Compact, Low-Cost, Phased Array Antennas for Unmanned Air Vehicles

76207-Current small-platform, airborne synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) antennas, such as those used for the detection of weapons of mass destruction, offer limited spectral agility, rely totally on mechanical scanning (requiring greater expense, size, cost, and complexity), and are limited in bandwidth (due to the difficulty of obtaining wideband feeds). This project will develop advanced antenna array subsystem technologies that will achieve wide bandwidth, by employing modern array and subarray design techniques, and electronic scanning, by employing micromachined (MEMS) phase shifters. A low-cost, low-power mechanical gimbal will be used to point the antenna array in the approximate direction desired, while the fine steering and focusing of the antenna beam would be performed electronically. Phase I will design an agile, X-to-Ku-band antenna array suitable for unattended vehicle (UAV) SAR applications. Individual antenna elements and feed structures will be designed, fabricated, and tested, and the experimental data will be used to design a complete array that will be manufactured in Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to the SAR application, wideband microwave arrays and MEMS-based phased array subsystems could provide universal platform suitable for many applications including digital satellite service, aerospace command and control, and universal broadband antennas for cellular, wireless local area networks, and tactical radios.