Mechanical and Environmental Aspects of Antennas for a Novel Maritime Search and Rescue System

This paper presents the mechanical and environmental aspects of a novel dual-band harmonic radar antenna for maritime search and rescue system. These aspects are considered in the mechanical design of the proposed antenna. The dual-band radar antenna operates in the frequency range from 2.90 GHz to 2.95 GHz (S-band) and from 5.80 GHz to 5.90 GHz (C-band). The antenna configuration is based on two slotted waveguide antennas sharing the same housing and provides dual polarizations. One waveguide array employs edge slots with horizontal polarization, the other waveguide uses broadwall slots with vertical polarization. The mechanical design of the antenna is presented providing a low profile and lightweight structure that is compatible with the marine environmental conditions. A radome made of glass fiber reinforced plastic is used to protect the antenna against environmental influences. The radome structure is flexible enough to be easily integrated with the antenna. The antenna is fabricated using standard fabrication techniques and measured.