Low Profile, Dual Polarised Antenna for Aeronautical and Land Mobile Satcom

High data rate communications on the move is fast becoming a major application area for satellite systems using Ku- and higher frequency bands. The ground terminal antenna used in such systems has a profound impact on the system capabilities and is constrained in many often conflicting ways. While simple reflector systems offer the lowest cost solution, there is a widespread need for low profile antennas to minimize the antenna visual signature and to satisfy aesthetic and transportation requirements. It is often considered that the use of such antennas will compromise the system performance. In this paper, it will be shown that, in many scenarios, the use of low profile antenna solutions has operational as well as mechanical advantages. The paper will illustrate why this is the case and describe a unique low profile antenna solution that is being developed to make these advantages available to the system designer.