Antenna Arrays for Tactical Communication Systems: A Comparative Study.

In this paper, we give a comparative study of several planar antenna concepts for reliable long range links in a tactical environment. The antenna elements are studied in terms of their electrical properties (bandwidth, reflection coefficient and radiation characteristics) and construction (robustness and material consumption). First, we model single antenna elements to investigate if they meet the requirements. Second, we arrange the elements with the best features into 2x2 arrays. Computer simulations of the arrays are verified by measurements. Finally, we formulate recommendations for large array (8x8 or 16x16 elements) synthesis to achieve the required properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]