Microstrip patch antenna array for a scalable X-band radar system

A 32-element X-band microstrip electronic scanning array (ESA) has been developed to serve as the radiating element in a preliminary system radar testbed. An array of microstrip aperture coupled patch antennas are fed equal power through a Wilkinson power divider network and the direction of radiation is controlled by surface mount phase shifters integrated into the RF control board. While bulky physical array steering mounts greatly impact the system weight and visual signature of traditional radar systems, the electronic beam steering mechanism employed in this system minimizes each of these attributes. The details of the antenna array element in this radar ESA design will be examined in the subsequent sections.