Airborne radar antenna modules using lightweight temperature-resistant materials

In contemporary radar technology, increasingly complex antennas must maintain a low weight requirement and provide sufficient robustness to a harsh environment. Among many desired features, a high degree of antenna integration and the ability to incorporate the design into an aeroplane´s fuselage or wings are of the highest priority. In order to meet such demands, advanced power dividing and phasing networks together with digital signal processors should be located close to the transmitting and receiving antennas preferably in multilayer architectures. Such architectures put stringent requirements on the electrical and mechanical properties of dielectric substrates. This paper presents some results concerning the design and development of multilayer antenna elements and the associated signal dividing and phasing networks using honeycomb and quartz-fibre composite materials, which are widely used in the aerospace industry