On The Move (OTM) Ku/Ka SATCOM Capability for the EFV

EFV requires a capable and rugged high data rate SATCOM system. One deficiency with current systems is in commanders having to pause or slow down their movement in order to use SATCOM services. The primary antenna technology most often applied for SATCOM terminals is a parabolic dish antenna with a broadband feed. Although this antenna technology is well suited for commercial applications and has been used for military applications, the parabolic dish antenna is not an optimal antenna solution for military SATCOM terminals. Phased array antennas provide clear advantages over traditional SATCOM antennas; however, there remain several issues with the implementation of phased array technologies. Many current phased array antenna systems are based on radiator designs which limit the performance of the phased array antenna. A capable radiator design becomes a key enabling technology allowing a phased array antenna to provide the highest possible level of performance. A second issue with phased array technologies is they are traditionally cost prohibitive. The costs of phased array antennas can be reduced by innovative interconnect and packaging concepts. FIRST RF proposes novel element, T/R module, and packaging schemes for advanced SATCOM phased arrays.