Airbag projectile for impeding surface vessel

Abstract

A projectile can be fired at a surface vessel and, upon impact, an air bag may be deployed almost instantaneously from underneath the vessel. Through the rapid inflation of the air bag, the stability and orientation of the target surface vessel may be disturbed. Disturbance, at a minimum, may reduce and change the trajectory of the surface vessel, but, in some circumstances, the surface vessel may be overturned. The air bag may be designed with an anti-slip coating to directly couple to the wet hull of the surface vessel. In some embodiments, the projectile may include a delay to enable the air bag to be positioned under the vessel before inflation thereof.

Description

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST[0001]The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002](1) Field of the Invention[0003]The invention relates to apparatus and methods for impeding motion of a water surface vessel and, more particularly, apparatus and methods for impeding the motion of a water surface vessel by inflating an air bag under the surface vessel.[0004](2) Description of the Prior Art[0005]Conventional methods and devices for arresting small surface vessels include deployable nets designed to foul the propeller mechanism of a vessel, fences, inflatable bladders and fixed barriers. While generally effective at stopping small surface craft, all are limited in terms of flexibility due to their small area of effect. Stationary barriers take time to set up, restrict both desirable and undesirable ma...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular assembly embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

Problems solved by technology

While generally effective at stopping small surface craft, all are limited in terms of flexibility due to their small area of effect.

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