High Performance Radomes for Supersonic/Hypersonic Missiles

Conventional dielectric materials for radomes and windows for supersonic/hypersonic tactical missiles exhibit a number of performance limitations including inadequate thermal shock resistance, variations in electrical (dielectric constant and loss) and structural performance (mechanical strength) with temperature, and difficulty in fabrication to the desired shape. We propose to develop high strength, high toughness, high temperature stable, low dielectric constant continuous fiber reinforced ceramic composite radomes and windows with wide band-pass for GPS navigation and guidance, for wrap-around antennae, and for terminal homing for supersonic/hypersonic tactical missiles. The Phase I program will fabricate a fiber reinforced ceramic composite with the required electrical and mechanical properties. Dielectric constant and loss tangent of the composites will be measured from 1 GHz to 20 GHz, and from 75 GHz to 100 GHz over room temperature to 1200C. Flexural strength and thermal shock resistance of the composite will be determined, and Weibull parameters will be calculated to assess the composite"s potential reliability.