This research proposes the various versions of modified cuckoo search (MCS) metaheuristic algorithm deploying the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA) multiobjective (MO) optimization technique in rectangular array geometry synthesis. Precisely, the MCS algorithm is proposed by incorporating the Roulette wheel selection operator to choose the initial host nests (individuals) that give better results, adaptive inertia weight to control the positions exploration of the potential best host nests (solutions), and dynamic discovery rate to manage the fraction probability of finding the best host nests in 3-dimensional search space. In addition, the MCS algorithm is hybridized with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and hill climbing (HC) stochastic techniques along with the standard strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA) forming the MCSPSOSPEA and MCSHCSPEA, respectively. All the proposed MCS-based algorithms are examined to perform MO optimization on Zitzler–Deb–Thiele’s (ZDT’s) test functions. Pareto optimum trade-offs are done to generate a set of three non-dominated solutions, which are locations, excitation amplitudes, and excitation phases of array elements, respectively. Overall, simulations demonstrates that the proposed MCSPSOSPEA outperforms other compatible competitors, in gaining a high antenna directivity, small half-power beamwidth (HPBW), low average side lobe level (SLL) suppression, and/or significant predefined nulls mitigation, simultaneously.
