A radar planar array antenna: a manufacturing challenge

The antenna described is part of a 3D surveillance radar designed to provide the precision ECCM features demanded by a modern guided missile system. To achieve a narrow beamwidth from a limited aperture, the radar operates at a high microwave frequency which necessitates manufacture of beamforming circuits to a very high level of mechanical precision. The antenna is a planar array consisting of over one thousand waveguide radiating elements grouped in horizontal rows (azimuth arrays), each energised by identical but independent corporate feeds. The azimuth arrays control the horizontal or azimuth pattern, whilst separate elevation beamformers control the elevation or vertical pattern. In order to meet the demanding mechanical requirements, CAD/CAM techniques have been used extensively. To meet the required production through-put, a dedicated manufacturing facility has been built