High Isolation Transmit/Receive Antennas for Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) and Communications Applications

As modern battlefield scenarios require increasingly greater radio frequency (RF) capabilities from US Army ground vehicles, there is a corresponding requirement to develop antenna systems that ensure the mutual interoperability of these functions. Currently, there is an urgent requirement to address this challenge for two essential RF capabilities: communications and electronic warfare (EW). Communications systems operate at low power levels, and with high sensitivities for both transmit and receive functions. EW systems have comparable sensitivity requirements in their receive modes, but require very high power levels in their transmit modes to perform their intended function. Because of the sensitivities of the two systems, their simultaneous operation in close proximity is a significant challenge that is not being adequately addressed in current systems. Accordingly, it is essential to develop antenna systems that provide high levels of isolation between communications and EW systems without compromising their sensitivity or performance. Many communications functions have their own antennas that are used on many US Army platforms. The focus of this program is in the development of a new antenna system for EW applications that provides the desired isolation with communications systems antennas, but maintains or extends the key performance characteristics of existing EW antennas.