HW-XBAND Honeywell X-band Antenna, Dual-Axis, Tracking

The X-band Satellite Communications on-the-move broadband antenna system is a low-profile, dual-axis mechanically steered, satellite tracking antenna.

Designed to give customers ultimate flexibility, the system was developed to support airborne or ground-based communications on-the-move applications over the major X-band constellations including Wideband Global Satellite Communications, Skynet and XTAR, as well as other current and future spacecraft hosting X-band payloads.

While utilizing two interleaved, wideband apertures for simultaneous, full duplex Tx/Rx, the X-band antenna system enables the ability to switch right/left hand circular polarizations for both Rx and Tx.

The antenna’s low profile reduces the size of traditional dish reflector radomes used for similarly capable X-band communications by nearly half and can be shaped as conformal to an allocated swept volume as necessary.

Key Benefits:

• Small, lightweight, low profile minimizes drag and fuel consumption improving time on station; only 55 pounds with a swept volume diameter of 31″ and height of 11.5″
• Slot array design can be made conformal to nearly any allocated area while tightly controlling the resulting beam patterns
• Separate, interleaved Tx/Rx apertures utilize alternating slots and achieve high Tx/Rx isolation
• Performance equivalent to a 40 cm dish but with a lower profile 10″ x 20″ aperture
• Dual-axis mechanical positioner with no scan loss for constant gain regardless of azimuth or elevation angle
• Optional polarization switching enables ease-of-handoff between separate constellations with opposite polarizations
• Dynamic stabilization suitable for either airborne or ground mobile applications
• Supports either ARINC 429 or autonomous navigation modes