The results of experimental research and development of the diffraction radiation oscillator with a periodic structure in form of a reflective double comb and with frequency tuning on mutual coupled modes in its open resonant system were presented. As an operating mode we chose the mutual coupled modes T EM 002 ↔ T EM 101 , which arise in the open resonant system with the shift between mirrors symmetry planes. To analyse its features, a rigorous electrodynamical 2-D model of the open resonant system was used, and the optimal shift width was established. As a result, the operation on the mutual coupled modes allowed to extend the frequency tuning range without failures in output power and to exclude the influence of higher-order modes (T EM 20q , T EM 30q etc.) on the output characteristics of the oscillator. The research has been carried out in K a band.