carrier waves Issue 1 - January
2009
http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.c...s-jan-2009.pdf (0.9Mb)
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Mock-up of Aft Island page 6
At Cowes on the Isle of Wight, a structure is being built to represent part of the carriers’ Aft Island, which carries a huge array of radars and other communication equipment.
Steve Dowdell said: “There’s a new radar being introduced into the entire UK fleet – the ARTISAN 3D medium-range radar and the new carriers have a pole mast right in the centre of its near field, carrying important antennae for tactical data links and the TACAN beacon.
“There’s also a crown of thorns antenna carrying VHF transmissions. We wanted to put the three systems together to avoid electro-magnetic emission problems later.
“If we have to reshape the islands because of reflections, we have the chance to change the paper drawings before any
steel is cut for the islands.”"