Patent ID: 7786948

Claim:
An array antenna comprising: an array of radiator elements, said array including a subaperture comprising one or more of said radiator elements; a main receive channel; a feed network coupling at least some of the radiator elements of the array of radiator elements to the main receive channel; a special use receive channel; an RF power dividing network connected in a signal path between said subaperture and the special use receive channel, the RF power dividing network adapted to pass a first portion of RF energy from said subaperture to the special use receiver channel while diverting a second portion of the RF energy from said subaperture to the main receive channel; circuitry for introducing an amplitude taper to signals received from the array of radiator elements, so that at least some of said signals from said radiator elements are attenuated to achieve said amplitude taper, said circuitry including said RF power dividing network, wherein the second portion of the RF energy diverted to the main receive channel from the subaperture is substantially equal to an attenuated signal level for said subaperture to achieve an amplitude taper attenuation for said one of said radiator elements to match said amplitude taper, and wherein the first portion is greater than the second portion.