Lockheed Martin Develops Hybrid Antenna For 5G, Radar, Remote Sensing App
August 24, 2021 | Lockheed MartinEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Lockheed Martin has invented a new type of satellite dish technology with a wide range of use on satellites and ground terminals, including space-based 5G. The Wide Angle ESA Fed Reflector (WAEFR) antenna is a hybrid of a phased array Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) and a parabolic dish, and increases coverage area by 190% compared to traditional phased array antennas at a much lower cost.
This antenna is part of a larger research and development investment in 5G.MIL™ technologies that will optimize and securely connect warfighting platforms to enable joint all-domain command and control (JADC2). Lockheed Martin is uniquely positioned, leveraging commercial best practices, strong partnerships, a broad supply chain and leadership expertise, to bring 5G connectivity and capabilities to the defense community rapidly and affordably.
“We adopted a commercial mindset to quickly mature this technology and discovered there were multiple use cases and applications that could benefit from this new hybrid antenna,” said Chris Herring, vice president of advanced program development at Lockheed Martin Space. “5G.MIL technologies like this will bring greater connectivity, faster and more reliable networks, and new data capabilities to support our customers as they navigate the complexity of 21st-century battlefields.”
The team rapidly prototyped, tested and validated this system in a matter of months compared to what previously took years. WAEFR also features:
- High-performance gain of a dish with the beam agility of an ESA
- Low Size Weight and Power (SWAP) common product solution to accommodate any orbital altitude or ground terminal application
- Advances in 3D-printing technology and accelerated parts production
- This type of antenna will also benefit the broader communications and ISR communities by providing a more reliable scanning solution compared to gimbaled designs.
“The primary benefit of the WAEFR approach is accomplishing more missions with fewer resources,” said Thomas Hand, Ph.D., associate technical fellow at Lockheed Martin Space. “While the state of the art ESA solutions can address more demanding link performance, capacity, and data rates using multiple agile analog beams, they do so at a premium.”
Suggested Items
Lockheed Martin Boosts Domestic Microelectronics Capabilities for Pentagon Aerial Defense Program
04/08/2024 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin will work with Intel Corporation, and Altera, an Intel Company, to support the Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging (STAMP) program for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E).
Lockheed Martin Awarded $219M To Produce Additional PrSM Units For US Army
03/08/2024 | Lockheed MartinThe U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $219 million contract to produce more Early Operational Capability (EOC) Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).
Lockheed Martin Takes Next Step In Homeland Missile Defense Interceptor Acquisition Process
03/05/2024 | Lockheed MartinIn November 2023, Lockheed Martin successfully completed a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) acquisition milestone for the nation's modernized long range ballistic missile interceptor.
Lockheed Martin’s Pony Express 2 Tech Demo Satellites Declared Ready For Launch
02/16/2024 | Lockheed MartinThe Lockheed Martin Pony Express 2 mission, intended to showcase how space can enhance Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), is ready for launch.
Lockheed Martin, Red 6 Announce Augmented Reality Integration Progress For TF-50
02/12/2024 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin and Red 6 announced a recently completed a groundbreaking effort to integrate the latest Red 6 augmented reality (AR) training technology with a TF-50 simulator