Boeing unveils ultra-low-cost radar seeker built from commercial off-the-shelf parts

Published Aug 11, 06:39 PM UTC

Boeing revealed an ultra-low-cost radar seeker (ULCS) at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, on August 11, 2026. The seeker is built largely from commercial off-the-shelf parts adapted for military use, aiming to reduce the high cost of seekers that limits military procurement. ULCS is an active seeker that emits its own radar signal, designed for air, land, and sea strikes in any weather against moving targets. Boeing tested the seeker in an anechoic chamber, aboard a Beechcraft 1900 over land and water, tracking a drone from a fixed position, and launching it on a rocket to track a target drone. The company emphasizes modularity and open standards to allow reuse across air and missile defense interceptors, guided bombs, and cruise missiles. Boeing draws on its experience building seekers for the Lockheed Martin PAC-3 interceptor. Further flight tests are planned for 2027. Competitor Lockheed Martin also announced a modular seeker line called Strigo on August 10.