U.S.-based Northrop Grumman has introduced FORTITUDE,
a radio frequency chip built on gallium nitride (GaN).
About the size of a grain of rice, the chip handles
both signal switching and filtering.
Targeting satellite communications, radar, and other systems,
the technology aims to improve signal quality
while making equipment smaller and more power-efficient.
A GaN Chip for RF Systems
On October 2, 2026, Northrop Grumman published an announcement
introducing the technology and applications of FORTITUDE.
The chip is based on technology previously known as
the Super Lattice Castellated Field Effect Transistor (SLCFET).
Targeting both commercial and defense markets,
the company lists applications including satellites, radar, GPS,
electronic warfare, and future 6G systems.
The announcement introduces technology built on
the company’s research and development to date.
It does not present the announcement date
as the completion of new development or the start of general sales.
The official data sheet states that both medium-power
and high-power versions are available.
What Changes: Switching and Filtering in One Chip
According to the official data sheet, FORTITUDE functions
as both a high-speed switch and a high-precision filter.
The company describes it as a technology that routes signals
while suppressing interference,
simplifying the architecture of radar and communications systems.
The company says the chip can replace dozens of components,
reducing weight and power consumption.
Consolidating functions previously spread across multiple components
affects equipment design, including component placement and connections.
The proposal goes beyond the chip’s own performance
to change the configuration of the entire system.
Stacking Thin Layers to Add More Paths for Electrons
At the core of the technology is a multilayer structure called a super lattice.
The company’s explainer on SLCFET describes a structure
of alternating thin layers of aluminum gallium nitride and gallium nitride
that creates multiple channels for electrons to flow through.
In RF switches, performance depends on both resistance,
which affects how signals pass through,
and capacitance, which relates to signal leakage and high-frequency behavior.
The company says that by stacking channels using the super lattice,
it was able to lower resistance in experiments without increasing capacitance.
The three-dimensional structure is designed to reduce signal loss.
Company-Reported Performance: Wide Frequency Range and Fast Switching
The official FORTITUDE data sheet states that the chip
covers a frequency range from the kHz band up to 20 GHz
and can switch signals in under one nanosecond.
It is intended to simplify the design of equipment
that handles multiple communications and radar bands.
The October 2 announcement also describes
three times more power and 20 times better signal quality.
However, the brief announcement does not specify
the basis of comparison, measurement conditions,
or the specific metric used for signal quality.
These are performance statements made by the company,
and they do not mean that communication speeds
will increase threefold or twentyfold.
LC Signal’s Perspective: A Component Technology That Expands Design Options
This technology changes the structure of the components
that handle signals inside finished systems such as satellites and radar.
The wide frequency range and integrated switching and filtering
described in the official data sheet
lead toward designs that handle multiple bands and functions in a single device.
In its earlier explainer on SLCFET, the company also described a shift
from building separate RF systems for each application
toward flexible hardware that can serve multiple functions.
FORTITUDE presents that direction in the form of a specific chip.
For equipment that needs to add communications and sensing capabilities
while keeping component count and weight down,
it seems likely to become a design option.
Key Sources
-
Northrop Grumman official announcement, October 2, 2026:
Meet FORTITUDE: The Single Chip Supercharging
Data Speed and System Performance
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Northrop Grumman official data sheet:
FORTITUDE: Fortified Power. Precision. Performance.
-
Northrop Grumman official technical explainer:
Upgraded Radio Frequency Switch to Push Communications into the Future
This article was prepared with AI assistance using publicly available information
as of October 4, 2026.
Announcement dates follow the dates shown on the official pages.
Performance figures and applications are based on the company’s descriptions
and do not indicate the start of general sales or adoption in specific applications.
“LC Signal’s Perspective” reflects this publication’s interpretation
of the available information.