This paper overviews the application of RF MEMS switches in tunable filters as well as circuit developments for bandpass filters covering 110 MHz to 2.8 GHz. RF MEMS have several desirable features, including small size, low power requirements, and low loss. The basic operation of Raytheon's RF MEMS capacitive membrane switch is described. An overview of the technique used to integrate the switch into a variable capacitor structure with sixteen capacitance states is provided. Variable capacitor structures are used to construct multipole lumped bandpass filter designs, each with sixteen states. Finally, measured data from two representative five- and six-pole bandpass filters are presented. Characterization data demonstrates that the insertion loss for the five-pole filter using on-chip inductors was between 6.6 and 7.3 dB, and between 3.7 and 4.2 dB for the six-pole filter using off-chip inductors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 11: 276–284, 2001