Innovative Manufacturing Processes

"During the past 5 years, Mentis Sciences has developed advanced material processes to produce high performance composite radomes for missile interceptor applications. These unique and proprietary processes have enabled us to produce radome prototypes thathave inherently low dielectric constants and loss tangents for Ka band applications through 1500¿F, exceed the structural requirements and have exceeded single particle impact rain erosion tests -3mm nylon beads at 30¿ incidence angle- at velocitiesexceeding 1500 m/s. The background for this technology has been developed under contract DASG60-98-C-0027. Future interceptor platforms have requirements for W-band seekers. Initial tests have shown that the dielectric constant and loss tangentincreased by less than 0.5% at room temperature The work outlined in this proposal is to evaluate the electrical performance of MSI's PMC Radome for W-band applications such as the Term-KE and the Common Missile, as well as produce a prototype 4" diameterconical radome for these platforms. This is a low cost alternative approach to present radome manufacturing techniques and could prove beneficial as these platforms are adopted and placed into service. This technology could eliminate the lengthy andcapital intensive materials development process for W-band radome applications and enable the LSI's to immediately integrate the radome onto their platforms."