Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI), in collaboration with Armortex, The University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Villanova University, has tested and completed fiberglass ballistic and blast-resistant armor panels with printed electronic antennas that can send and receive radio communications and jam enemy communication signals.
The team created two wideband low-profile antennas, each capable of carrying signals at multiple frequencies. Together they provide electronic warfare, jamming and communication capabilities. The armor provides multi-channel communications and advanced active protection for vehicles, ships and buildings. It also makes military vehicles and ships less identifiable, completely eliminating the need for multiple high-profile communications antennas. The armor-incased antennas can block radio signals used to remotely trigger explosives, including improvised explosive devices.
The research, supported by a federal Small Business Technology Transfers program (STTR) sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), combines ANI’s knowledge of and experience with printed electronics with the bullet-resistant fiberglass panel products made by Armortex and the antenna design and modeling capabilities of UT Knoxville and Villanova.
