Integrated Antenna Architecture for High Frequency Multifunction Naval Systems

We present an integrated topside approach to the design of a multifunction naval high frequency (HF) system. Following this approach two high-level designs for systems capable of simultaneously providing radar, communications, and electronic support measures are generated. The solutions employ a system of shared antennas to offer enhanced capabilities such as over-the-horizon detection while minimizing the radar cross section (RCS) of the ship. The performances of the proposed systems are assessed using a suite of software simulations and found to be feasible. Detection of low-level air targets is expected at 4-5 times the conventional microwave radar horizon. Reliable communication performance, well within current modem capabilities, is predicted for three geographical locations. Meteorological monitoring could take place at ranges up to about 350 km. Phased array operation of the shared antennas provides a high level of directivity that is expected to make the system highly effective at direction finding compared to conventional ESM systems and also provide high jamming performance