Aircraft Coupling Model Evaluations at SHF/EHF

Abstract

Severe overcrowding of t h e RF spect rum, e s p e c i a l l y a t UHF, has been one pr imary m o t iv a t o r to extend m i l i t a r y communications i n t o t h e SHF and f i n a l l y th e EHF band. The p o t e n t i a l i n t e r f e r e n c e of p l a c ­ ing new SHF/EHF te r m i n a l s on-board e x i s t i n g and new a i r c r a f t p la t f o r m s i s unknown and must be ass es se d . Several EMC-related computer a n a l y s i s programs a re a v a i l a b l e t o p r e d i c t th e coupl ing be­ tween a i r c r a f t an tennas . However, th e models con­ t a i n e d i n t h e s e codes may no t be adequa te f o r p re ­ d i c t i o n a n a l y s i s a t t h e s e h igher f r e q u e n c i e s . Coupling measurements have been performed on a KC135 s t y l e a i r c r a f t and a F-16 t a c t i c a l f i g h t e r to e v a l u a t e t h e v a l i d i t y of th e computer models. A comparison a n a l y s i s of p r e d i c te d and ac tua l coup­ l i n g d a t a i s p re se n te d .