Defense RF Systems: Future Needs, Requirements, and Opportunities for Photonics

The nature of warfare has changed dramatically since the September 11 event, and military RF systems should change accordingly. This demand poses a challenge and also an opportunity for MicroWave Photonics (MWP) technology. We will examine the insertion potential of MWP to RF systems using a top-down approach, where the changes are analyzed and the flow down requirements for the RF system are discussed against the MWP capabilities. It is found that although MWP faces stiff competition from digital technology, it can find niche applications where only photonics can provide solutions.