Antenna for Shipboard Missile Detection System

"Millimeter-wave can penetrate fog, smoke, clouds, and dust. Because of the short wavelength, millimeter-waves, when used in sensor systems such as radars, can provide sensing accuracy. In addition, relatively small antennas can provide high gain andnarrow beamwidth at millimeter-wave frequencies. For these reasons, a great deal of interest and effort has been directed toward the development of millimeter-wave missile seekers over the years. It is widely projected that anti-ship missile systems willbe operated in the Ka-band and W-band where low atmospheric attenuation windows exist around 35 GHz and 94 GHz, respectively. In order to defend ships against such threats, detection systems with a high probability of intercept (detection) will be needed.One of the key elements that will enable the development of such a system is a high gain omni-directional antenna. The proposed program is aimed at the development of omnidirectional millimeter-wave antennas with high gain in the elevation plane, with thepeak gain pointed toward the horizon for early detection of incoming missile attacks. The antennas will be able to detect vertical and horizontal polarizations. They will be small and will be able to be inserted into existing systems. Theomni-directional millimeter-wave antenna design to be developed will have potential opportunities for wider applications. Examples of wider applications include the extension of the technology to W