Overview of Naval Multifunction RF Systems

Multifunction radio frequency (RF) systems employ active electronically scanned array technology to consolidate several RF functions, including radar, communications, electronic attack and electronic support. This paper presents key characteristics of multifunction RF (MFRF) systems for naval platforms, together with advantages and drawbacks relative to individual RF systems. Requirements for RF functions are provided, and design considerations for naval MFRF systems are discussed. Future research topics in MFRF systems are presented: MFRF system design, which is constrained by hardware technology; and resource management among multiple RF functions, which builds on previous results in radar resource management.