Airborne laser weapon system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an airborne laser weapon system (20) comprising at least one laser generation unit housed in a casing (21) and a first beam direction system (23) arranged at a first end of the casing (21) with a beam direction unit (26a, b) designed to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation (L2) and alignable in an elevation axis (L4) for detecting and engaging a target, wherein a second beam direction system (25) with a second beam direction unit (26a, b) designed to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of rotation (L2) is arranged at a second end (24) of the casing (21) opposite the first end (22), and wherein, when the first beam direction unit (26a, b) rotates in a first direction of rotation (R1), the second beam direction unit (26a, b) rotates simultaneously in a second direction of rotation (R2) opposite to the first direction of rotation to compensate for the changes caused by the rotation the beam direction units (26a,b) occurring torques is feasible and an aircraft equipped with such an airborne laser weapon system (20).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an airborne laser weapon system and an aircraft equipped with a laser weapon system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Laser weapon systems are known to include laser sources and associated optics, enabling their use against various classes of targets. Possible applications include the self-protection of platforms or offensive operations. Both applications share the common feature of using high-energy lasers.

[0003] Such laser weapon systems can be used in the air or on the ground against static targets such as radar installations or vehicles on the ground, but also against dynamic targets, especially in the context of defending against threats from flying objects such as guided missiles with and without seeker heads or against drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

[0004] Airborne laser weapon systems can be mounted on an aircraft and enable the engagement of targets located in front of the aircraft in the direction of flight or approaching it in the opposite direction. The laser weapon system incorporates a guidance system that directs the laser beam by aligning the emitted laser radiation approximately within a hemisphere around the laser weapon system. Crucially, the alignment and any subsequent tracking and engagement of a target require high spatial dynamics as well as precision.

[0005] To achieve the operationally necessary ranges of the laser beam, aiming systems are used that incorporate correspondingly large transmitting optics. The size of the transmitting optics, and thus the design of the aiming systems that incorporate them, results in a large inertial mass for the aiming systems. Therefore, when the aiming systems rotate, a considerable torque is transferred to the mounting points of the laser weapon system on the aircraft, and thus to the aircraft itself.

[0006] US 2008 / 0018520 A1 discloses an anti-missile protection system for aircraft, comprising at least one optoelectronic module with a missile detection and tracking device and a jamming laser.

[0007] EP 3 769 511 B1) describes a system and method for flexible transfer between several energy-directing elements, such as laser beam straighteners in a DIRCM system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to further develop an airborne laser weapon system in such a way that torques occurring during rotation of the aiming system are compensated.

[0009] The present problem is solved by an airborne laser weapon system having the features of claim 1, and by an aircraft having the features of claim 8.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an airborne laser weapon system is provided. The laser weapon system according to the invention comprises at least one laser generation unit housed in a casing, a first beam direction system arranged at a first end of the casing with a beam direction unit rotatable about a longitudinal axis and alignable in an elevation axis, and a second beam direction system arranged at a second end of the casing opposite the first end, the second beam direction system comprising a second beam direction unit rotatable about the longitudinal axis and alignable in the elevation axis. It is provided that when the first beam direction unit rotates in a first direction of rotation, for example to detect and engage a target, the second beam direction unit rotates simultaneously in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first.The torques occurring during the rotation of the first beam guidance system are, in this case, completely or at least largely compensated within the laser weapon system by the counter-rotating second beam guidance system and are not transmitted to the aircraft or its mounting for the airborne laser weapon system. This results in a significantly more stable mounting of the laser weapon system and reduces wear on the aircraft and its mounting. Simultaneously, the precision of target acquisition and tracking can be significantly improved during operation of the laser weapon system, even with high dynamic movement. In this context, it is also advantageous that a laser weapon system with two beam guidance systems combined in one system has a significantly larger engagement range, up to almost complete area coverage, since the appropriate beam guidance system is always available during operation.A correctly positioned beam guidance system can be selected for target acquisition and engagement. Furthermore, the proposed laser weapon system can be designed to be significantly lighter and more compact, as two beam guidance systems with associated rotary drives are combined in a single housing, yet it achieves a larger engagement area, up to full coverage, than systems with only one beam guidance system (e.g., one pointing in the direction of flight) providing half coverage. However, the laser weapon system according to the invention occupies only one weapon station on the aircraft when full coverage is achieved.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the present invention, when the first beam direction unit is aligned in a first direction along the elevation axis, a simultaneous alignment of the second beam direction unit in a second direction opposite to the first is possible, wherein the alignment in the elevation axis is preferably carried out simultaneously with the rotation about the longitudinal axis. The torques occurring during alignment of the beam direction unit, although smaller than those occurring during rotation of the beam direction unit about the longitudinal axis, are completely or at least largely compensated within the laser weapon system by this opposing alignment of the beam direction units and are not transmitted to the aircraft or a mounting provided thereon for the airborne laser weapon system.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the counter-rotating first and second beam-directing units each have the same rotational speed and angular acceleration. The acceleration forces and resulting torques occurring at the longitudinal axis of rotation of the first beam-directing system are compensated by the opposite compensating force resulting from the counter-rotating second beam-directing system and are not transmitted to the aircraft.

[0013] According to the invention, the first and second beam direction units each have a separate rotary drive, and the drives are coupled via a control system. This ensures coordinated counter-rotation, but each beam direction unit can also be moved independently and exhibits high spatial dynamics to ensure optimal target field coverage as well as precise target acquisition and tracking.

[0014] It is an idea of ​​the present invention to design the laser generation unit in such a way that it generates a high-energy laser beam in order to be used efficiently against static targets such as radar systems or vehicles on the ground, but also against dynamic targets, especially in the context of defense against threats from flying objects such as guided missiles with and without seeker heads, drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or manned aircraft.

[0015] According to a further aspect of the present invention, each beam direction unit is provided with a fully movable beam direction optic, which is configured to align the laser beam essentially within a hemisphere. This has the advantage that, with the airborne laser weapon system, the arrangement of two beam direction units with fully movable beam direction optics achieves almost complete area coverage. Thus, targets approaching the aircraft both in and against its direction of flight, i.e., from a space in front of and behind the aircraft, can be detected, tracked, and engaged. Furthermore, moving and stationary targets overflown can also be detected, tracked, and engaged.The airborne laser weapon system of the invention thus has a configuration that enables the engagement of targets, and therefore the alignment of a laser beam and thus the laser radiation emitted by the system, within a complete space (two hemispheres) around the laser weapon system. Furthermore, the configuration according to the invention allows the alignment and subsequent tracking of a target with both high spatial dynamics and precision.

[0016] According to a further aspect of the present invention, an airborne laser weapon system is provided which has a gimbal suspension of the beam direction optics in the beam direction unit. This achieves high precision in the alignment and subsequent tracking and engagement of the target.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention, an airborne laser weapon system is provided, the housing of which is designed to be mounted at an attachment or suspension point of the aircraft. Due to the inventive design of the laser weapon system, even with high dynamic motion of the aiming systems, no or only minimal torque is transmitted to the suspension or attachment points of the laser weapon system on the aircraft, and thus to the aircraft itself, by compensating for the occurring moments. This prevents mechanical stress and destabilization of the aircraft by the occurring torques.

[0018] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a coupling between the housing of the airborne laser weapon system and a weapon station, in particular a bomb bay, provided on at least one wing and / or fuselage of the aircraft, which provides the mounting or suspension point. This enables a particularly simple and quick installation of the laser weapon system onto the aircraft.

[0019] A further aspect of the invention lies in the provision of an aircraft equipped with an airborne laser weapon system according to the invention, wherein the airborne laser weapon system is arranged on the underside of the aircraft. This achieves essentially complete coverage, excluding only those areas above the laser weapon system where the aircraft would be endangered by the use of the laser weapon system. For the purposes of the invention, "aircraft" is understood to mean all aircraft capable of offensive or defensive use, both manned and unmanned.

[0020] According to a further development, the aircraft has the laser weapon system according to the invention arranged on at least one wing and / or fuselage of the aircraft. The invention reduces or prevents the mechanical stress on the aircraft and the mounting points by compensating for the resulting torques. This also improves the flight stability of the aircraft as well as the precision in target acquisition, tracking, and engagement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will now be explained with reference to the figure in the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic side view of a laser weapon system of the present invention arranged on an aircraft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a laser weapon system 20 mounted on the wing 10 of an aircraft. The wing is located in a weapon station 30, which provides a mounting or suspension point for the laser weapon system 20 and is detachably secured there by a bomb lock 40. For mounting, the laser weapon system 20 has corresponding fastening means that can be engaged with a gripping device in the bomb lock 40 and can be closed or released mechanically or remotely. The laser weapon system 20 can thus be mounted on the aircraft alongside other weapon systems (not shown) and complement them in both offensive and defensive operations. The laser weapon system 20 has a housing 21 in which a laser generation unit is accommodated. The housing 21 has a longitudinal axis L1 that extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis L2 of the aircraft's wing.At the first end 22 of the housing 21, viewed along the longitudinal axis L1, a first beam direction system 23 of the laser weapon system 10 is arranged, while at the first second end 24 of the housing 21, opposite in the axial direction, a second beam direction system 25 is arranged. The two beam direction systems 23, 25 each have independent, but identically designed beam direction units 26a, b with beam direction optics 27a, b, which direct high-energy laser beams generated in the laser generation unit onto the targets described above. The beam direction units 26a, b are each rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation L2 aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis L1 of the housing and are alignable about an elevation axis L4, and each has independent rotation drives located in the beam direction systems 23, 25 and in the housing 21, respectively.The rotary drives are controlled such that when one of the beam aiming units 26a rotates about the longitudinal axis L2 in a first rotation direction R1, the beam aiming unit 26b, arranged opposite to it, simultaneously rotates in a second rotation direction R2 opposite to the first rotation direction R1 and also aligns itself in the opposite direction along the elevation axis L4. When one beam aiming unit 26a is accelerated in a rotation direction R1, for example to acquire a target, the opposite beam aiming unit 26b is accelerated at the same speed in the opposite rotation direction R2, and vice versa.Simultaneously, when one of the beam direction units 26a is aligned in the elevation axis L4 in a first alignment direction R3, the beam direction unit 26b, located opposite it, is aligned in a second alignment direction R4, which runs in the opposite direction to the first alignment direction R3. The torques occurring during the rotation and alignment of the beam direction units 26a, b are compensated due to the opposing rotation and alignment movements and are not transmitted to the wing 10 of the aircraft via the bomb bay 40. Therefore, no twisting or other mechanical stresses occur in the wing 10. The rotational speed and the alignment speed of the first and second beam direction units 26a, b are the same, with opposing rotation directions R1, R2 and alignment directions R3, R4, respectively.By arranging two beam direction systems 23, 25 oriented in opposite directions, almost complete area coverage is achieved. This is shown in . Fig. 1The depicted laser weapon system 20, with two beam guidance systems 23, 25 combined in one system, has a significantly larger engagement range, up to full area coverage, than laser weapon systems 20 with only one beam guidance system 23, 25, since the appropriate, i.e., correctly positioned, beam guidance system 23, 25 can be selected in each operation. Furthermore, the proposed laser weapon system 20 can be designed to be considerably more compact, since two beam guidance systems 23, 25 with associated rotation and alignment drives are combined in a single housing 21, yet a larger engagement range, up to full area coverage, is achieved compared to systems with only one beam guidance system 23, 25, for example, one pointing in the direction of flight, which provides half-area coverage.This makes it possible for the laser weapon system 20 according to the invention, which has two counter-rotating beam direction systems 23, 25, to occupy only one weapon station 30 on the wing 10, which provides an arrangement or suspension point for the laser weapon system 20. In addition to the embodiment shown here, it is also conceivable that a beam direction system 23, 25 is provided only on one side of the housing, for example, pointing in the direction of flight, with a unit (not shown) on the opposite side of the housing having a configuration corresponding to the beam direction system 23, 25 and a corresponding rotation or alignment drive in order to achieve the compensation effect described above by means of drive coupling. This laser weapon system 10 would then have half-space coverage.

[0023] It should be further noted that "comprising" or "encompassing" does not exclude other elements or steps, and that "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. It should also be noted that features described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features of other embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be considered as a limitation. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0024] 10 Wing 20 Laser weapon system 21 Housing 22 First end 23 First beam aiming system 24 Second end 25 Second beam aiming system 26a,b Beam aiming unit 27a,b Beam aiming optics 30 Weapon station 40 Bomb lock L1 Housing longitudinal axis L2 Wing longitudinal axis L3 Longitudinal rotation axis L4 Elevation axis R1 First direction of rotation R2 Second direction of rotation R3 First alignment direction R4 Second alignment direction

Claims

1. Airborne laser weapon system (20) comprising at least a laser generation unit, accommodated in a housing (21), and a first beam direction system (23), arranged at a first end of the housing (21) and having a beam direction unit (26a, b) configured to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation (L2) and alignable in an elevation axis (L4) so as to detect and engage a target, wherein a second beam direction system (25), having a second beam direction unit (26a, b) configured to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of rotation (L2), is arranged at a second end (24) of the housing (21) opposite the first end (22), and, when the first beam direction unit (26a, b) rotates in an associated first direction of rotation (R1), the second beam direction unit (26a, b) simultaneously rotates in an second direction of rotation (R2) counter to the relevant first direction of rotation so as to compensate for the torques due to the rotation of the beam direction units (26a, b), the first and the second beam direction unit (26a, b) each having separate rotational and alignment drives, and the rotational and alignment drives being coupled in terms of control.

2. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to claim 1, characterised in that, when the first beam direction unit (26a, b) is aligned in the elevation axis (L4) in an associated first alignment direction (R3), a simultaneous alignment of the second beam direction unit (26a, b) in a second alignment direction (R4) counter to the relevant first alignment direction is possible so as to compensate for the torques due an associated alignment of the beam direction units (26a, b), the alignment in the elevation axis (L4) preferably being possible simultaneously with the rotation about the longitudinal rotation axis (L2).

3. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the counter-rotation of the first beam direction unit (26a, b) and of the second beam direction unit (26a, b) has the same rotational speed and angular acceleration in each case.

4. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the laser generation unit is configured to generate a high-energy effective laser beam.

5. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to claim 4, characterised in that each beam direction unit (26a, b) has a fully movable beam direction optic (27a, b), set up to align the effective laser beam substantially in a half-space in each case.

6. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to claim 5, characterised in that a gimbal suspension of the beam direction optic (27a, b) is provided in the beam direction unit (26a, b).

7. Airborne laser weapon system (20) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing (21) is configured to be mountable at an arrangement point or suspension point of the aircraft, in particular a coupling being provided between the housing (21) and a weapon station (30), in particular a bomb lock (40), which is provided on at least a wing (10) and / or a fuselage of the aircraft and provides the arrangement point or suspension point.

8. Aircraft comprising an airborne laser weapon system (20) according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the airborne laser weapon system (20) is arranged on a lower face of the aircraft.

9. Aircraft according to claim 8, characterised in that the airborne laser weapon system (20) is arranged on at least a wing (10) and / or a fuselage of the aircraft.

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