This letter proposes the design of a slot‐loaded controlled reception pattern antenna) array with ground slot radiators to enhance the radiation gain at low‐elevation angles. The array consists of three microstrip patch antennas that are mounted on a circular ground platform, and rectangular slots are inserted at the outer perimeter of the platform. The effectiveness of the inserted slots is verified by comparing the impedance matching and radiating properties of the array with simulation results. The comparison demonstrates that the low‐elevation gain of the proposed design can be improved by the slots, which results in a broad beamwidth covering most of the upper hemisphere. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1991–1995, 2015