A low cost conformal switched array antenna

A design concept for a low cost conformal antenna is described. This antenna is particularly well suited to moderate gain applications on mobile platforms that include aircraft, terrestrial vehicles, ships and soldiers. The antenna is comprised of an array of radiating elements conformal to the platform surface where the beam is formed only by switch-selecting a sub- array of elements that point in the desired direction. The antenna is low cost since no phase shifters nor elemental power amplifiers and low noise amplifier modules are utilized in its simplest form. The switched array transmitter enables the use a single power amplifier. Beam steering is performed by selecting the appropriate ensemble of elements with a microwave switch array. Various conformal geometries including domes and saddles are described, and the associated gains and side-lobes are calculated are calculated and shown.