Comparison of wideband phased array concepts for achieving frequency independent radiation characteristics

A comparison of three phased array concepts that can be used to reduce the frequency dependence of the radiation characteristics of very wideband phased arrays is presented. The three concepts consist of a multiband array, a frequency tapered array and an array with varying element sizes and element distances. Parameters such as aperture area, number of elements, gain, effective radiated power (ERP) and half-power beamwidth (HPBW) are presented. It is shown that for two of the studied concepts, the frequency dependence can be drastically reduced compared to a conventional wideband phased array. Application of the array concepts in radar and electronic support measure (ESM) are discussed.