Smart Cable Drone Guidance for Jam-Resistant Precision Strikes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional non-guided munitions lack precision and are susceptible to electronic warfare, while guided munitions are expensive and vulnerable to jamming, creating a gap in military capabilities where cost-effective precision is necessary.

Innovation Solution

A dual-drone system comprising a master drone with advanced sensors and computing capabilities guiding one or more slave drones through a physical cable connection, enabling precise strikes without onboard navigation systems, thus reducing costs and electronic warfare vulnerabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If guided munitions with navigation systems are used, then target precision is improved, but cost and vulnerability to electronic warfare increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget precisionVSAvoidvulnerability to electronic warfare

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the guidance functionality into two separate components: a master drone containing all navigation systems (GPS, sensors, computing) and slave drones that are simple flight carriers. This segmentation allows the slave drones to be inexpensive and immune to electronic warfare while the master drone handles all precision navigation tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a cable connection as an intermediary physical link between the master and slave drones. This cable serves as a communication and control channel that is immune to electronic warfare jamming, allowing the master drone to guide the slave drone without relying on vulnerable wireless or GPS signals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If guided munitions with advanced navigation systems are used, then target precision is improved, but cost per unit increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget precisionVSAvoidcost per unit

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The slave drones are designed as inexpensive, disposable units without expensive navigation hardware. They serve as simple flight carriers that can be mass-produced at low cost and discarded after a single use, enabling economical precision strikes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Ease of manufacture

If non-guided munitions are used, then cost is reduced and electronic warfare vulnerability is minimized, but target precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecost effectivenessVSAvoidtarget precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces electronic guidance systems (prone to jamming) with a physical cable connection for control signaling. The cable provides a mechanical/physical communication channel that cannot be jammed, enabling reliable guidance of simple munitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If cable connection is used between master and slave drones, then communication reliability is improved, but cable tangling and connection damage risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidcable tangling and damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cable system is designed to be dynamic and adaptive, allowing the slave drone to move freely while the cable adjusts its length and configuration. The cable can extend and retract, and the system includes mechanisms to manage cable deployment and retrieval, preventing tangling and reducing mechanical stress.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250340314A1System and Method for Guiding Non-guided Ammunitions to Targets Using Drones with Smart Cable System

Publication Date: 2025.11.06 LUONG QUOC VIET

AI summary

The present invention provides a system and method including a master drone equipped with a target guidance system (TGM), and slave drones releasably attached to the master drone by a smart cable system. The slave drone carries and delivers non-guided ammunition directly to targets. The TGM identifies the enemy targets, their coordinates, and releases at least one slave drones to destroy the enemy targets.