A compact, low-profile, and high-performance monopulse antenna array for missile seeker

Abstract

In this paper, the authors presented a compact, low-profile, and high-performance ku-band monopulse antenna array (MAA) for missile seekers with reduced complexity involved in fabrication, assembly, and installation. They investigated a multilayered microstrip patch Antenna technology by systematically developing an efficient synthesis process, high-performance design of radiating elements as well a feed network integrated with monopulse circuitry, and innovative multiple layered joining processes, which overcome limitations of the existing MAA system. Optimum aperture distribution corresponding to desired radiation characteristics is synthesized using a hybrid synthesis technique in which collapse distribution (CD) is employed to initialize the Genetic Algorithm (CD-AvGA). The authors designed the proposed MAA with computed coefficient and carried out fabrication, assembly, and functional validation. The obtained experimental results are in close agreement with simulated ones and satisfy the missile seeker’s stringent functional and platform requirements.

KEYWORDS:

• Microstrip patch radiating element
• monopulse antenna array (MAA)
• hybrid synthesis technique (CD-AvGA)
• thinned planar antenna (TPA)
• peak side lobe level (PSLL)
• missile seeker

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).