Passive electronically scanned array: Difference between revisions

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[[File:DN-ST-92-02246.JPEG|thumb|The [[Mikoyan MiG-31]] combat aircraft with nose fairing removed, showing its [[Zaslon]] passive electronically scanned array radar antenna. ]]

[[File:Phased array animation with arrow 10frames 371x400px 100ms.gif|thumb|upright=1.2|Animation showing how a passive electronically scanned array works. It consists of an array of antenna elements ''(A)'' powered by a single [[transmitter]] ''(TX)''. The feed current for each antenna passes through a [[phase shifter]] ''(φ)'' controlled by a computer ''(C)''. The moving red lines show the wavefronts of the radio waves emitted by each element. The individual wavefronts are spherical, but they combine ([[Superposition principle|superpose]]) in front of the antenna to create a [[plane wave]], a beam of radio waves travelling in a specific direction. The phase shifters delay the radio waves progressively going up the line so each antenna emits its wavefront later than the one below it. This causes the resulting plane wave to be directed at an angle to the antenna. The velocity of the radio waves is shown slowed down enormously.]]

A '''passive electronically scanned array''' ('''PESA'''), also known as '''passive phased array''', is an antenna in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions (that is, a [[phased array]] antenna), in which all the antenna elements are connected to a single [[transmitter]] (such as a [[magnetron]], a [[klystron]] or a [[travelling wave tube]]) and/or [[radio receiver|receiver]].

The largest use of phased arrays is in [[radar]]s. Most phased array radars in the world are PESA. The civilian [[microwave landing system]] uses PESA transmit-only arrays.

A PESA contrasts with an [[active electronically scanned array]] (AESA) antenna, which has a separate [[transmitter]] and/or [[radio receiver|receiver]] unit for each antenna element, all controlled by a computer; AESA is a more advanced, sophisticated versatile second-generation version of the original PESA phased array technology.

Radar systems generally work by connecting an antenna to a powerful radio transmitter to emit a short pulse of signal. The transmitter is then disconnected and the antenna is connected to a sensitive receiver which amplifies any echos from target objects. By measuring the time it takes for the signal to return, the radar receiver can determine the distance to the object. The receiver then sends the resulting output to a [[Radar display|display of some sort]]. The transmitter elements were typically [[klystron tube]]s or [[magnetron]]s, which are suitable for amplifying or generating a narrow range of frequencies to high power levels. To scan a portion of the sky, the radar antenna must be physically moved to point in different directions.

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In 1959, [[DARPA]] developed an experimental phased array radar called Electronically Steered Array Radar ESAR. The first module, a linear array, was completed in 1960. It formed the basis of the [[AN/FPS-85]].<ref>https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/phased-arrays</ref>

Starting in the 1960s new [[solid state (electronics) |solid-state]] devices capable of delaying the transmitter signal in a controlled way were introduced. That led to the first practical large-scale passive electronically scanned array, or simply phased array radar. PESAs took a signal from a single source, split it into hundreds of paths, selectively delayed some of them, and sent them to individual antennas. The radio signals from the separate antennas overlapped in space, and the interference patterns between the individual signals was controlled to reinforce the signal in certain directions, and mute it in all others. The delays could be easily controlled electronically, allowing the beam to be steered very quickly without moving the antenna. A PESA can scan a volume of space much quicker than a traditional mechanical system. Thanks to progress in electronics, PESAs added the ability to produce several active beams, allowing them to continue scanning the sky while at the same time focusing smaller beams on certain targets for tracking or guiding [[semi-active radar homing]] missiles. PESAs quickly became widespread on ships and large fixed emplacements in the 1960s, followed by airborne sensors as the electronics shrank.{{Citation needed |date=December 2015}}

==List of PESA radars==

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*[[EMPAR]]

*''Flap Lid'' and ''Tomb Stone'' for the [[SA-10]] and [[S-300 (missile)#S-300PMU-1/2 (SA-20)|SA-20]] systems respectively

* FuMG 41/42 [[Mammut radar]] used by Nazi Germany for early warning against Allied bombers (worldsworld's first operational phased array radar)

*[[Rajendra Radar]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.drdo.org/labs/electronics/lrde/achieve.shtml |title=DRDO LRDE Radar Systems |access-date=2009-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200442/http://www.drdo.org/labs/electronics/lrde/achieve.shtml |archive-date=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*[[Zaslon]], first-ever electronically scanned radar in a fighter jet ([[MIG-31]])