Broadband Non-Planar Octave Nested Array

To address the Navy need for a nonplanar wideband, high-power phased-array transmitter antenna, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Broadband Nonplanar Octave Nested Array (BNONA). The proposed nonplanar BNONA is based on statistical signal processing, pattern synthesis, and wideband antenna designs. The innovation in BNONA’s structure will enable a nonplanar conformal design of a wideband antenna that follows the curvature of the vehicle and does not require a radome. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of BNONA architecture by computer simulations, statistical analysis, and beam pattern processing. POC will also optimize the parameters that affect the efficiency of the system -- number of elements, element geometry etc. Based on the thorough analysis in Phase I, a BNONA conformal array will be fabricated in Phase II to juxtapose the simulation results against the characteristics of the demonstration prototype in the laboratory. Phase II will contain a more thorough analysis and measurements with a focus on the applicability and manufacturability of BNONA to perform as a high-power jamming antenna transmitter over a wide spectrum of 300 MHz through 40 GHz.