Antenna Squint and Guidance Errors

Missile-guidance errors caused by antenna and electronic faults are discussed. After describing a typical closed-loop angular sensing system using a gyrostabilized microwave antenna, the peculiarities of a crossed-dipole feed are listed. With imperfect electronic processing in the closed loop, the feed aberrations generate false steering signals. Two kinds of antenna squint are then dealt with, one sensitive to polarization and one not sensitive. A general definition of squint is given, and numerical examples of resulting errors are presented.