Aerial Threat Interceptor for Lightweight Helicopter Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current active protection systems for aerial platforms against rocket-propelled grenades and other aerial threats are heavy, bulky, and not portable enough for installation on lighter or mobile platforms, and lack the capability to coordinate with multiple engagements and nearby systems.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight active kinetic countermeasure system comprising an eject vehicle with an ejection mechanism, radar modules for detection and guidance, and thruster modules for precise interception, which can be integrated into existing dispensers on aerial platforms to intercept and destroy aerial threats with high accuracy and speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional active protection systems are installed on aerial platforms, then protection capability against RPG attacks is improved, but weight and bulk increase significantly making the system non-portable for lighter platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the protection function into separate modular components: radar modules for detection, ejection mechanism for deployment, and interceptors for engagement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables integration on platforms with weight and space constraints that could not accommodate traditional monolithic APS systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a lightweight ejection mechanism as an intermediary between the platform and the interceptors. This intermediary system enables rapid deployment of protection elements without requiring heavy integration structures, bridging the gap between the platform's limited capacity and the protection system's requirements.
2Reliability
If traditional active protection systems are designed for heavy armored vehicles, then interception effectiveness is improved, but the system cannot be installed on unarmored or mobile aerial platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed with universal interfaces and standardized mounting configurations that can be adapted to various aerial platforms including helicopters, drones, and other mobile platforms. The modular architecture allows the same protection system to be configured for different platform types without requiring complete redesign, enabling deployment on both armored and unarmored vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic ejection mechanisms that can rapidly deploy interceptors in response to detected threats, and the overall configuration can be dynamically adjusted based on the specific platform's capabilities and operational requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain effectiveness across diverse platform types.
3Volume of moving object
If radar modules and ejection mechanisms are integrated into existing dispensers, then system compactness is improved, but installation space and coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the radar modules, ejection mechanism, and interceptor payloads into a single integrated dispenser unit. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate mounting structures and reduces overall system volume. The integrated design also simplifies coordination between detection and engagement functions, as they share common control and power systems within the unified dispenser architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides enhanced survivability against RPG attacks with a success rate greater than 90% for threats as close as 100 meters, while being compact enough to fit on unarmored helicopters, and can engage multiple threats simultaneously with minimal collateral damage.
Implementation Method 1
a radar module configured to cover a 90-degree sector and detect and track an incoming aerial threat
Implementation Method 2
An impulse cartridge may be disposed near the base of the eject vehicle and configured to propel the eject vehicle away from the aerial platform
Implementation Method 3
A rocket motor may be attached to the eject vehicle and configured to propel the eject vehicle toward the aerial threat
Implementation Method 4
A warhead may be contained within the airframe shell and configured to destroy the aerial threat
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include active protection systems and methods for an aerial platform. An onboard system includes radar modules, detects aerial vehicles within a threat range of the aerial platform, and determines if any of the aerial vehicles are an aerial threat. The onboard system also determines an intercept vector to the aerial threat, communicates the intercept vector to an eject vehicle, and causes the eject vehicle to be ejected from the aerial platform to intercept the aerial threat. The eject vehicle includes alignment thrusters to rotate a longitudinal axis of the eject vehicle to substantially align with the intercept vector, a rocket motor to accelerate the eject vehicle along an intercept vector, divert thrusters to divert the eject vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intercept vector, and attitude control thrusters to make adjustments to the attitude of the eject vehicle.