Innovative Hardware Technologies for Electromagnetic Attack Rejection in Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Radars

Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapons (RFDEW) are maturing sufficiently to become a threat to sensitive circuits onboard military platforms. With a large number of active elements, Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) phased array radar units are particularly susceptible and require improvement over the current state-of-the-art in limiter technology. This is particularly needed in the development of faster limiters that can be PCB mounted to adapt into the existing solid state receivers and operate in a passive mode if at all possible. Ness Engineering, Inc. and the University of Missouri, Columbia are proposing a new board-level microwave limiter to protect radar receivers from High Power Microwave (HPM) attacks. The limiter is designed to be incorporated into a micro-strip transmission line and short the line within 5 nanoseconds of detecting a RFDEW attack. The Phase I proposed effort will involve development of a brassboard limiter, preliminary optimization of the limiter system design, and characterization of its operation in response to HPM and high power RF signal application. We will also validate the insertion loss of the device with respect to normal signal levels and operations.