BigPatents India

A ballistic protective radome (10) consisting of substantially longitudinal layer members (14) firmly and densely packed in a uniform array, forming a main protective layerm (12). The layer members (14) are mutually spaced apart and electrically isolated such that a continuous gap (18) is formed in the main protective layer (12). The layer members (14) are made of mechanical energy absorbing and high tensile strength materials such as ceramics, metallic alloys nanoparticulate ceramics and nanoparticulate metallic alloys. The surface of the layer members is electrically conducting, optionally by plating with a layer of highly electrically conducting materials having a width of a few skin depths. Optionally a dielectric layer (16) is attached to at least one surface border of the main protective layer for promoting the ballistic features of the radome and providing for impedance matching. A method for tuning the operational frequency of the radome is provided by grouping the layer members in pairs (I2A-I2C) of layer members having collinear main axes. Optionally discs (26D-26F) having electrically conducting surface are inserted into the gaps between the paired layer members.