What Steatite Antennas does

Steatite Antennas is a UK-based specialist designer and manufacturer of high-performance microwave and RF antennas, operating from a purpose-built facility in Leominster, Herefordshire. Founded in 1973 (originally as Q-par Angus) and now operating as a subsidiary of Steatite Ltd within Solid State Group plc, the company develops both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and bespoke custom antennas spanning roughly 10 MHz to 50 GHz. Its product range covers EMC and HiRF antennas, wideband horn antennas, omnidirectional antennas, parabolic reflectors, spiral and sinuous antennas, ELINT spinning direction-finding subsystems, positioner antennas, and waveguide adapters. Engineering capabilities include custom radome design using Ray Optics and CST electromagnetic solvers, frequency-selective surface (FSS) radomes and sub-reflectors, monopulse and quad-ridged feed designs, and large multilayer radomes up to 6m in diameter.

The company combines in-house design, engineering, manufacturing, and testing on a single site, anchored by a 7m x 5m x 6m spherical near-field RF test chamber that supports antenna characterisation from 500 MHz to 40 GHz and accommodates units up to 3m in diameter. Test and measurement output, repair and refurbishment (including Mil-spec re-coating), and custom antenna engineering for land, naval, and airborne platforms are offered as services alongside COTS hardware sales.

Steatite Antennas pursues a direct-sales model (UK phone and email contact) supplemented by an international partner network of 15+ distributors across the USA, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Poland, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, and Turkey. Its primary end market is the defense and military sector (electronic warfare, SIGINT, ELINT, ESM, RWR, ECM), with secondary exposure to EMC testing and a minor automotive footprint exemplified by Ford Motor Company EMC specification compliance. Certifications supporting defense participation include ISO 9001:2015 and JOSCAR (2021).

Name

Steatite Antennas

Legal name

Steatite Ltd

Website

https://steatite-antennas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steatite Antennas is a UK-based specialist designer and manufacturer of high-performance microwave and RF antennas (10 MHz to 50 GHz), serving defense, EMC testing, and civil clients with COTS products, custom antenna engineering, RF testing, and refurbishment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microwave and RF Antennas

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Communications Equipment Manufacturing (3342)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

RF Front-End Modules (FEMs) & Integrated RF Modules (HDAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Passive Filters & RF Passives (LC Filters/Diplexers/Baluns/Attenuators) (HDAHANAG), IFF/Identification, Beaconing & Cooperative Surveillance Systems (IMABAGAF)

Keywords

• Microwave antenna design
• RF antenna manufacturing
• Electronic warfare antennas
• EMC testing antennas
• Custom antenna engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Leominster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. COTS Antenna Products: Commercial off-the-shelf antenna products sold directly to customers. Range includes EMC antennas, horn antennas, omnidirectional antennas, reflector antennas, spiral antennas, sinuous antennas, ELINT antennas, positioner antennas, and waveguide adapters.
2. Custom & Bespoke Antenna Design and Manufacturing: Purpose-built custom antenna design and manufacturing for land, naval or airborne applications. In-house antenna design, engineering and testing facilities.
3. Test & Measurement Services: RF testing services using spherical near-field RF test chamber. Full far-field measurements, antenna characterization including VSWR, gain and radiation patterns.
4. Repair & Refurbishment: Full system overhaul, repair and refurbishment services including antenna and reflector repair, corrosion repair, performance tuning, waveguide overhaul, re-coating including Mil spec painting, and system re-installation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Steatite Antennas designs and manufactures high-performance microwave and RF antennas operating between 10MHz and 50GHz for defense, military, EMC testing, and civil/commercial applications. The company sells both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) antenna products across multiple antenna families (EMC & HiRF, horn, omnidirectional, reflector, spiral, sinuous, ELINT spinning DF, positioner, waveguide adapters) and provides custom/bespoke antenna design and engineering for land, naval, and airborne platforms. Supporting services include spherical near-field RF test & measurement and repair/refurbishment.

Product overview

Steatite Antennas is a specialist manufacturer of high-performance microwave and RF antennas operating between 10MHz to 50GHz (30MHz to 60GHz per some sources). The product portfolio consists of multiple antenna categories including EMC & HiRF Antennas (400 MHz to 40 GHz), Horn Antennas (170 MHz to 50 GHz), Omnidirectional Antennas (0.01 GHz to 40 GHz), Reflector Antennas (parabolic designs), Spiral Antennas (0.5 to 42 GHz), Sinuous Antennas (dual polarised), ELINT Spinning DF Antennas (0.5 to 40 GHz), Positioner Antennas (L to Ka band), and Waveguide Adapters. The company operates as both a COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) antenna provider and custom/bespoke antenna designer. Supporting services include Custom & Bespoke Antenna Design, Test & Measurement (spherical near-field RF test chamber), and Repair & Refurbishment. Applications span EW, SIGINT, spectrum management, ESM, RWR, EMC testing, ELINT, and communications systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EMC & HiRF Antennas Wideband waveguide COTS antennas covering 400 MHz to 40 GHz and bespoke antenna solutions for precision EMC radiated immunity and emissions testing. HiRF antennas produce field strengths up to 3000 V/m with near-field gains exceeding 20 dBi. Used by EMC test laboratories and automotive OEMs for component compliance testing.
• Horn Antennas Wideband octave and multi-octave dual polar and single polar horn antennas ranging from 170 MHz to 50 GHz with typical gain values from 10 to 20 dBi. Available in pyramidal, rectangular, conical, corrugated, multi-mode, sectoral, and ridged configurations for radar systems, EMC testing, and point-to-point communications.
• Omnidirectional Antennas Vertical and slant polarised omnidirectional antennas for EW, SIGINT, direction finding, and spectrum management applications from 0.01 GHz up to 40 GHz with 360 degree azimuth coverage.
• Reflector Antennas High gain parabolic reflector antennas with low sidelobes and low VSWR levels for receive and transmit applications including ELINT, EW, direction finding, and communication systems. Available in prime focus, offset, solid, and segmented configurations.
• Spiral Antennas Frequency-independent wideband spiral antennas with broad beamwidths and circular polarisation purity for direction finding, SIGINT, RWR, ESM, and spectrum management applications. Available in 2-arm and 4-arm configurations from 0.5 to 42 GHz.
• Sinuous Antennas Dual linear and dual circular polarised sinuous antennas for direction finding, ELINT, RWR and ESM airborne, sea, and ground-based applications. Provide wide bandwidth with dual polarisation and wide beamwidths.
• ELINT Spinning DF Antennas High-speed rotating direction finding and omni-directional spinning antenna subsystems covering 0.5 to 40 GHz. Feature cylindrical paraboloid reflectors with narrow azimuth beamwidth and broad elevation coverage.
• Positioner Antennas 2 to 3 metre class antenna systems designed to operate from L band up to Ka band with accurate reflector surfaces, precision pointing, and rigid pedestals suitable for high wind conditions.
• Waveguide Adapters High-power transitions and adapters for interfacing coaxial cable with waveguide, including double ridged waveguide to coaxial transitions and high-power dividers.
• Custom & Bespoke Antenna Design In-house antenna design, engineering, and testing for land, naval, or airborne applications. Includes custom horn antennas, dual linearly polarised antennas, monopulse antennas, slotted array antennas, and ultra wideband antennas. Custom radome design using Ray Optics and CST electromagnetic solvers is part of this offering.
• Test & Measurement Services Spherical near-field RF test chamber (7m x 5m x 6m) accommodating antennas from hand-held horns up to 3m diameter dishes across 500 MHz to 40 GHz frequency range. Provides full far-field measurements and antenna characterisation including VSWR, gain, and radiation patterns.
• Repair & Refurbishment Services Full system overhaul, repair and refurbishment including antenna and reflector manufacture and repair, corrosion repair, performance tuning, waveguide overhaul, re-coating including Mil spec painting, and system re-installation.
• QMS-00950 0.6m Transportable Aluminium Reflector with Dual Linear Wideband Feed 0.6 m transportable aluminium reflector antenna with dual linearly polarised wideband feed operating 6.5–18 GHz, intended for mobile/field applications requiring high gain performance.
• QMS-01160 0.5–22 GHz LHCP Spiral Antenna 0.5–22 GHz left hand circularly polarised spiral antenna designed for direction finding, SIGINT, and spectrum management applications.
• QMS-01159 0.8–50 GHz Omnidirectional Antenna 0.8–50 GHz vertically polarised omnidirectional antenna for EW, SIGINT, direction finding, and spectrum management applications requiring 360 degree azimuth coverage at millimetre-wave frequencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• HiRF antennas produce field strengths of 3000 V/m with near-field gains of >20dBi for high-intensity radiated field testing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QPAR Antennas USAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based distribution partner located in San Diego, California. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in the United States market. Contact: [email protected], Phone: 702-208-9973.
• Test & MeasurementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distribution partner located in Blaxland, NSW. Provides local sales and support for Steatite antenna products in Australia.
• Boreal CommunicationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrazilian distribution partner located in Campinas, SP. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in Brazil.
• MATECH ELECTRONIQUE SAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distribution partner located in Orsay, France. Provides sales and support for Steatite antenna products in the French market.
• Meffert Microwave Technology (mmt gmbh)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman distribution partner located in Steinefrenz, Germany. Provides local sales and support for Steatite antenna products in the German market.
• SyratronminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndian distribution partner located in Ahmedabad. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in India.
• TelpromcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian distribution partner located in Monza, Italy. Provides sales and support for Steatite antenna products in the Italian market.
• TakitekminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese distribution partner located in Tokyo. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in Japan.
• AWT (Ace Wave Tech)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorean distribution partner located in Incheon. Provides local sales and support for Steatite antenna products in Korea.
• ODD TVEDTminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorwegian distribution partner located in Bergen. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in Norway.
• RFLINEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPolish distribution partner located in Sopot. Provides sales and support for Steatite antenna products in Poland.
• RFMW S.L.UcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish distribution partner located in Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga. Provides local sales and support for Steatite antenna products in Spain.
• MEDs TechnologiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingapore distribution partner located in Techplace II, Ang Mo Kio. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in Singapore.
• AMSKA (American Teleproducts AB)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish distribution partner located in Nykvarn. Provides sales and support for Steatite antenna products in Sweden.
• TMS ElektronikminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurkish distribution partner located in Ankara. Handles sales and distribution of Steatite antenna products in Turkey.
• Steatite Group / Solid State GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company relationship. Steatite Antennas is part of Steatite Ltd which is part of Solid State Group. Enables leveraging group capabilities for rugged engineering solutions and combined expertise across multiple business units including computing, batteries, and communications.
• ADS GroupminorOthersIndustry membership organization for the aerospace, defense and security sector in the UK. Steatite maintains membership as part of its defense industry participation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cobham Aerospace Communications: Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions manufactures antennas, radomes and RF subsystems for defense, EW and aerospace platforms - the closest functional peer to Steatite's wideband antenna and radome offering. Now operating under a Lockheed Martin carve-out but historically a direct specialist competitor in EW/ELINT antennas.
• Smiths Interconnect: Smiths Interconnect designs and manufactures RF/microwave interconnect, antennas and waveguide components for aerospace, defense and industrial customers, directly comparable to Steatite's waveguide adapters and custom antenna work.
• ETS-Lindgren: ETS-Lindgren is a leading supplier of EMC/EMI test antennas, chambers and measurement services - directly comparable to Steatite's EMC & HiRF antenna product line and spherical near-field RF test chamber services.
• AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation: AR (Amplifier Research) manufactures EMC test antennas, RF amplifiers and HiRF field-generation equipment used in immunity and emissions testing, closely overlapping with Steatite's EMC/HiRF and high-power EMC capabilities.
• Antenna Research Associates (ARA): ARA designs and manufactures broadband, ultra-wideband and dual-polarized antennas for EW, SIGINT, RWR and DF applications - a direct specialist peer to Steatite's spiral, sinuous and omnidirectional antenna products.
• MiTek / Holland Antenna Systems (in MTI Holland): MTI Holland manufactures broadband, horn and EMC antennas and offers spherical near-field antenna measurement services, directly mirroring Steatite's horn antenna catalog and 7m spherical near-field test chamber capability.
• MVG (Microwave Vision Group): MVG supplies antenna measurement systems, probes and EMC/EO test chambers and related antennas - a direct peer in advanced antenna test infrastructure, closely aligned with Steatite's test & measurement services.

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a major US defense prime with broad EW, SIGINT and antenna subsystems portfolios. Overlaps Steatite at the antenna and RF subsystem level but as part of a much wider integrated platform business.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Rohde & Schwarz supplies EMC test antennas, spectrum analyzers and test & measurement systems for EW and EMC labs - a broader incumbent but a primary buyer/adjacent ecosystem player in the same RF test market where Steatite operates.
• Keysight Technologies: Keysight supplies RF/microwave test and measurement instrumentation and antenna measurement software used in EMC and antenna characterization labs - relevant comparable for Steatite's test and measurement services and ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/steatite
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SteatiteLTD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/q-par-angus-ltd
• TikToktiktok.com/@steatite1

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steatite Antennas