External communications is a critical element in the U.S. Navy design and utilization of a ship's combat system. The communications antenna system is a key factor in attainment of reliable circuit performance and reduction of electromagnetic interference (EMI). To maintain pace with improved ship manufacturing techniques and construction materials, along with design efforts to reduce topside generated EMI/RFI effects, an improved antenna design must also evolve. With the ever increasing complexity in the integration of the topside environment, the RF aspects of the antenna designs must be augmented by detailed analysis of the operating environment and the mechanical design if the goals of reliability and quality performance are to be achieved. The Naval Electronic Systems Command has developed a new “Broadband HF Communications Antenna.” This paper traces the design evolution and describes the processes in determining current design deficiencies, the design objectives to correct these deficiencies and the results obtained.
The best topside location for an antenna is on top of the highest mast on the ship, thus affording all‐around coverage and minimum interference. However, usually only one antenna can occupy that site. Modern naval combatants have numerous antennas, and the necessary compromises in mounting all of them means that even the best site is often electro‐magnetically compromised by adjacent structures and other antennas. A contrary approach is to mount larger antennas lower, and to design the ship to minimize blockage. This is “The UNIMAST Concept,” which argues for a single mast on which are mounted all the ship's major rotating surveillance antennas. The larger antennas rotate around the lower part of the mast, while lighter antennas, e.g., surface search, are sited above. This paper discusses the degradation of sidelobes due to present topside design and numerically relates degradation to Electronic Counter‐Countermeasures (ECCM) performance. Removal of that degradation via the UNIMAST Concept requires that a device known as an Annular Rotary Coupler (ARC) be used. The development of just such a high power, wide‐band ARC on a Navy‐sponsored R&D contract is herein described. Also described is the potential backfitting of the UNIMAST Concept to existing ships; e.g., the DDG‐993. Battle damage vulnerability of the UNIMAST Concept with respect to a conventional two mast design is addressed. It is argued that the UNIMAST Concept affords no degradation in vulnerability due to improved potential for protecting vital antenna parts.
is deputy program manager f o r Ship and Shore Communications (PMW-IS2A) at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SpaWar). During his tenure at SpaWar, he has had responsibility,for managing the design, acquisition, integration. installation. arid life cycle support of ship and shore naval conimunications systems. Before coming to SpaWar, Mr. Biondi was head of the Combat Support Systems Integration Division (NavSea 61x1) of the Naval Sea Systems Command. While at the Naval Ship Engineering Center, he was project engineer for the Naval Tactical Data System display system and the W I S P S -4 8 radar, eventually the head ofthe Radar Branch in NavSEClNavSea. He re-B.S.E.E. fvom the University of Illinois and did postgraduate w,or!i ut the George Washington University. Barbara A. Keller is the head of the New Construction (SCN) Ship Communicutions Design and Integration Branch (PMW-152-31) of SpaWar. She pre~iously M~S head of the Combatant Ship Radio Comniimications System Design Branch. Ms. Keller has also served as radio communications system design manager for the DDG-51 class. and she has held similar positions f o r the CVN-68, T-AO-187, and AOE-6 programs. She began her career at SpaWar in the Topside Design and Electromagnetic Efects Division (ELEX 8321, after receiling her bachelorof chemical engineering ,from the Uni-,jersity of Dc~1aM~ur.e. Upon employment with the N a y , she completed a i,onr.er,siori pr.ogram to electronic,.s engineering through studies at the Georqe Washington University.. She received her M.B.A. from the Virginia Polytechnic. Institute and State University.. Donald Risty is a senior systems analyst at SEMCOR, Inc., where he proridcJs technical management support for shipboard communications programs. He has ser.ved as cmfiguration management unit manuger arid DDG-51 Class Radio Communic~ation System projiw nianuger. MI.. Risty c'anie to SEMCOR Jiwn the NCR Corporation, where he M'US an engineering M'riter. He received his B.S. in niathvniutic,.r and English f~m i the University oj' Calqoriiia at Berkeley, arid hr. has done postCqr~ailuate ~w r k at Sari Diego State Unii.ersityABSTRACT "Turn-Key" is an innovative approach for the design, acquisition, integration, and installation of Radio Communications
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