Foam Radiator

A novel system and method for creating a lightweight antenna is disclosed. Each lightweight antenna is formed using a foam material. This foam material is coated with a machinable material, which is machined to the desired dimensions. The machinable material is then plated with a metal. This creates a radiator that has the size and performance of traditional notch antennas, but weighs far less. This foam radiator may be mounted to a variety of substrate types, not limited to microwave laminate materials. Embodiments of mixed substrates or even multi-layered foam substrates are possible. The substrate may be a conventional printed circuit board (PCB), a PCB with sleeved coaxial vias, or a foam substrate. The lightweight antenna may be used in a plurality of applications, including ultra-wideband array systems and space-based applications.