Low Cost Electronically Steerable RF Missile Seeker

ABSTRACT:Active millimeter wave seekers are needed at a lower cost point in order to improve load-out for future air-ground missions. Our approach to developing a $15,000 RF seeker is to create a passive electronically-steerable antenna that is driven by COTS amplifiers and protected by COTS limiters and is built from low cost packaging techniques. Our PESA will use low-loss switch devices in a new way that minimizes RF loss while providing affordable mass production. A near-hermetic coating system will protect chip-and-wire electronics while providing electromagnetic shielding. Phase I will develop performance and cost predictions for our approach.BENEFIT:The proposed technology has application to a variety of weapons platforms at numerous frequency bands. Our Phase I technical approach is specifically tailored for inclusion in a either an X-band, Ku-band or Ka-band seeker for next-generation self-guided munitions such as an improved Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB-II) or Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). Identifying additional product insertion points will be a topic of our Phase I and Phase II research. Beyond weapons platforms, there are several other military and commercial applications for the RF seeker technologies to be developed on this program. Radar sensors as well as radios are in need of affordable solutions to electronic beam-steering.