Tactical high power microwave antenna pedestal

A method of directing a high power microwave (HPM) beam to a target, the method comprising:

• configuring a reflector subsystem to receive a high power microwave (HPM) input beam and to reflect the HPM input beam to produce an HPM output beam towards at least one target, the reflector subsystem comprising an elevation reflector having a first range of motion and configured for steering the input beam in elevation and an azimuth reflector having a second range of motion and configured for steering the input beam in azimuth, wherein the HPM output beam is steered in elevation and azimuth towards the target;
• operably coupling a rotatable support structure to the azimuth reflector and to the elevation reflector;
• configuring the rotatable support structure to rotate the elevation reflector and the azimuth reflector simultaneously;
• coupling the elevation reflector to the rotatable support structure via a first support member comprising a lengthwise portion coupled to the rotatable support structure and an offset portion coupled to the elevation reflector, the offset portion configured to offset the elevation reflector from the lengthwise portion;
• and
• coupling a first end of a second support member to the rotatable support structure and a second end of the second support member to the azimuth reflector;
• and
• steering the HPM output beam towards the target, wherein, during the beam steering, the offset portion is configured to enable clearance of the elevation reflector during the beam steering of the HPM output beam to extreme ends of the first range of motion of the elevation reflector.

A method of stowing a reflector in a high power microwave (HPM) antenna system, the method comprising:

• configuring a reflector subsystem to receive a high power microwave (HPM) input beam and to reflect the HPM input beam to produce an HPM output beam towards at least one target, the reflector subsystem comprising an elevation reflector having a first range of motion and configured for steering the input beam in elevation and an azimuth reflector having a second range of motion and configured for steering the input beam in azimuth, wherein the HPM output beam is steered in elevation and azimuth towards the target;
• operably coupling a rotatable support structure to the azimuth reflector and to the elevation reflector;
• configuring the rotatable support structure to rotate the elevation reflector and the azimuth reflector simultaneously;
• coupling the elevation reflector to the rotatable support structure via a first support member comprising a lengthwise portion coupled to the rotatable support structure and an offset portion coupled to the elevation reflector, the offset portion configured to offset the elevation reflector from the lengthwise portion;
• coupling a first end of a second support member to the rotatable support structure and a second end of the second support member to the azimuth reflector;
• and
• configuring the elevation reflector to have a first deployed position and a first stowed position and wherein, in the first stowed position, the offset portion of the first support member is configured to position the elevation reflector next to the lengthwise portion of the first support member, wherein a positioning of the elevation reflector, in the first stowed position, is configured to minimize a stowed height of the elevation reflector.