CIRCULAR OVERMODED WAVE-GUIDE FOR SHIPBOARD USE

Several future Navy combat systems under development require efficient delivery of high power microwave energy from remote transmitters to a rray antennas. To achieve this requirement, a family of microwave comp onents has been developed and tested. Progress is described in the des ign and testing of an overmoded circular TE01 mode waveguide applicabl e to special shipboard needs. Because such a waveguide had originally been developed for low power millimeter band trunkline communications between cities, new theoretical, design, and fabrication techniques ha d to be developed to meet our specific performance requirements. Moreo ver, in order to fulfill the combat system requirements, the waveguide would have to withstand harsh military requirements. Over several yea rs the obstacles to the application of overmoded technology to Navy co mbat systems have been systematically eliminated. The effort has resul ted in the invention of several new components, the development and va lidation of a new computer aided design package, and the implementatio n of new microwave measurement techniques. The first application of an overmoded waveguide to a combat system element was recently achieved in the successful demonstration of the prototype Cooperative Engagemen t Capability, and steps toward a production military version of the wa veguide have been initiated.