times the charge of standard GaN chips while reducing energy loss and heat. By combining GaN with silicon-based architecture, the design controls electron flow to support RF signal processing.
RF Switching and Filtering
FORTITUDE™ combines high-speed switching and precision filtering in one device. It supports subnanosecond switching speeds while passing selected frequencies and suppressing unwanted signals. This combination is designed to reduce component count, power consumption and system complexity in RF equipment.
The chip’s multilayer architecture can stack multiple signal channels, often around 10 layers deep, according to Northrop Grumman. Its frequency coverage spans the kilohertz-to-20-GHz range, allowing it to support multiple radar and communications bands.
Applications in Radar, Electronic Warfare and Communications
FORTITUDE™ is intended for defense radar, surveillance systems, electronic warfare, satellite communications, advanced sensing and wireless networks, including 5G and 6G applications. Its switching speed is relevant to systems that need to change RF signal paths rapidly, while its frequency range supports applications across multiple radar and communications bands.
Northrop Grumman states that FORTITUDE™ delivers three times more power and 20 times better signal fidelity than the reference technologies used in its comparisons. The company has not published detailed test conditions or reference devices for these figures.
The chip is available in medium- and high-power versions for defense and commercial applications. Northrop Grumman identifies satellite links and wireless systems operating beyond 6 GHz as potential applications for the technology.
Manufacturing in the United States
FORTITUDE™ is developed and manufactured at Northrop Grumman’s Microelectronics Center in Linthicum, Maryland. The company says every stage of the chip’s development and manufacturing takes place at the facility, supporting domestic production and supply-chain requirements for defense and national-security applications.
Northrop Grumman’s wider Microelectronics Center designs, manufactures, assembles, tests and packages microelectronics for defense and commercial systems. Its U.S. operations include three government-accredited manufacturing facilities: two semiconductor foundries in California and Maryland, and an advanced packaging facility in Florida.
Click here to learn more about the FORTITUDE™ from Northrop Grumman.