Issue/Challenge
Ships, satellites, aircraft, and
ground systems use a variety of
critical capabilities—from radar to
communications—to adapt to evolving
missions and threats. Many emerging
platforms are size-constrained, yet
require more and more computing
capacity. This places greater emphasis
on size, weight, power, and cost.
Motivated to protect U.S. interests
and best serve the warfighter, MITRE
invested our R&D to prototype the
technology for a new class of wideband
phased array antennas. The Frequency-
scaled Ultra-wide Spectrum Element’s
(FUSE) lightweight, compact design is
ideal for platforms where space and
weight are at a premium—without
compromising performance or reliability.
Impact
Today, the FUSE antenna can be
found on communication and sensing
platforms in the national security
community and commercial sector.
This patented, R&D World 100 Award-
winning technology has become a force
multiplier in the spectrum space, with
different next-generation technologies
being layered under FUSE to deliver
even broader impact for the warfighter.
MITRE Brings Essential Value | FUSE
™
ANTENNA TECHNOLOGY
PROMOTES NATIONAL SECURITY
Consolidating multiple antennas lowers size, weight, power, and cost.
MITRE’s Solution
FUSE, which was co-invented with
the Naval Research Laboratory,
meets challenging electronic system
requirements for military and civilian use
at a lower cost. One FUSE phased array
can replace multiple individual antennas,
enabling multi-band and multi-function
systems—including communications,
radar, and electronic warfare. The
novel antenna aperture design can be
3D-printed, or additively manufactured,
making it more cost efficient.
A large radome on a ship
bridge takes considerable
space. In contrast, the FUSE
antenna has a compact,
low-profile design.
