Echodyne opens new manufacturing facility to expand radar production capacity

KIRKLAND, Wash.—Echodyne has opened a new manufacturing facility in Washington state that the company says will significantly expand production capacity for its Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar technology amid growing global demand for counter-drone, defense and critical infrastructure applications.

The 86,350-square-foot facility will serve as a dedicated manufacturing and operations hub and eventually be capable of producing more than 30,000 radars annually, according to the company.

Echodyne said it has begun end-to-end manufacturing operations at the site and plans to transition all manufacturing activities from its headquarters to the new facility in the coming months.

The company said the expansion is intended to support increasing demand from U.S. and allied government customers, as well as commercial markets requiring airspace monitoring capabilities.

“Our global customer base is demanding more radar to be delivered as fast as possible,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. “While radar performance will always be the dominant consideration, product availability both now and in a predictable and consistent manner over time is quickly becoming a requirement for any global supplier.”

Echodyne said it invested $40 million in the site, which includes approximately 74,350 square feet of manufacturing space and 12,000 square feet of warehousing space. The facility is expected to support more than 100 new jobs initially, with staffing potentially growing to 200 employees at full production capacity.

The company cited increasing demand for radar across several markets, including counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), force protection, border security, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, critical infrastructure protection, and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations.

Echodyne's MESA architecture uses metamaterial technology for electronic beam steering and is designed to reduce the size, weight, power requirements and complexity associated with traditional electronically scanned array radar systems while supporting commercial-scale manufacturing.

According to the company, the facility's production model is designed to support multiple radar product lines and accommodate future product introductions. Echodyne said its modular manufacturing approach allows production capacity to be adjusted based on customer demand and market requirements.

The company said recent contract awards and growing international demand contributed to the need for additional manufacturing capacity. Echodyne's radar technology is currently integrated into defense and security systems deployed worldwide and is used in programs involving companies such as Anduril, Axon, Moog and Northrop Grumman.

Most recently, Echodyne was selected as the primary radar provider for Trust Automation's Small UAS Detection System platform, which is being supplied to the U.S. Air Force under a $490 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

Related: Echodyne partners with Axon to expand public safety drone radar capabilities