Development of a C-Band HPM RF Suite for RF Effects Testing

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is seeking an RF tool suite covering a frequency range from 4 – 20 GHz, that would support the counter-electronics mission of MAJCOM's by enabling the identification of target vulnerabilities to high power microwave (HPM) waveforms. The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently investing significant resources across the services to develop and deploy counter-UAS as they pose a major threat to the US national security. In response to the above invite, Innovative Microwave System Prototypes LLC (IMS-Pro LLC) is proposing to provide an RF suite that covers the entire C-band in discrete frequency steps of 1 GHz by first demonstrating a working prototype operable at a single frequency and providing the remaining frequencies upon request by AFRL by possible follow-on contracts. The frequency coverage can be fulfilled in a cost-effective manner by re-utilizing most of the components and ancillary equipment from the initial prototype. The proposed system is intended to operate in the narrowband single frequency regime, with steady state pulse duration of 50 ns, a repetition rate of 200 Hz (at full duty cycle) and an output power of 20 MW. The proposed HPM source is very compact and operates at a low voltage with low input energy requirement (<10 J). It simultaneously offers other advantages such as being easily converted into a hard-sealed tube with permanent magnet for magnetic field production.