Applied Nanotech tests antenna armour panels

Applied Nanotech has completed the testing of fiberglass ballistic and blast-resistant armour panels that incorporate printed electronic antennas capable of sending and receiving radio communications and jamming enemy communication signals. The testing was announced as a success by the company.

The armour can be used in ships, vehicles and buildings and is designed to remove the need for high-profile communications antenna structures on ships and vehicles.

The encased antennas can jam trigger signals for remote explosives, including improvised explosive devices. The armour features two wideband, low-profile antennas that can carry signals at multiple frequencies.

For this programme, Applied Nanotech partnered with Armortex for its bullet-resistant fibreglass panel products, and Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for their antenna modelling and design capabilities.

Aly Fathy, professor, department of electrical and computer engineering, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, said: ‘This has been a challenging yet exciting programme to take a passive composite material and create a complex antenna structure that not only provides ballistic protection but also may help defeat improvised explosive devices and other threats.’