PAMIR with reconfigurable antenna frontend

Two reconfigurable antenna frontend configurations of the PAMIR SAR/GMTI imaging radar, an experimental active phased array system with a very high simultaneous bandwidth of 1.82 GHz in X-band are described: an interferometric and a linear aperture configuration. Broadband beamforming together with azimuth wide scan capability (≥± 45°@1.82 GHz bandwidth of the antenna aperture) requires a switchable true time delay network with time increments equivalent to a fraction of a wavelength. PAMIR serves as an ideal airborne platform for future broadband SAR/GMTI research activities including interferometric image formation.