AU695538B2

AU695538B2 - Method for protecting objects, especially ships, that emit a radiation, particularly infrared radiation, against missiles

Info

Publication number: AU695538B2
Application number: AU34370/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Norbert Dr. Wardecki
Original assignee: Buck Chemisch Technische Werke GmbH and Co; Buck Werke GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Buck Werke GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1994-10-21
Filing date: 1995-10-20
Publication date: 1998-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 2015-10-20
Also published as: EP0708305A2; TW396133B; DE4437729C1; EP0708305B1; AU3437095A; JPH08226792A; DK0708305T3; EP0708305A3; CA2160831A1; ES2107276T3; DE59500641D1

Description

f 9, 45780 DL:KLC P/00/011I Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

0 00 0000 0 0 0* 9 0 S 09 59* S 9* 0 *S~o NR ame of Appl- C ic BUCK WERKE GmbH CO Actual Inventor: Dr. NORBERT WARDECKI Address for Service: COLLISON CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: METHOD FOR PROTECTING OBJECTS, ESPECIALLY SHIPS, THAT EMIT A RADIATION, PARTICULARLY INFRARED RADIATION, AGAINST MISSILES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 5005 0* 5,4 ti-h C 2 The invention is directed to a method for protecting objects, especially ships, that emit a radiation, particularly infrared radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads, particularly scanning, imaging, correlating and/or spectrally filtering homing heads, preferably infrared homing heads, whereby a decoy cloud, particularly an infrared decoy cloud, having a higher radiation capacity than the threatened object, particularly an infrared radiation capacity, is formed by firing a projectile body loaded with a combustible projectile means from a launcher tube installed on the threatened object or in the proximity thereof, by dispersal of the projectile body and simultaneous ignition and distribution of the projectile means next to the decoy location in the region of the homing optics of the homing head.

Such a method, with which objects, for example S-boats [sic], can be adequately protected under certain circumstances from missiles armed with infrared homing heads, forms the basis of the inventions disclosed in German Published Application 34 21 734 Al and European Letters Patent 0 240 819 BI. It exploits the functioning of the homing heads in the following way: the homing heads have optics that have a comparatively large aperture angle at the beginning of what is referred to as the seek phase, which usually begins at a range of about 10 to 15 km from the object, so that, for example, they can 20 cover a seek region of about 3000 through 5000 m in azimuth and about 300 t KC through 500 m in elevation. After recognition of the object, the homing head C locks onto the object during the course of the continued flight of the missile, this also being referred to as lock-on. With this event, the angle of view of the t optics of the homing head diminishes greatly both in azimuth as well as in elevation. At a range of about 5 to 8 km, at which the lock-on onto the object usually ensues, the area covered by the seek window of the homing head then only amounts to 100 m in azimuth and about 50 m in elevation. This area then becomes smaller and smaller during continued flight of the missile until impact. The infrared decoy cloud to be formed for the diversion of the missile dare therefore be only at a distance of about 40 to 50 m to the side of the radiation centre of the object and only about 25 to 30 m above the boat, so that it is still acquired by the already diminished angle of view of the optics of the infrared homing head. Further, it must comprise a significantly higher infrared radiation capacity compared to the actual object.

RA4, 3 5 The traditional method, however, comprises the disadvantage that a diverting L at 4 C).0

'A/T

3 effect or, respectively, protection does not yet exist in the time between firing and the output of the decoy. Over and above this, a spatial distance is established between the firing location and the effective location (dispersal point) that is accompanied by more stringent demands made of the positioning of the decoy in the field of view of the homing head particularly in the seduction case following lock-on otherwise, the desired diverting effect is not realized.

DE 33 26 884 02 discloses a method wherein a shielding effect acting in the infrared range is achieved by a projectile body that develops a hot aerosol a 1 0 short time after being fired. This is thereby a matter of a shielding or, respectively, smokescreen method that provides no possibility of leading the homing head that has already locked onto the object to be protected away from the object.

German AS 10 96 805, German Letters Patent 258 538 and DE 34 21 734 Al disclose shells that emit energy effective in the infrared range during flight; however, no teachings of the diverting of homing heads can be found therein.

The invention is based on the object of improving the decoy effectiveness of the method of the species such that a homing head locked onto the object to be protected can also be reliably diverted away from the object.

In an improvement on the method of the species, this object is inventively achieved in that a radiation means located in the projectile body is already activated upon launch of the projectile body, this radiation means radiating an energy form corresponding to the later decoy in an intensity relevant for the homing head beginning immediately after the launch until the decoy, particularly the infrared decoy, has been built up.

1 In a further form of the invention there is proposed a method for protecting threatened objects, that emit radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a 3 0 launcher tube installed on a said threatened object or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating an energy form, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, *9 S*

:I

111 4 immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mass next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; and forming the decoy cloud from the combustible mass at the decoy location that has a higher radiation level than, a radiation level of the threatened object.

In preference the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

In preference the method further comprises launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial offset, activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible masses respectively contained in the further projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, further, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respective preceding decoy cloud arises, said new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the respective radiation devices.

in preference the threatened object emits infrared radiation, and wherein the decoy and the decoy cloud each have a higher infrared radiation intensity than an intensity of the infrared radiation given off by the threatened object, and wherein the homing head of the missile is an infrared homing head.

In preference the homing head of the missile is one of a scanning, imaging, correlating and spectral filtering homing head.

In yet a further form of the invention there is proposed a method for protecting ships that emit infrared radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent infrared homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a launcher tube installed on a ship or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating infrared energy, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, i immediately After the launch and until a decoy cloud, has been formed at a RA decoy IoFation; *4 -oi i S 4 4* 4 :4 4: 4: 4 4.4.4 4 P V a.

-4 1- 9 1 dispersing and igniting the combustible mass and next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; and forming the decoy cloud from the projectile device at the decoy location, the decoy cloud having a h1igher infrared radiation level than an infrared radiation level of the ship.

In preference the radiation device radiates continuously.

In preference the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

In preference the method further comprises launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial offiset, activating respective radiation devices 1 0 thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible masses respectively contained in the further projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, furthor, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respectively preceding decoy cloud arises, said new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are 4 15 produred by the respective radiation devices.

In yet a further form of the invention there is proposed a method for protecting ships, that emit radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a launcher tube installed on a threatened object or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating an energy form, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mass and next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; forming a decoy cloud from the combustible mass at the decoy location that has a higher radiation level than a radiation level of the ship; and 30 launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial Soffset, and activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent j ignition and distribution of the combustibile mass respectively contained in the i further, projectio bodies such that a chain of-successive, further, new decoy clouds, ropagating from the respectively preceding decoy cloud arises, said US 555 4k- 6 new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the respective radiation devices.

In preference the radiation device radiates continuously.

In preference the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

In preference the threatened object emits infrared radiation, and wherein the decoy and the decoy cloud each have a higher infrared radiation intensity that an intensity of the infrared radiation given off by the ship, and wherein the homing head of the missile is an infrared homing head.

The radiation means in the invention can comprise a pyrotechnical assembly, for example a gas generator, a flare assembly or a rocket engine.

The invention is based on the surprising perception that one succeeds in decisively improving the defence efficiency of the known method in that a provisional decoy that irradiates the rest of the object to be protected and is identified by the homing head is generated in the silhouette of the object to be protected itself upon launch of the projectile body, being generated with the radiation means that is immediately activated. From this moment on, the homing head no longer "sees" the rest of the object to be protected by only sees the provisional decoy. As the projectile body moves away from the object to be protected, the homing head follows the provisional decoy formed like tracer ammunition by the radiation means that thereby moves out of the silhouette of the object to be protected and is thus reliably diverted into the later, ultimate decoy. A diversion of the homing head can thus also ensue when the decoy blooms outside of the field of view of the homing head, for example due to faulty positioning. A simplification of the self-defence system thereby derives, whereby the protective effect takes effect immediately after the launch.

The inventive method is set forth in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawing.

3 0 The drawing, which comprises a single FIG, thereby shows the sequence of Sthe inventive method with reference to a homing head approaching an object.

o o a 7 As the drawing shows, a guided missile FK armed with an infrared homing head, this missile having located a ship S, first approaches the ship S on a flight path Fl. At a time when the missile FK has already locked onto the ship S, a projectile bcdy is launched from a position WK1 in a direction toward the position of a decoy SZ, being launched along a launch path WB proceeding from the ship S to be protected. A rocket engine, which radiates continuous heat similar to tracer ammunition, is already fired in the position WK1 with the launch of the projectile body, as a result whereof the ship S is already irradiated for the infrared homing hG6-d of the missile FK upon launch of the projectile body in the position WK1. Consequently, the projectile body [sic] FK already draws a bead thereon in the projectile body position WK1 and then continues alters its flight path from F1 to F2, F3, F4 and F5 while the projectile body continuously moves through the positions WK2, WK3 ii;id WK4 along the flight path WB in the direction toward the decoy position SZ projectile body position WK5 and then forms the decoy SZ where the missile FK strikes the decoy.

Both individually as well as in arbitrary combination, the features of the invention disclosed in the above specification, in the drawing as well as in the claims can be critical for the realization of the various embodiments of the invention.

tt. 4: r .t S 0 so

Claims

1. A method for protecting threatened objects, that emit radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a launcher tube installed on a said threatened object or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating an energy form, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mtss next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; and forming the decoy cloud from the combustible mass at the decoy location that has a higher radiation level than, a radiation level of the threatened object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radiation device radiates continuously.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein r the method further comprises launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial offset, activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible masses respectively contained in the further projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, further, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respective preceding decoy cloud arises, said new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the respective radiation devices.

5. The method according to any one of the above claims, wherein the threatened object emits infrared radiation, and wherein the decoy and the 2 P decoy cloud each have a higher infrared radiation intensity than an intensity of o o Si 1 00 a 0 0n 0 d s 04Q Qs att* t I v i- I S9 the infrared radiation given oif by the threatened object, and wherein the homing head of the missile is an infrared homing head.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the homing head of the missile is one of a scanning, imaging, correlating and spectral filtering homing head.

7. A method for protecting ships that emit infrared radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent infrared homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a 1 0 launcher tube installed on a ship or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating infrared energy, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud, has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mass and next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; and forming the decoy cloud from the projectile device at the decoy location, the decoy cloud having a higher infrared radiation level than an infrared radiation level of the ship.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the radiation device radiates continuously.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the method further comprises launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial offset, activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible masses respectively contained in the further projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, 3 0 further, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respectively preceding decoy cloud arises, said new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission j trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the R Arespective radiation devices. T o 0 il Si 1551, ft t S S S S 0 0

11. A method for protecting ships, that emit radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a launcher tube installed on a threatened object or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating an energy form, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mass and next to the decoy location, which is in a region of the homing optics of the homing head; forming a decoy cloud from the combustible mass at the decoy location that has a higher radiation level than a radiation level of the ship; and 1 5 launching further projectile bodies with a temporal and/or spatial offset, and activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible mass respectively contained in the further projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, further, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respectively preceding decoy cloud arises, said new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the respective radiation devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the radiation device radiates continuously.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the threatened object emits infrared radiation, and wherein the decoy and the decoy cloud each have a higher infrared radiation in'l3nsity that an intensity of 3 0 the infrared radiation given off by the ship, and wherein the homing head of the missile is an infrared homing head. A method for protecting objects as in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said projectile body is dispersed together with said combustible .U means. -oa Or t ell] a TA I 1 a I a a. I| I A IAe ael t *.aal 1+ ll L i I 11. A method for protecting ships, tht,,t emit radiation, against missiles that are equipped with intelligent homing heads having homing optics, comprising the steps of: launching a projectile body loaded with a combustible mass from a launcher tube installed on a threatened object or in the proximity thereof; activating a radiation device located in the projectile body upon I launch of the projectile body, said radiation device radiating an energy form, that forms a decoy having an intensity that the homing head will respond to, immediately after the launch and until a decoy cloud has been formed at a decoy location; dispersing and igniting the combustible mass and next to the decc location, which is in a region of the homina ootics of the homing head; forming a decoy cloud from the o "oustible mass at the decoy location that has a higher radiation level i, an a radiation level of the ship; and launchrng further projectile bodies with a teTsmporal and/or spatial Soffset, and activating respective radiation devices thereof with subsequent ignition and distribution of the combustible mass respectively contained in the Sfurther projectile bodies such that a chain of successive, further, new decoy clouds, propagating from the respective!y preceding decoy cloud arises, said 2 0 new decoy clouds being connected by the energy emission trails that the homing head will respond to and that are produced by the respective radiation devices. 12. 'The method according to claim 11, wherein the radiation device radiates continuously. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the radiation device radiates in a clocked fashion. i'14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the threatened object emits infrared radiation, and wherein the decoy and the decoy cloud each have a higher infrared radiation intensity that an intensity of 3 0 the infrared radiation given off by the ship, and wherein the homing head of the missile is an infrared homing head.

A method for protecting objects as in any one of claims 1 to 6 RAA/ wherein said projectile body is dispersed togethet with said combustible I l means. j; rob-at 0, b |o. 0. 'boomr v *t 't t 1 B t ij Y. ii 11

16. A method for protecting ships substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

17. A method for protecting threatened objects substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated this 18th day of June 1998 BUCK WERKE GmbH CO By their Patent Attorneys, COLLISON CO. i ~1 r:I i; II B -li 1 *4r 9 99 4 oi 9 9 9 99 S a 9 9e 9 *~9 9 9 9 9 9i i 99 9 i 99 99 e~ory 99999 99 94 9. 99 9 9 999 9 99 9 9 9.9 9 9 99: 99 'i «r 9.a 9 4 9 ~i I I P1001008 g.m 0 j ()mar 91 11 16. A method for protecting ships substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing. 17. A method for protecting threatened objects substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated this 18th day of June 1998 BUCK WERKE GmbH CO By their Patent Attorneys, COLLISON CO. Ii #9 k 9 9* at a a U U U 9 **a~f U 9 9 9 *a .9. 94 #U499~@* U9919 #9 9* *5 I Ut 9 9 9999 9 9 99 9 0 9*9 94 99 at 4. 9.. 99 9. 9 *9 94 0 ABSTRACT This invention is for a method for protecting objects, especially ships, against intelligent missiles, by diverting the missile away from the object. This is achieved by firing a projectile from the object or in close proximity to the object. The projectile activating a radiation means located in the projectile upon launch of the projectile the radiation means radiating an energy of a form corresponding to a dummy target whose intensity is such that it is locked onto by the intelligent missile and which continues to attract the intelligent missile thus drawing it away from the object or ship to a position whereby the projectile forms a dummy target which the intelligent missiles then strikes. i 0I K v co CCCi €€t~p