Radar systems using active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology are playing increasingly critical roles today, protecting warfighters and civilians alike as part of air and missile defense systems. These systems are also critical tools on modern test and training ranges, allowing aircrews to train against accurate simulations of the real-world threats they may face. 
 

To accelerate modernization of these systems, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a novel system known as XPAT (X-band polarization-diverse AESA testbed). The system was developed for operation in airborne and ground-based applications that must be reconfigurable to meet a variety of mission requirements.
 

Now being tested in GTRI antenna ranges, XPAT includes advances such as state-of-the-art transmit-receive modules and patent-pending cold plates that are optimized to reduce thermal variances between electronic components. XPAT is designed to serve as a building block for future phased array radars in a variety of sizes and shapes, while allowing ease of assembly and maintenance using specialized interfaces for power, control, cooling, and radio frequency connections.

Read more in the GTRI newsroom