EP3120105B1 - Method for defence against and/or disturbance of objects - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the range-increased defense of objects such as missiles, e.g. surface-to-surface missiles, MANPADs (Man Portable Air Defense System), or the like, e.g. IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device), each with at least one electronics with at least one Contain semiconductor component with a non-linear boundary layer transition, wherein the missile or the like. Is irradiated with at least one high-frequency interference signal. The defense serves to influence the electronics to such an extent that a malfunction at least leads to the missile's mission being aborted or the missile to become inoperable, or even to the destruction of an IED, for example. According to the invention, the method is applied to objects which have an outer shell made of metal.

The method is used for range-increased electromagnetic interference and defense against the aforementioned missiles, etc.

From the DE 10 2006 041 225 B4 Different methods for defense against missiles (for example from surface-to-air missiles) that attack military or civil aircraft by irradiating them with interference signals are known. The frequencies of the interfering signals can be in the GHz or MHz range. The interfering signals can be both continuous and pulsed signals. Signal forms such as 1-tone CW (frequency in continuous mode), 1-tone PPM (frequency with pulse-pause modulation), N-tone PPM (frequency sequence with pulse-pause modulation) are considered.

The above-mentioned document also discloses the combat against two different missiles with the aid of interference signals in which the signal form consists of an additive superposition of two frequencies, each frequency being assigned to a missile.

A disadvantage of these known methods is that the optimal frequency of the interfering signals, which leads to impairment of the electronics (for example due to resonance phenomena within the shell of the missile), is often in the MHz range (decimeter wave range). But in order to couple radiation energy into the missile at such frequencies, Considerable energy outputs are required because the metal outer shell of the missile largely shields the interior from electromagnetic radiation. In addition, the antennas for irradiating the missile must be selected to be relatively large in this frequency range. Another disadvantage arises from the fact that the maximum range is limited by the signal shapes.

From the U.S. 6,163,259 A it is known that electronic semiconductor components such as diodes and transistors with non-linear transitions of boundary layers (pn junctions) induce secondary high-frequency signals when irradiated with a primary high-frequency signal, the frequencies of which correspond to the second and third harmonics of the primary high-frequency signal. From the US2004 / 0120093A1 it is known to make use of this effect with the simultaneous use of several different frequencies.

A method for permanent disruption / destruction of electronics, in particular a booby trap (IED), describes the DE 10 2006 038 626 A1 . The detection of such booby traps is based on the NLJD method, which has the ability to detect circuits constructed with semiconductor components. A front door coupling and a back door coupling are proposed for permanent interference. In the case of backdoor coupling, the power is coupled into the transmission or reception structure via slots, openings and / or lines.

For example, missiles that are often 1 m and longer have areas (e.g. smaller openings or areas sealed with plastic) in the outer shell that are permeable to electromagnetic radiation of correspondingly high frequencies, i.e. that function as possible entry openings. Frequencies in the UHF range, which are based on half the wavelength of the missile, etc., are unfavorable.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a method in which, despite the irradiation of an object (missile or the like) with interference signals whose frequencies are in the GHz range, at least one mission termination of the irradiated object to be defended such as missile (missed target or premature triggering, etc. ) is also possible with greater distances between the missile to be irradiated and the object to be protected.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Further, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention is essentially based on the idea that the electronics (ignition electronics, control electronics, etc.) integrated in the objects (e.g. such as missiles, IEDs) contain electronic semiconductor components which have non-linear boundary layer transitions. If such a nonlinear boundary layer transition is irradiated with at least two high frequency signals of different frequencies simultaneously, the nonlinear boundary layer transition acts like a mixer, i.e. the induced high frequency signals contain signal components whose frequency corresponds to the difference (as well as the sum) of the frequencies of the two primary signals. If the frequency difference between the (two) primary signals is selected accordingly, secondary high-frequency signals with frequencies in the MHz range result, among other things. These secondary high-frequency signals then have a strong influence on the electronics of the object to be defended against.

A broadband tunable high-performance transmitter of the device of the object to be protected simultaneously emits the two different frequencies onto the object to be defended. These do not necessarily have to influence the object to be defended against, but should bring about a favorable penetration into the object to be defended, e.g. through slits, openings etc.

In contrast to interfering signals in the MHz range, interfering signals in the GHz range (i.e. in the centimeter or millimeter wave range) are coupled into the missile through openings etc. without the radiation energy having to be selected excessively large, knowing that interfering signals in the GHz range themselves often do not bring about any significant resonance effects within the object to be defended or the outer shell, but that does is eliminated by the secondary high frequency signals with frequencies in the MHz range. Coupling in at high frequencies of around 5 GHz is cheaper than, for example, at 100 MHz. Such transfer functions for coupling are known to the person skilled in the art. After coupling, housing resonances are primarily used.

The method makes use of the fact that the control components of the objects to be defended against are electronic, so that non-linear semiconductor transitions exist, whereby these semiconductor transitions generate harmonics according to the NJLD with a 1-tone excitation and the objects can be detected as such. Furthermore, with a simultaneous 2-tone excitation, sum and difference frequencies are generated and emitted within the object to be defended, which are comparable to the function of a mixer. This reaction in the object to be defended against is used to disturb, repel or destroy the object to be defended.

In order to ensure that when an object to be defended against is irradiated with interfering signals, the frequencies of which are in the GHz range, the irradiated object is aborted even if the distance between the object to be irradiated and the object to be protected is greater, the object is simultaneously with at least two interfering signals irradiated at different frequencies. The frequencies of the interfering signals are selected to be so high that the interfering signals (also through the outer shell) of the irradiated object or object to be defended against are favorably coupled. The frequency difference between the two interference signals, on the other hand, is selected in such a way that the semiconductor component with a non-linear boundary layer transition generates induced secondary high-frequency signals (MHz), which have such a strong influence on the electronics that the mission is aborted, disrupted or even destroyed.

Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the following exemplary embodiment explained with reference to a figure.

In the figure, 1 denotes a missile (= object) to be defended against by interfering radiation, which flies towards an object / target 20 to be destroyed, for example a civil aircraft. In the civil aircraft 20 to be protected, a broadband, tunable high-performance transmitter 2 is provided, which is able to simultaneously transmit two interference signals 3 and 4 at different frequencies f ₁ and f ₂ , for example at 5 GHz and 5.2 GHz, via two Antenna systems 5, 6 radiate. Both continuous and pulsed signals can be used as interference signals 3, 4.

The interfering signals 3, 4 penetrate into the interior of the missile 1 due to their high frequencies (small wavelengths) through slots or other areas (not shown) in the outer shell 7 that are permeable to the electromagnetic interfering signals 3, 4 the control electronics) of the missile 1 in terms of their mode of operation but not (backdoor coupling).

The non-linear boundary layer transitions 9 of the semiconductor components 10 of the electronics 8 now generate mixed signals with the frequencies mf ₁ ± nf ₂ with m, n ∈ {0, 1, 2, ...}. In the exemplary embodiment described here, secondary high-frequency signals are thus produced which, among other things, have a frequency of 0.2 GHz and which are resonant within the outer shell 7 (that is, they sound out / generate resonances) and have a strong influence on the electronics 8.

Since, in the exemplary embodiment described here, the interference signals 3, 4 generated by the high-power transmitter 2, in contrast to known methods, are not 200 MHz, but 5 and 5.2 GHz, the size of the antenna systems 5, 6 can be increased by a factor of (5 / 0.2) ^{2 be} smaller and more compact than with transmitter and antenna systems that use a frequency of 200 MHz, or the isotropic radiation power can be increased by the above-mentioned factor with the same dimensions as a group antenna. Thus, when using the method according to the invention, there is a significant increase in range compared to the use of conventional 200 MHz transmitters.

The method according to the invention is not limited to defense against missiles, but also includes defense against, for example, booby traps, mines, bombs or the like, which contain electronics with semiconductor components with non-linear boundary layer transitions and which are simultaneously irradiated with at least two interference signals of different frequencies, whereby the high-frequency signals with mixed frequencies induced by the non-linear boundary layer transitions then act on the electronics in such a way that the irradiated units terminate the mission. In this case, a device 20 ′ can be brought into the vicinity of the objects to be destroyed, but at least to be disruptive, which has the same structure as that in the aircraft 20.

List of reference symbols

1

Missile

2

High performance transmitter

3.4

Interfering signals

5.6

Antenna systems

7th

Outer shell

8th

electronics

9

non-linear boundary layer transition

10

Semiconductor component

Claims (5)

1. Method for defence against and/or disturbance of objects (1), such as missiles or IEDs, mines, and bombs which contain electronics (8) with at least one semiconductor element (10) with a nonlinear boundary layer transition (9), wherein the object (1) is irradiated with at least one high-frequency interference signal (3, 4), wherein the object (1) is irradiated simultaneously with at least two interference signals (3, 4) of different frequencies (f₁, f₂), wherein
   the frequency difference (f₂ - f₁) of the two interference signals (3, 4) is chosen in such a way that the semiconductor element (10) generates secondary high-frequency signals induced with nonlinear boundary layer transition (9), wherein the frequency difference (f₂ - f₁) of the two interference signals (3, 4) is chosen in such a way that as a result of the secondary high-frequency signals generated inside the outer shell (7), pronounced resonance effects occur which influence the electronics (8) of the objects (1) so strongly that the mission of the object (1) is aborted, characterized in that the coupling of the interference signals (3, 4) takes place as backdoor coupling through an outer shell (7) made of metal.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that interference signals (3, 4) are selected with frequencies (f₁, f₂) in the GHz range and with a frequency difference (f₂-f₁) which is selected in such a way that the secondary radio frequency signals induced by the semiconductor elements (10) with a nonlinear boundary layer transition (9) are in the MHz range.
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frequencies (f₁, f₂) of the interference signals (3, 4) are selected to be of such levels that favourable coupling of the interference signals (3, 4) into the object (1) takes place.
4. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the interference signals (3, 4) are at 5.0 and 5.2 GHz.
5. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that both continuous and pulsed signals are used as the interference signals (3, 4).

Images