Ultrawideband hybrid EBG/ferrite ground plane for low-profile array antennas

Ultrawideband and low-profile antennas are considered a most critical component in the development of low-band systems such as airborne foliage penetrating radar and EW applications. For these applications it is clear that an ultrawideband and low-profile ground plane needs to be developed and implemented to achieve the desired specifications and enhanced performance. In this paper a novel ultrawideband and low-profile hybrid EBG/ferrite ground plane is presented. The hybrid ground plane design offers ultrawideband operation beginning in the 100s of MHz with the presented design version offering an operational bandwidth exceeding 22:1 starting at 170 MHz. The use of this ground plane will allow for the practical and effective implementation of the new highly sophisticated and ultrawideband antenna systems developed at Raytheon.