Tactical Antennas for Military Applications

Tactical antennas are used for a wide range of communications and data transmission and reception applications in military, government and law enforcement operations.

These applications may include PNT (position, navigation and timing) via GPS and GNSS, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance), as well as specialized purposes such as SIGINT (signals intelligence), EW (electronic warfare) and COMINT (communications intelligence).

Tactical antennas may be affixed to a variety of different vehicles and platforms, including tanks and armored vehicles, naval vessels, aircraft, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). They may also be installed at fixed sites such as buildings and forward operating posts, as well as on portable devices such as handheld and manpack radios. Manpack antennas are often used to establish connections with SATCOM (satellite communications) services when no other forms of wireless communication are available.

Military tactical antennas may be designed to work within several different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum:

Radio frequency (RF) antennas may be HF (high frequency), VHF (very high frequency) or UHF (ultra high frequency), with each of these bands being used for different bandwidth and range requirements.

Microwave antennas are typically used for line-of-sight communications, with bands including L, S, C, X, Ka and Ku.

Tactical Antenna Form Factors

Tactical antennas come in a wide variety of form factors and construction types. These include:

• Whip – flexible, lightweight and omnidirectional antennas that are easy to deploy
• Yagi – directional antennas typically used for applications requiring high-gain
• Helical – antennas with a spiral construction that results in enhanced resistance to interference and multipath effects
• Patch – low-profile and easily-integrated antennas, often used for handheld devices and small unmanned system

Tactical antennas will often be designed with some degree of ruggedization to enable them to withstand harsh environmental conditions in the field. They may be sealed for the purposes of dust and waterproofing, and may be coated with special chemicals that resist corrosion or UV radiation. They may also be fitted with shock and vibration dampers, as well as spring or gooseneck elements to avoid breaking under impact.