Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/226—Semi-active homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and involving auxiliary illuminating means, e.g. using auxiliary guiding missiles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/2273—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves
  • F41G7/2286—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves using radio waves

Definitions

• the invention relates to a semi-active guidance system for a target-seeking, guided missile.
• a target for the combat of which the missile is started, is illuminated with electromagnetic energy by an illuminator which is separate from the missile and is generally stationary.
• the radiation hitting the target is inter alia reflected in the direction of the missile, which passively obtains information about the direction of flight to be taken from the relative direction of incidence of the radiation component reflected on it.
• Such a semi-active missile guidance method can be used during the entire flight path or even only during shorter phases of the flight.
• FR-A 2470357 describes a guiding method for a missile, in which a laser is provided for illuminating a target to be combated. A person operating the laser directs the sharply focused laser beam onto the target. The missile fired at the target contains receiving devices which detect the laser light back-controlled by the target and, if necessary, correct the direction of flight of the missile towards the target via control means. The operator must keep the laser beam aimed at the target throughout the flight phase of the missile and track it when the target is moving.
• the laser illumination of the target can also be limited to a short alignment phase after the launch of the missile. For this case, an image recording device is provided in the missile, which determines the current target direction during the short illumination phase and subsequently takes over the control of the missile on the basis of the continuously recorded image.
• systems which have a search radar or a comparable device for a first target detection. Since the antenna of the search radar only points at the target for a short time and the radar signal is usually pulse-shaped, the search radar is not suitable for illuminating the target. A discovered target is therefore illuminated by a target tracking radar with a very narrow, approximately pencil-shaped directional diagram. The current target location can be determined continuously from the echo component reflected from the target to the illuminated target tracking radar, and this information can be used to precisely align the narrow antenna lobe of the illuminator to the target.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a semi-active guidance system for guided missiles which can also be constructed with little effort, in particular for the simultaneous guidance of several missiles.
• the lighting device is designed only to emit signals, but not to receive echoes, and therefore does not have the possibility of independent target tracking.
• Such a lighting device without its own reception and evaluation facility is much simpler in construction and therefore cheaper than an autonomous target tracking device. This has a particularly advantageous effect when extending a control system to a plurality of lighting devices. Since the destination cannot be determined with the lighting device, the destination information of the destination device is used for the alignment of the directional diagram.
• setting variables for the illuminating device are derived from the target information and transmitted to the illuminating device.
• the semi-active guidance of a missile to the discovered target by illumination takes place from the illumination device.
• the target location devices are free to examine the entire surveillance area for the presence of further targets.
• the directional diagram of the lighting device is aligned according to the determined target location or the transmitted setting variables by means of conventional adjusting devices.
• the entire surveillance area is usually periodically swept by the target location devices, in particular in the case of a search radar.
• the target illuminated by the lighting device is therefore again detected by the target locating devices after a certain information renewal time.
• a new target location of the target, which has moved on in the meantime, is determined and the directional diagram of the lighting device is reset in accordance with the new target location.
• the solid angle illuminated by the directional diagram i. H. the azimuthal and elevational latitude of the directional lobe is selected so that it is greater than or at least as large as the maneuvering space of the target within the information renewal time.
• the limits of this maneuvering space result from the length of the information renewal time, the current target data and assumptions about the maneuverability of the target.
• the technique of working with a confined maneuvering space is known from radar systems with tracking.
• an advantageous further development of the invention provides for the shape of the directional diagram of the lighting device, i.e. the width in elevation and azimuth, to be changeable so that the solid angle illuminated via the directional diagram is adapted to the current target data can be.
• the invention is particularly advantageous for supplementing and expanding known systems, which comprise a search radar for room surveillance and one or more target tracking devices with a narrow, approximately pencil-shaped directional diagram.
• the search radar and the target tracking devices essentially assume the function of the target locating devices.
• a favorable embodiment provides that after the discovery of a target by the search radar, a target tracking device is aimed at the target and determines its exact target location.
• the target tracking device can also be used to determine the target height, while the search radar often only allows the target azimuth to be determined.
• the target tracking device can advantageously also carry out target illumination in the initial phase.
• the lighting device takes over the target lighting.
• the target tracking device is thereby released (after changing frequency) for a new target.
• the target tracking device perceives the illumination of the target until the target of the lighting device has approached a maximum distance, which could clearly be referred to as the range of the lighting device.
• the target tracking device perceives the illumination of the target until the target of the lighting device has approached a maximum distance, which could clearly be referred to as the range of the lighting device.
• the target tracking device if there is only one target, it is advantageous to carry out the target illumination by the target tracking device during the entire flight time (or the semi-active phase) of the missile, and the illumination to the illumination device only if there is another target to transfer and use the target tracking device to determine the destination and possibly illuminate the new target.
• a further advantageous embodiment provides that when there are several targets, each target is illuminated by one lighting device each, and the target tracking device determines the target locations of the illuminated targets in a cyclical sequence independently of other target positioning devices. This can significantly reduce the information renewal time.
• the individual operating modes and the coordination of the various system components are advantageously controlled via a central computer.
• this also provides the missile-specific setting of e.g. Frequency, time of transmission and modulation of the lighting signal.
• the lighting devices can perform deceptive transmitter tasks during breaks in which they are not required for missile guidance and are controlled accordingly by the head office.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Measuring Pulse, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure Or Blood Flow (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Citations (1)

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• 1982
  • 1982-08-14 DE DE19823230267 patent/DE3230267A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 1983
  • 1983-07-30 DE DE8383107521T patent/DE3377155D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1983-07-30 EP EP83107521A patent/EP0100979B1/de not_active Expired
  • 1983-08-04 DK DK355783A patent/DK159860C/da not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1983-08-04 GR GR72131A patent/GR77566B/el unknown
  • 1983-08-11 ES ES524887A patent/ES8404504A1/es not_active Expired
  • 1983-08-12 NO NO832910A patent/NO156389C/no unknown
  • 1983-08-12 US US06/522,664 patent/US4558836A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (1)

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