ARMOR (Advanced Radiation Material for Optimized Range)

To meet the demands of the N251-001 “Directional High Front to Back Ratio Low Frequency (< 90 MHz) Antenna” program, the MaXentric Technologies (MaXentric) and University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) team proposes the ARMOR (Advanced Radiation Material for Optimized Range) solution, which provides a compact lightweight, lower communications frequency antenna with the ability to direct gain in a desired direction and minimize the gain in the opposing direction. The team leverages UTK’s technologies for wideband compact antenna design and AI-based advanced composite microwave absorber material, and MaXentric’s techniques for wideband active ground design. During Phase I works, the team will study feasibility of wideband impedance matching circuit, customization of composite materials for higher attenuation and analog filter design for back-lobe leakage cancellation. Toward Phase II demonstration, the team will make a plan for developing 1.5-to-90-MHz 6-ft antenna prototypes with 60-dB back-lobe reduction for maintaining the security of Marine Corps Systems Command’s (MCSC’s) HF radio communication.