Dear AMTA Members, We are sad to share the news of the passing of Paul Swetnam on June 12, 2025. The world lost not only a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, but also a brilliant engineer, pioneering entrepreneur, and a cornerstone of the Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurement community. Paul’s journey began in Columbus, Ohio, and flourished across decades of service, innovation, and vision. After serving proudly in the U.S. Air Force and living abroad with his wife Lynne, he pursued his deepening passion for radar systems and engineering. In the late 1980s, from the basement of his home in Powell, OH, Paul founded Lintek, Inc.—laying the groundwork for what would become STAR Dynamics Corporation. His technical genius and dogged entrepreneurial spirit helped shape an entire industry, launching technologies that are still at the heart of modern RCS radar systems. From the earliest Lintek RCS radar builds through the Lintek 4000, 5000, élan 95 and 98, to the élan 2000 series, Paul remained intimately involved in every facet of development. These systems—and the engineering philosophies he embedded into them—continue to influence radar architecture today. Many of the professionals working in the field owe their careers in part to Paul’s mentorship, advocacy, and fearless innovation. Paul’s legacy isn’t only written in code or patents, but in the community he helped build. As one of the early participants in the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association (AMTA), Paul wasn't just an exhibitor—he was a trailblazer who set the gold standard at trade shows, famously serving jumbo shrimp at luncheons, a tradition that continues to this day.
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