High power Solid-State Power Amplifiers for airborne and space applications in remote sensing and communications

Millimeter-wave Solid-State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) offer unique advantages over traditional power tubes for airborne and space-based radars and communication links in terms of size, cost and reliability among other factors. High power SSPA using both GaAs and GaN MMICs and efficient, compact power combining methods have been developed for both pulsed and CW/modulated applications spanning 27 to 100 GHz. This paper presents the design and measured performance of a 30 Watt 94 GHz and a 100 Watt 35 GHz SSPA presently in actual use. SSPA with saturated power greater than 50 Watts at 94 GHz and 200 Watts at 35 GHz also presented here have been designed and presently under fabrication.