Microwave Systems Engineering for Expeditionary Warfare (USA)

Course structure

What you will learn

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:


Knowledge and Understanding

- Describe and analyse the principles of operation and characteristics of antenna sensors and electromagnetic system components and recognise how they may be used in a modern military radar, communication or EW system
- Identify and assess the various models of propagation of electromagnetic waves in free space and transmission lines


Skills and Other Attributes

- Analyse and evaluate the performance of electronic warfare system components
- Assess the propagation of electromagnetic signals in physical environments
- Design antenna elements and develop radar phased arrays performance models

Core content

• Course introduction: course structure, aims and objectives
• Propagation: radio propagation: reflection, refraction, multipath, fading, attenuation, ionosphere propagation, troposcatter, anomalous propagation
• Antennas: fundamental antenna concepts and definitions; VSWR, radiation patterns, directivity, gain, polarisation, axial ratio, EIRP, effective aperture, noise temperature, etc. 
• Overview of antenna types for communications and radar applications including wire antennas, aperture antennas, reflector antennas, low profile and microstrip antennas
• Antenna arrays: introduction to phased array theory, types of antenna array,  feed network design, beam steering and radiation pattern shaping
• Electromagnetic devices: high power tubes including Magnetron, coaxial magnetron, Klystron, Extended Interaction Klystron andTWT
• Active solid state devices: rf diodes and transistors and their application in amplifiers and oscillators,ferrite non-reciprocal devices (circulators and isolators)
• PIN diode switches, modulators and phase shifters
• Guided waves: waveguides, coaxial lines, microstrip and other RF planar transmission line structures
• RF/Microwave power dividers and couplers

Speakers