Array Radome Replacement in the Field without Recalibration

Most high performance, active electronic scanned array (AESA) antenna systems operate inside environmentally protective radomes. Often, AESAs are calibrated in the factory with their radomes in place. Over time, radomes become damaged from exposure to the environment and must be replaced, which may require array recalibration. We describe a means to avoid recalibration of the array, whether it be in the field or back at the factory, after radome replacement through the use of a novel replacement radome requirement based on constraining the difference between a radome's parallel and perpendicular polarized transmission phases. With some examples, we show how to evaluate the sensitivity of this phase difference to different characteristics of the radome. Finally, we explain how to use a waveguide simulator fixture as a radome manufacturer's process control monitor for verifying that each radome meets the replacement radome requirement.