Armor Embedded Metamaterial Antenna

As the number of communication, sensing, and electronic warfare functions on military vehicles grows, the number of antennas needed to support those functions keeps increasing. While FIRST RF has helped this issue by combining multiple antenna functions into a common housing and developing ultra-broadband antennas to support many functions in a single antenna, there is still a need for armor embedded designs and size reductions to support survivable antenna integration into the latest armored vehicles. The proposed concept is to combine the best metamaterial concepts, the latest armor technologies, and the FIRST RF developed broadband antenna elements to achieve the best antenna system performance in the lowest total volume. Not only do new antenna systems need to allow for integration with armor, but the antennas could benefit from the protection of that same armor. Modularity and easy installation, including replacement, of armor panels without any additional complication from cable interconnection are also a primary goal for the FIRST RF approach. Our team consists of both industry and academia partners with proven results in each of the key areas of innovation, simulation, fabrication, and verification.