Planar array antenna having radome over protruding antenna elements

A planar array antenna, comprising:

• a plurality of adjacent subarrays;
• each of said subarrays comprising:
• a ground plane having a rear face and a front face;
• a plurality of antenna elements, each extending forward of the front face of the ground plane and physically mounted to the ground plane;
• a plurality of circuit elements electrically coupled to the antenna elements and physically mounted to the ground plane and positioned rearward of the rear face of the ground plane;
• and
• a dielectric radome supported on the ground plane having a continuous surface sealed to the ground plane and positioned forward of each of said antenna elements to form an environmental seal surrounding the antenna elements and having a wall positioned intermediate at least one pair of adjacent ones of said antenna elements;
• each of said radomes having a radially extending lip adjacent the ground plane and overlapping a radially extending lip of the radome of the adjacent subarray.

A radome for a subarray of a planar array antenna, the subarray having a plurality of radiating elements protruding forward of a ground plane, the radome comprising:

• a continuous, environmentally-protective, rigid dielectric thin member, having:
• a central section having alternating external grooves and internal pockets shaped to receive the radiating elements and separate adjacent pairs of radiating elements;
• and
• a continuous lip, circumscribing and extending radially outward from said central section, said continuous lip lying in a plane parallel to the ground plane for sealing to the ground plane.

A method of manufacturing a planar array antenna, comprising;

• providing a plurality of subarray components, each of said subarray components having:
• a ground plane having a rear face and a front face;
• a plurality of radiating elements, each of said radiating elements protruding forward of the front face of the ground plane and physically mounted to the ground plane;
• a plurality of circuit elements electrically coupled to the radiating elements, and physically mounted to the ground plane and positioned rearward of the rear face of the ground plane;
• positioning on each of said subarray components, so as to receive each of the radiating elements, a continuous, waterproof, rigid dielectric radome having:
• a central section having alternating external grooves and internal pockets shaped to receive the radiating elements and separate adjacent pairs of radiating elements;
• and
• a continuous lip, circumscribing said central section, said lip lying in a plane for sealing to the ground plane;
• attaching each of the positioned radomes to the ground plane at least at the lip of the radome to define a plurality of subarrays;
• and
• integrating the subarrays into an array, the integrating comprising joining the lips of adjacent ones of said radomes.