Multifunctional AESA Technology Trends - A Radar System Aspects View

Progressive trends in ultra-broadband active electronically scanned array (AESA) antennas for multifunctional RF sensor systems are discussed with their inherent system aspects to cope with. New scalable and modular AESA concepts to reduce size, weight, power and costs (SWAP-C), as well as the prospects of digital frontends with their technological challenges and operational benefits are presented. Furthermore special topics of state of the art AESA component technologies such as GaN-SiGe transmit-receive module (TRM) designs, novel developing trends from multi-chip to two-chip TRMs, as well as surface mounted device (SMD) capable system on chip (SoC) monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and digital SoC are addressed.