Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, N.J., announced a $10.2 million contract to Microwave Applications last week for 1,800 ferrite phase shifter RF and microwave modules, which researchers will use to develop a closed-loop passive electronically scanned array radar system.
The ferrite phase shifter modules from Microwave Applications, as well as the closed-loop passive electronically scanned array radar system under development, are for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Test Readiness Management Center’s Closed Loop Passive Electronically Scanned Array Project Office, Navy officials say.
A passive electronically scanned array, also called a passive phased array, is a phased array radar with one central radio frequency source, which sends energy into several phase shift modules.
These modules then send energy into the individual emitting elements in the front of the antenna. The passive electronically scanned array design approach is different from active electronically scanned array (AESA) devices, which are common aboard advanced military jet fighter aircraft.
AESA radar systems use a separate radio frequency source for each phase shifter and emitting element; a passive electronically scanned array radar is simpler to build than an AESA radar.
Phase shifter modules like those from Microwave Applications provide a controllable phase shift of the RF signal in phased array radar applications.
On this contract Microwave Applications will do the work in Santa Maria, Calif., and should be finished by November 2016. For more information contact Microwave Applications Group online at www.magsmx.com, or the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division-Lakehurst at www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/lakehurst.
