MILLIBEAM is a Sydney-based defense technology and semiconductor company. It designs proprietary silicon, RF architectures, antennas, and deployable systems for defense applications, with technology spanning electronic warfare, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, military communications, radar, satellite communications, and autonomous systems. The RF portfolio extends from semiconductor components to complete fielded platforms
The company’s technology spans 0.4 GHz to 30 GHz and includes GaN power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, transceivers, antenna-in-package products, and integrated RF front ends. Defense platforms include RAKURAI, a handheld counter-UAS system, while FARBEAM, PHASEBEAM, and FARBASE extend the company’s RF technology into communications, autonomous systems, airborne connectivity, and reconnaissance.
RF Technology for Electronic Warfare
MILLIBEAM designs RF technology across semiconductor components, radio architectures, and fielded platforms. Defense applications include electronic warfare, counter-UAS, radar, military communications, and satellite communications. The semiconductor portfolio includes GaN power amplifiers for defense and electronic warfare, X-band power amplifiers for defense and satellite communications, and RF front-end technology for systems that require high-frequency transmission and reception.
The portfolio includes sub-2 GHz GaN power amplifiers covering 0.4–2 GHz, wide-band GaN power amplifiers covering 2–7 GHz, and an X-band GaN power amplifier covering 8–12 GHz. The company also offers antenna-in-package technology for phased arrays and satellite communications and a dual-band 5G NR transceiver operating across FR1 and FR2. Six chips are listed as in market or test, with production samples supplied to a tier-one Taiwanese OEM.
RAKURAI Targets the Counter-UAS Mission
RAKURAI is MILLIBEAM’s dismounted counter-UAS system for military personnel. The Australian-designed and built platform weighs less than 1 kilogram, provides more than 1 kilometer of effective range, and operates for more than two hours with all supported bands active. RAKURAI covers 0.4–6 GHz and includes ISM, GNSS, and Wi-Fi 2.4, 6, and 7 bands. The system is designed for general-issue use rather than dedicated specialist operation.
RAKURAI integrates antennas, GaN RF power amplifiers, power electronics, signal generation, thermal design, and mechanical components into a handheld system. The investor information lists a jammer-to-signal ratio of more than 34 dB at distances above 1 kilometer, based on a validated link budget. The platform is preparing for field trials, while RAKURAI Gen 2 is listed for the first quarter of 2027. A software development kit is also planned so partners can create waveforms, operating modes, and mission software on the RF platform.
Communications for Autonomous Defense Platforms
FARBEAM extends MILLIBEAM’s RF technology into communications for autonomous systems. The dual-band platform uses 5G FR1 for command, control, and telemetry and FR2 millimeter-wave connectivity for video, imaging, and high-volume sensor data. The platform is designed for autonomous robots, unmanned aircraft systems, connected vehicles, private 5G, and satellite communications, with an expansion path across eight Wi-Fi, 5G, and SATCOM bands. FARBEAM is listed for 2027.
PHASEBEAM provides another communications platform for moving autonomous systems. The FR1 system operates at 3.3–4.1 GHz and uses 2×2 MIMO, electronic beamforming, an integrated phase-locked loop, and antenna-in-package technology. FARBASE extends the portfolio into airborne communications and imaging, with a rapidly deployable airborne node intended for beyond-line-of-sight connectivity and real-time millimeter-wave reconnaissance for autonomous systems and dismounted operations. FARBASE remains in development, while PHASEBEAM is listed for 2027.
Building an Australian Defense RF Capability
MILLIBEAM is building an Australian RF semiconductor capability for sovereign defense programs and allied supply chains. Current programs include LAND 156, ASCA Mission Syracuse, and AUKUS Pillar 2. The company has received Australian Government funding through the Industry Growth Program and the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, while its investors include Main Sequence, Archangel Ventures, and Innovation Victoria. The Australian Government’s 2026 Integrated Investment Program also includes up to A$7 billion for counter-UAS capability.
MILLIBEAM has more than 50 prior semiconductor tape-outs, more than $200 million in design wins, and 25 years of shipped RF and millimeter-wave silicon across NXP, Samsung, AMD, Freescale, Ampleon, and CSR. Outside defense, the same RF technology serves robotics, autonomous systems, 5G, Wi-Fi, satellite communications, IoT, and connected vehicles. FARBEAM, PHASEBEAM, and the company’s semiconductor products therefore extend into commercial connectivity, while RAKURAI and FARBASE remain tied to defense and autonomous-system applications.
ABOUT | DR. VENKATA GUTTA
Dr. Venkata Gutta is the founder and CEO of MILLIBEAM, an Australian RF and semiconductor technology company based in Sydney. He has more than two decades of experience in RF, microwave, and semiconductor engineering, with work spanning RF power amplifiers, millimeter-wave systems, semiconductor design, and system integration.
Gutta holds a PhD from Macquarie University and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Waterloo. His career includes work at NXP, Freescale, Ampleon, and CEA Technologies, as well as RF design work at Ericsson. He has worked across the RF stack from chip design through system integration and has contributed to multiple shipped silicon products and commercial design wins.
