Unmanned range-programmable airburst weapon system for automated tracking and prosecution of close-in targets

Abstract

An unmanned range-programmable airburst weapon system provides automated tracking and prosecution of soft targets such as UAVs at close ranges. A range-programmable gun that fires airburst rounds and a seeker that images the target within a FOV are mounted on a gimbaled turret. A tracking controller is responsive to a target cue to point the seeker to acquire the target and to subsequent tracking commands from the seeker to maintain the target in the seeker's FOV. A fire controller is responsive to tracking commands and range-to-target measurements to compute a ballistic firing solution to range program an airburst round and to point and fire the gun so that the round explodes in mid-air at a predicted target position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to weapon systems for prosecuting “soft” targets at close range, and more particularly to an unmanned range-programmable airburst weapon system for automated tracking and prosecution of soft targets at close ranges.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or “drones” have become important assets for the U.S. military, Homeland Security and law enforcement. UAVs are stealthy, inexpensive and do not expose a pilot to enemy fire. UAVs can be used to provide reconnaissance or to provide first-strike capability on a target.[0005]However, these same UAVs constitute a new and developing threat to U.S. military, law enforcement and civilian targets. An enemy could use a UAV to perform reconnaissance on a target or could load the UAV with explosives for a direct attack.[0006]Existing unmanned air defense systems are configured to detect, track and defeat “hard” targets s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The following is a summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description and the defining claims that are presented later.

Problems solved by technology

However, these same UAVs constitute a new and developing threat to U.S. military, law enforcement and civilian targets.

These hard targets are fast moving, fly at traditionally high altitudes and require considerable fire power to defeat.

These unmanned air defense systems would not be effective against the threat from a “soft” target such as the UAV, nor would they be affordable.

The existing Ku / Ka band radar systems would not be effective to detect and track small (e.g. <5 meters), low flying (e.g. <10 meters), relatively slow moving (e.g. <40 mph), close range (e.g. <1,000 meters) targets such as UAVs.

Furthermore, the existing radar and weapon systems are far too expensive to completely deploy against a UAV threat or other “soft” targets such as manned ultralight aircraft, light boats or human targets in defilade (e.g. moving within cover).

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