Measurement on an Active Phased Array Antenna on a Near-Field Range and an Anechoic Far-Field Chamber

Active Phased Array Antennas especially for use in Radar Systems (e.g. Airborne Radars) have to be adjusted and tested very well before they can be operated in the Radar System. This Adjustment Process shall guarantee the Antenna Performance under all operating conditions. Therefore, the Active Phased Array Antenna is measured on a Near-Field Test Range to determine the Adjustment Corrections to improve the Antenna Performance, e.g. the Pattern Quality. After applying the Adjustment Corrections, the actual Antenna Performance has to be determined. This can be performed on the Near-Field Test Range and within an Anechoic Chamber. This paper gives a description about the adjustment process and the later on measurements performed on the Active Phased Array on both measurement facilities, demonstrated with an Active Phased Array Antenna for fighter aircrafts. Furthermore, it gives a detailed description about the measurement equipment and setup needed for measuring - Near-Field Range Patterns - Directivity - Average Far SLL - Far-Field Pattern (Sum and Difference) - EIRP - Pulse Shape - Noise Figure (described by G/T) - Gain - Beam Pointing Resolution - and the Antenna Signature.