Lockheed Martin unveils hybrid antenna for 5G, radar and remote sensing applications

Lockheed Martin unveiled a new type of satellite dish technology on Aug. 23 that the company says is applicable for a wide range of use cases on satellites and ground terminals, including space-based 5G. The new dish, called a Wide Angle ESA Fed Reflector (WAEFR) antenna, is a hybrid of a phased array Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) and a parabolic dish.

Lockheed Martin said this technology increases coverage area by 190% compared to traditional phased array antennas at a much lower cost. It claims the WAEFR offers the performance gain of a dish with the beam agility of an ESA, and can accommodate any orbital altitude or ground terminal application.

It was developed as part of a larger research and development investment in 5G.MIL technologies as part of the U.S. Department of Defense‘s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative.