Antenna Research Associates (ARA) is a C5ISR company specializing in the design, manufacturing, testing, and installation of advanced antenna technologies and subsystems to ensure U.S'. joint forces remain secure, superior, and safe. ARA’s expertise spans Electronic Warfare, Military Communications, Radar, and Satellite Systems. For more than 60 years, ARA has consistently delivered unmatched intelligence, enhanced situational awareness, rapid threat detection, and precise targeting capabilities to the military.

ARA introduced its first products in 1963, producing long-range, high-frequency antennas for clients near Fort Meade, Maryland. From there, the company quickly established itself as a leader in broadband antenna systems for surveillance, spectrum management, and TEMPEST testing. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, ARA expanded its offerings to include VSAT antennas, SATCOM products, and antenna systems for both military and commercial radar, as well as mobile and tactical communications. In the 1990s, ARA saw further growth with the addition of high-gain horn arrays, broadband omnidirectional antennas for jamming, body-wearable antennas, and quick-deployment solutions. Notably, ARA produced one of the world’s most iconic antennas, which was placed atop the Empire State Building in New York City.

In 2014, ARA entered a new phase of expansion under the leadership of CEO Logen Thiran. Since his arrival, the company has grown tenfold, driven by the strategic acquisitions of AQYR in 2020 and SI2 Technologies in 2022. These acquisitions enabled the creation of a product development-focused Technology Innovation Center that pursues innovation across the DoD and commercial market priorities, delivering advanced technology solutions. Today, ARA operates with approximately 250 employees across four ISO 9001:2015-certified and fully NIST-compliant facilities spanning nearly 150,000 square feet across Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. With a customer base that is 95 percent defense and five percent commercial, ARA serves primarily U.S. clients, with a small percentage of international business.

What began as an RF communications antenna business has grown to become an industry leader with cross-market capabilities, a fleet of new innovations, and a team that boasts more than 50 patents for unique solutions to both civilian and military challenges. Today, ARA develops a variety of sophisticated technologies for the armed forces, including advanced apertures with signature mitigation technologies and state-of-the-art arrays like AESA and PESA systems. ARA’s durable and reliable Line of Sight products support critical programs such as SINCGARS, EPLRS, JTRS, and WIN-T. The company’s widely deployed antennas can be customized with various filters, LNAs, and other components to suit any mission’s requirements. Additionally, ARA products support UHF and MUOS satellite communications networks for both tactical and fixed-site applications.

ARA takes pride in delivering solutions that remedy diverse issues for the armed forces and has created technologies that increase precision, boost communication, enable easier navigation, deflect attention, and enhance operational reliability. ARA’s MILSPEC SATCOM antennas are compact, lightweight, rugged, and designed for rapid deployment in diverse and extreme environments. Saterra, a modem-agnostic VSAT, features a unique multifocal feed system that allows customers to mix and match different bands with multiple reflector sizes, meeting both government and commercial demands for improved resilience, Size, Weight, and Power and Cost (SWaP-C). The AN/PRS-11 Suitcase Portable Receive Suite (SPRS) supports the Global Broadcast System (GBS) Program of Record, delivering vital command center information directly to combat teams or individual warfighters in the field. The KA-10A, ARA’s commercial version of the AN/PRS-11, is ideal for ISR, homeland security, and disaster response applications. ARA is also advancing its SATCOM capabilities with multi-band, multi-orbit AESA technologies, enabling connectivity with LEO, MEO, and GEO satellite constellations in concurrent Ku/Ka-bands with Comms-On-The-Move (COTM) platforms. All existing VSAT terminals will soon be upgradeable to this cutting-edge technology. These and other innovations designed by ARA represent a paradigm shift in battlefield communication and are used to withstand the rigors of combat and support the full spectrum of operations.

ARA also offers customized RF solutions using additive manufacturing (3D printing) techniques that allow for printing antennas on flexible substrates and curved surfaces and tunable solutions for advanced apertures. The company’s facilities include multiple outdoor test ranges and anechoic chambers capable of testing from 20 MHz to 50 GHz. Moreover, ARA is actively working with customers to provide tailored solutions in hypersonics, advanced aircraft, missiles, munitions, counter-UAS technologies, and space applications.

As ARA continues its journey to becoming a leading supplier of C5ISR products and technologies for the aerospace and defense industry, it remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining its entrepreneurial approach and always putting customer needs first. By consistently evolving and focusing on technological advancement, ARA aims to maintain its role as a reliable partner in addressing the challenges of modern defense and aerospace operations.

Learn more at: ara-inc.com