Assessing exposure from different vehicular antennas in military applications. a computational study

Introduction: Military personnel frequently operate in close proximity to electromagnetic (EM) sources such as vehicular communication antennas. Despite this occurrence, detailed evaluations of exposure scenarios remain limited. This study bridges this gap by examining EM exposure from military vehicular antennas, covering a broad spectrum of frequencies (high frequency—HF, very high frequency—VHF, ultrahigh frequency—UHF), power levels, and positions. Methods: The study used computational modeling to simulate realistic military scenarios, including personnel partially outside armored vehicles and equipped with personal protective equipment. Simulations accounted for a broad spectrum of frequencies (HF, VHF, and UHF) as well as different power levels, antenna types and locations. Results: The analysis revealed substantial variability in EM exposure levels depending on the configuration and conditions. While all simulated scenarios complied with the ICNIRP Basic Restrictions (BR), certain cases exceeded the Reference Levels (RL), particularly under specific positioning and frequency combinations. Conclusions: These findings, based on a detailed case-specific analysis, suggest that personnel safety in military contexts is generally maintained, even in the presence of variable exposure conditions and elevated levels of radiated E-field. Considering the basic structure of the radiating source (i.e., monopole) and the nature of near-field interactions, this paper suggests that safe exposure conditions could be expected to persist across a range of antenna-operator positioning configurations, and building on previous preliminary research on this topic, it provides relevant insights for operational instructions and improving safety regulations in the military field.