Cylindrical/Ogive Phased Array Transmitter for Jammers Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Topic No.: N08-018 Topic Title: Cylindrical/Ogive Phased Array Transmitter for Jammers Proposal No.: N081-018-0750 Firm: FIRST RF CORPORATION 4865 Sterling Drive Boulder, Colorado 80301 Contact: Farzin Lalezari Phone: (303) 449-5211 Web Site: firstrf.com Abstract: Dedicated EW Aircraft have inherent advantages in performing Jamming functions. The Aircraft is designed to provide a large space for multiple antenna arrays, prime power for amplifiers, and thermal management capability to dissipate the large amount of heat generated by multiple power supplies and amplifiers. A new challenge is to package all the functionality of an Airborne EW system in the relatively small volume of a modern tactical Aircraft or pod. Due to limited space, the packaging is further complicated by new requirements such as additional frequencies and waveforms, higher power, and multiple functions from the phased array. FIRST RF proposes to use an array of conformal wideband antennas supported by proprietary array simulation and analysis tools to ensure the success of this program. A conformal wideband array has the potential to use the empty space between the radome and antenna face and minimize the loss through the radome. FIRST RF proposes an integrated set of conformal antennas aboard a 480 gallon fuel tank for use aboard tactical aircraft. Because of the flexibility in the design and the array tools proposed, the technology is also easily adaptable for use aboard UAV's for EW applications. Benefits: The proposed program opens the doors to an ultra high-performance electronics warfare (EW) pod for Navy. However, the progress should not stop here. The increased functionality of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, combined with the lightweight antennas proposed here by FIRST RF, and finally the larger role which Navy is currently undertaking in the development and operation of UAVs, all combine to make this program a strategic initiative in the EW market. In addition, non-planar arrays, particularly ogives, can be used to make aircraft weather radars that conformally blend into the aerostructure instead of dealing with reflections behind a radome. The wideband technology required for jammers can be alternately be used to support spread-spectrum commercial systems to avoid interference. Return