Raytheon Company

Salvatore Bellofiore

David James Knapp

Glafkos K Stratis

Alphonso A Samuel

A missile includes a radar system that has a radome through which a main antenna sends and receives signals. The radome includes a radome body and a radome tip include different transmissive materials, with for example the radome body primarily made of a lossy optically nontransparent material, and the radome tip primarily made of a lossless (permittivity with low imaginary part) glass material that may also be optically transparent. A laser may be used in conjunction with the radome to send and receive encoded signals. The laser may be located behind (aft of) the main antenna, and one or more optical fibers may extend into and/or along the radome to guide laser signals to the radome tip. The laser may be used to emit encoded signals so as to allow multiple radar systems operating in the same area at the same time to discriminate between different targets.

Antenna/optics system and method

A missile radar system includes a tapered radome covering a front face of a main antenna. A calibration antenna is the combination of a metal tip and an attached one or more radiating or excitation elements (monopole) on the tip. A narrow end (wedge) of the radome may aid in directing planar calibration waves toward the main antenna. The metal tip has a curved inner surface that acts, with the attached radiating element(s), as an aperture antenna. Signals are emitted from the calibration antenna back toward the front face of the main antenna. The signals pass from the tip/reflector to the front face of the main antenna through a substantially-metal-free and substantially-dielectric-free volume defined by the inner surface of the radome. The radar system allows for calibration of the antenna prior to launch and/or during flight of the missile.

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Vail, AZ, United States of America

Salvatore Bellofiore