A physical optics approach to the analysis of large frequency selective radomes

State-of-the-art radomes exploit frequency selective mediaso as to be transparent for the frequencies of the antenna protectedby them and opaque to other frequencies. This feature helps inreducing the radar cross section of the antenna and in protecting it frominterference. The study of a frequency selective radome is a dauntingtask, since the radome is usually large in terms of wavelengths, hencefull wave analyses are prohibitive. In this paper an approximatetechnique, based on the physical optics concept, is proposed to attainan estimation of the behavior of a radome shielded antenna in a shorttime with a commonly available computer. Results are validatedagainst a full wave technique over a relatively small radome.