Millitech Inc. has received a $3.7 M award for the design and development of a next generation Satellite Communications on the Move (SOTM) antenna system.
The award is from the Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC), and includes the delivery of five prototype systems.
The antenna systems are mounted on moving vehicles such as HMMWVs. The novel Active Quasioptic Array (AQA) antenna system will significantly increase currently available communication capabilities. The patent pending AQA antenna combines the best features of conventional and phased-array antenna technology to provide unprecedented performance at an affordable price. To provide full hemispheric coverage, the AQA antenna is combined with a precision mobile antenna positioner supplied by TECOM Industries Inc.
“The system is designed to supply crucial information to our soldiers, in their vehicles, while moving at full speed over very rough terrain,” said Kent Whitney, president and COO of Millitech. “It is one of the most critical technologies for the next generation of communication systems and has both military and commercial applications.”
The award reflects years of internal design efforts funded by the Army Research Labs (ARL) Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program and design capabilities fostered by the Center for Advanced Sensor and Communication Antennas (CASCA) at the University of Massachusetts. The award is for two years with an optional third year for support of the prototypes.