The concept of multi-port structural antenna system for HF naval communications

This paper focuses on the possibility to obtain a broad-band naval structural antenna as integration of one or more wire radiating elements together with an existing super-structure such as the funnel or a big mast which are rather common in many ship scenarios. The funnel in particular, has typically cylindrical, pyramidal as well as conical shape, and diameter (5 m-10 m) and height (10 m-25 m) comparable with HF wavelengths. Such a structure is therefore a good candidate to host antennas or even to become part of a radiating system. The integration solution which is here proposed potentially yields a broadband structural antenna for HF naval communication. Such a system has the possibility to be driven by one or multiple-sources and to communicate along the horizon and by near vertical-incidence sky-wave (NVIS at 2-7 MHz) depending on the frequency used and on the particular service to be carried out. A structural solution also offers the advantages of limited space requirements and the intrinsic compensation of the pattern distortion due to the presence of the naval environment, which is instead partly embedded into the antenna system