Steatite Q-par Antennas began producing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microwave antennas and subsystems for the defence industry in 1973.
The firm’s antennas and subsystems typically operate from 100MHz to 500GHz.
Electromagnetic design software for antenna analysis
Steatite uses advanced commercial design software, which allows it to analyse a large range of microwave antennas and optimise them for the market.
The firm has its own in-house design and engineering capabilities, as well as testing facilities. It uses a mix of its design and analysis tools for its mechanical design.
As well as using its research and technology for its own products, Steatite also regularly carries out research for government clients. The firm produces prototyping, technical concept studies, and development studies.
Wideband defence antennas for the sensor market
Steatite produces wideband defence antennas suitable for applications including the EW / SIGINT and sensor markets.
The firm’s antenna subsystems are designed and manufactured through a combination of wideband units, using COTS and custom-designed multi-axis all-weather antenna positioners, as well as unique mounting structures. These are then housed in custom microwave transparent randomes, which reach up to 40GHz.
Reflector antennas for receive and transmit applications
Steatite provides combinations of COTS and custom-designed solid and segmented reflector / feed antennas.
These are used for electronic warfare (EW) applications, as well as electronic intelligence (ELINT), direction-finding, and communication systems.
The antennas provide users with high-gain and low sidelobes, which have low voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) levels.
Ultra wideband omnidirectional antennas for management applications
Steatite’s ultra wideband omnidirectional antennas are used for spectrum management and direction-finding applications.
These antennas are available either vertically or slant polarised, and have a performance capability of up to 42.5GHz.
Omnidirectiional antennas help to reduce weight, space, and cost requirements, as they allow users to use one antennas instead of multiple products.
Spinning antenna subsystems for direct-drive positioners
Steatite also produces direction-finding and omnidirectional high-performance spinning antenna subsystems.
These 0.50GHz to 18GHz subsystems are housed in microwave transparent, low-loss radomes. They are mounted on high-speed rotating direct-drive positioners.
Meanwhile, paraboloid reflectos offer a large elevation coverage and narrow azimuth beamwidth.
Wideband spiral and sinuous antennas
Spiral antennas are another product designed and manufactured by Steatite. These provide a smooth radiation patterns, purity of circular polarisation, and a wide beamwidth with low squint.
Dual linear and dual circular polarised, sinuous antennas also offer a wide bandwidth, with a broad beamwidth.
Meanwhile, airborne and ground-based applications available from the firm include, ground-based, ESM, RWR, and 360° direction finding applications.
Standard gain and high gain wideband horn antennas for test and measuring applications
Steatite produces a range of custom wideband horn antennas. These are available either rectangular, conical, sectoral, multimode, as well as double and quad ridged, and dual polarised.
These antennas have maximum frequencies of up to 500GHz, and can be adapted to meet specific customer requirements. They are suitable for applications that include signals intelligence (SIGINT), EW, and test and measuring, such as EMC immunity and high-intensity radiated fields (HiRF) testing.
Another antenna manufactured by the firm is octave and multi-octave wideband antennas. These antennas have typical gain values from between 10dBi to 20dBi.