Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Other

William B Yablon

Daniel Bobowicz

Alex E Bailey

Steven N Stitzer

Tapan K Gupta

Ronnie L Starling

Herbert Jefferson Henderson

Andrea Curbean

John Chino

Norman E Thurlow

Jose Armando Coronado

Jeffrey J Dickstein

Timothy M Fertiq

Lawrence J Hunter

Dennis A Grube

Donald J Walker

Sherwood C Kiernan, Jr

Daniel E Stamm

Robert G Schmier

Paul M Dishop

Terry L Reeve

A tri-mode co-boresighted seeker including a primary collecting mirror assembly having a parabolic surface and a forwardly located dielectric secondary mirror assembly including a dielectric mirror coating which reflects infrared (IR) energy to an IR detector assembly located on a central longitudinal axis on one side of the secondary mirror while providing substantially unobstructed propagation of millimeter wave RF energy and laser energy in a joint or common signal path therethrough to means located on the other side of the secondary mirror for extracting and diverting laser energy away from the common RF-optical signal path to a laser sensor assembly while causing little or no disturbance to the RF signal as it propagates to a co-located bifurcated waveguide assembly which couples the RF energy to an RF sensor means located behind the primary mirror.

Tri-mode co-boresighted seeker

A dual polarized single axis scanned phased array antenna includes a predetermined number of mutually adjacent radiating columns which generate respective beams scannable in azimuth while providing a fixed beam in elevation, and wherein each radiating column utilizes a low loss dielectric slab assembly to serve multiple functions. The slab assembly serves, among other things, as a lens to correct the spherical wave from a small feed to a plain wave within a column. The slab assembly also includes a septum polarizer necessary to carry both horizontally and vertically polarized fields. The slab assembly additionally includes a dielectric radiator element to provide a radiating surface without the need to form a ground plane. The dielectric slab assembly, moreover, inherently loads the radiating columns so that they can be spaced one half of a free space wavelength without cutting off the vertically polarized fields.

Polarized phased array antenna

A phased array includes a first plurality of radiators having a first polarization and a second plurality of radiators having a second polarization, different from said first polarization. The phased array is constructed such that radiating patterns of the first and second plurality of radiators are congruent. The radiators are constructed so that they radiating apertures thereof can occupy virtually the same space, i.e., the spacing of the radiating elements is less than a wavelength. Other features provided allow this compactness to be achieved. Impedance matching features are integrated into the radiators themselves. The elevation assemblies of the radiators are mated together, and then are coupled across to their respective azimuth assemblies. Two azimuth assemblies for either type of polarization may be provided when monopulse operation is required. Assemblies for both polarizations transmit sequentially, but receive simultaneously, thus allowing a complete polarization matrix to be collected with two pulse transmissions.

Dual polarized electronically scanned antenna

A phased antenna array includes conductive stubs integrated with at least one of the radiators of the array. The conductive stubs form a ground plane for the array. Preferably, each horizontally polarized radiator of the array has a plurality of conductive stubs integrated therewith. Voids between adjacent radiators and conductive ground stubs may be filled with a conductive material to provide electrical contact therebetween. Conductive stubs on opposing faces of adjacent radiators are preferably interlocking. Advantageously, the conductive stubs are triangular.

Phased array antenna having an integrated ground plane and method for

Growing community of inventors

Elkridge, MD, United States of America

William B Yablon