Electronically scanned dielectric covered continuous slot antenna conformal to the cone for dual mode seeker

摘要

A dielectric covered continuous slot (DCCS) antenna operable at RF frequencies. The antenna includes a conical or cylindrical dielectric radome structure having a nominal thickness equal to one quarter wavelength at a frequency of operation of the antenna. A conductive layer is defined on a contour surface of the radome structure, with a plurality of continuous slots defined in the conductive layer. The slots extend circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the antenna and are spaced apart in a longitudinal sense. A serpentine end-fed signal transmission structure is disposed within the radome structure for carrying RF feed signals from an excitation end of the structure to a second end of the transmission structure. The slots are disposed along the serpentine transmission structure such that energy leaks from the transmission structure through the slots and the radome structure, forming a beam which is scannable in a direction along the longitudinal antenna axis by scanning the transmit signal frequency. Due to the frequency dispersive effective electrical length of the transmission structure, the slot spacing effectively changes as the frequency is scanned, thereby scanning the beam. The antenna provides room for an IR (infrared) seeker in the nose of the cone, without blocking the view of the conical/cylindrical antenna.