EP0240819B1 - Method of deceiving radar or infrared-guided missiles, particularly for boats and naval units, and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for deflecting missiles guided by radar and / or infrared radiation, in particular for the protection of seagoing vessels and ship groups, in which projectiles producing mock targets are ignited in or in front of the target area of the missile.

Experience of the conflicts that have arisen in recent years has shown that the threat to ocean-going ships and ship groups from missiles guided by radar and / or infrared radiation is increasing rapidly. Ships are good radar and infrared targets. This results from their metallic structure on the one hand and their heat radiation on the other.

A deflection system corresponding to the preamble of claims 1 and 6 is known from FR-A-2 383 419 in connection with "radio systems for location and navigation", Kramar, publishers Berliner Union and Kohlkammer, pp. 18 u. 25, known. Here, as also from "Revue Internationale de Defense", Volume 16, No. 4, 1983, pp. 475-477, for the deflection of missiles guided by radar and / or infrared radiation in or in front of the target area of the missile. The approaching missile should align itself with the apparent target in order to be distracted by the threatened ship or ship association. However, it has been shown that this type of distraction is not always sufficient, especially in ship associations. It is possible and likely that the missile will switch from one ship to another and hit the ship after it has been deflected, particularly in the case of relatively tightly spaced ship groups.

The object underlying the invention was to develop a method of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that the approaching missile is deflected in a predetermined deflection direction, which can be determined so that the missile no longer moves after its deflection is able to switch to an alternative destination.

This object is achieved according to the invention with the features from the characterizing part of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are described in the subclaims.

The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention with the features from patent claim 6, an advantageous embodiment of this device being described in patent claim 7.

The method according to the invention is primarily intended to protect ship groups, but it can also be used to protect individual ships, for example in the form that ships in crisis areas, for example tankers, can be equipped with a device according to the invention in order to counteract the To be protected by missiles and to protect other tankers traveling in a convoy.

When using the method according to the invention for the protection of ship groups, it can also be advantageous to install the device according to the invention on unmanned escort ships, so that the diversion can be carried out at a relatively great distance from the ship group, where there is sufficient space for fixing the direction of deflection is available.

Conventional throwing bodies can be used as throwing bodies, which, for example, for generating an infrared glow target contain a certain effective mass known per se, due to which after ignition of the throwing body an infrared radiation-imitating cloud arises which has a low sinking speed with a large radiation area and thus has a ship-like characteristic.

Throwing bodies can be used to deflect radar-controlled missiles which contain a so-called "double active mass" which is released after the firing body has been ignited. Of course, it is also possible to use combined missiles which produce false targets for both infrared-controlled and radar-controlled missiles.

The method according to the invention can be used in a wide variety of ways. For example, when using unmanned support boats, the device according to the invention can be used both to protect the association and to protect the support boat itself.

As a result of the use of a data processing system, it is readily possible to take ship movements into account when calculating and positioning the deflection curve and determining the corresponding control signals for the firing of the projectiles by appropriate programming.

An exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention and a device for carrying out the method are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

in einem schematischen Prinzipschaltbild eine Einrichtung zur Ablenkung von durch Radar-und/oder Infrarotstrahlung gelenkten Flugkörpern;

Fig. 2

in einer stark schematisierten Seitenansicht eine Werfersäule zur Verwendung in einer Einrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine Aufsicht auf die Werfersäule nach Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

in einer Draufsicht die Ablenkkurve bei der Ablenkung eines anfliegenden Flugkörpers;

Fig. 5

in einer Seitenansicht die ballistischen Kurven der zur Erzeugung der Ablenkkurve abgeschossenen Wurfkörper.

The drawings show:

Fig. 1

in a schematic block diagram, a device for deflecting missiles guided by radar and / or infrared radiation;

Fig. 2

in a highly schematic side view of a throwing pillar for use in a device according to FIG. 1;

Fig. 3

a supervision of the throwing pillar according to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

in a top view the deflection curve when deflecting an approaching missile;

Fig. 5

in a side view the ballistic curves of the projectiles shot to generate the deflection curve.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the device for carrying out a method for deflecting missiles guided by radar and / or infrared radiation basically has the following individual devices:
A device 1 for locating a missile and for determining its location, its flight direction and flight speed and, if appropriate, its type. This locating device can contain a radar device and additional devices such as a periscope, a night vision device and / or an optical distance measuring device in a manner known per se. Furthermore, it contains devices known per se for generating electrical data representing the determined values. This data is fed to a data processing system 2, which is also constructed in a manner known per se and, based on corresponding programs, calculates a deflection curve for the missile from the determined data based on a predetermined deflection direction, in the manner in which this is explained in more detail below. The data processing system 2 also generates electrical control signals which are fed to a control device 3 to which a throwing pillar 4 is connected, which is also explained in more detail below. Throwing pillars 4 are fired by means of the throwing pillar 4, specifically with respect to the firing direction and the firing sequence in such a way that at the end of the trajectory of the throwing body, after firing, apparent targets appear which lie at predetermined points of the calculated deflection curve. The conditions that occur here are explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. According to FIG. 4, a device according to FIG. 1 is installed on a ship S, for example an escort boat of a ship association. A missile FK controlled, for example, by infrared radiation is located, the direction of flight FB1 of which is determined together with the flight speed and possibly the type of missile. Furthermore, a deflection direction FB2 is specified and a deflection curve AK is calculated, which can be part of a parabola, for example, one branch of which connects to the approach path FB1 and the other branch to the deflection direction FB2. On the basis of the evaluated data, corresponding throwing bodies have to be fired from the ship S on ballistic tracks P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 in such directions and in a predetermined time sequence that the apparent targets Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 are successively on the deflection curve AK , Z5 and Z6 arise so that the missile FK is successively oriented towards these apparent targets and thereby changes its trajectory overall in such a way that it continues to fly on the deflection curve AK and is finally deflected in the deflection direction FB2. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the throwing bodies are preferably shot in such a way that the ballistic tracks P1 to P6 are all the same Have an elevation angle of 45 °. The clouds emitting infrared radiation representing the apparent targets Z1 to Z6 lie essentially in a horizontal plane, so that the missile FK is deflected on a horizontal path.

4, the missile FK is deflected by approximately 90 ° from its approach direction. For such a distraction, six apparent targets are sufficient in the described method, for example. The deflection curve AK to be built up by the six apparent targets Z1 to Z6 is designed in such a way that the missile FK can follow this curve in any case, taking into account its own maneuverability and viewing window size. Of course, in the example according to FIG. 4, the deflection curve AK can also be constructed mirrored on the approach direction FB1, so that the deflection in FIG. 4 does not take place to the right but to the left.

2 and 3, the launching column 4 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in somewhat more detail.

The throwing pillar 4 shown has a basic device 4.1, which is connected to the control device 3 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. A base plate 4.2 is arranged above the basic device, on which a two-part column 4.3-4.4 is rotatably arranged in a controllable manner. At the lower part 4.3 of the column, twelve throwing devices are arranged at an elevation angle of 45 ° in six rows arranged one above the other on the circumference. On the upper part 4.4 of the column there are twelve throwing devices in three rows arranged on the circumference, which are also at an elevation angle of 45 °.

The throwing devices 4.31 to 4.36 arranged in the lower part 4.3 of the column serve to produce deflection curves which are intended to protect a ship's association, while the throwing bodies arranged in the upper part 4.4 of the column are intended for the self-protection of the escort ship.

Rows 4.31 to 4.36 and 4.41 to 4.43 can each be equipped with combined IR and radar dummy targets, which have different ranges and disassembly times. With the help of these different ranges and dismantling times, the predicted deflection curves can be produced in connection with the side-aiming of the throwing pillar and a certain firing rate by the dummy targets.

If six false targets are required to produce a deflection curve that deflects an approaching missile to 90 °, the deflection measure can be carried out twelve times with the lower part of the launcher column 4.3 before it is necessary to reload the launcher column. The twelve groups of throwing devices, each with six different throwing bodies, are loaded from top to bottom in row 4.36 with the throwing body that has the shortest range and ending in row 4.31 with the throwing body that has the greatest range (recoil) and therefore to avoid large ones Moments close to the turntable of the thrower column is arranged.

If the deflection of a missile proves to be unsuccessful and the escort boat itself is at risk, the upper part 4.4 of the launcher column can be used correspondingly equipped rows 4.41 to 4.43 missiles are fired, which create false targets, which are intended to protect the escort boat itself. In this case, the creation of a certain deflection curve may be dispensed with, and it is only intended to prevent the escort ship itself from being hit by the apparent targets generated.

Claims (7)

1. A method of deflecting radar and/or infra-red guided missiles (FK), particularly for the protection of sea-going vessels and convoys in which projectiles creating dummy targets (Z1 to Z6) are detonated in or in front of the target area of the missile are detonated, and in which the direction, location and velocity of an approaching missile (FK) are determined, projectiles being placed and detonated at predetermined respective points in time and in predetermined areas so that the dummy targets (Z1 to Z6) which are created are situated in predetermined intervals of time and space resulting in the missile being deflected from its previous flight path, characterised in that on the basis of a given deflection direction (FB2) an open deflection curve (AK) is computed and, with its positional data, is placed in a given area of space in front of the target zone of the missile (FK) one arm of the deflection curve (AK) being adjacent the approach path (FB1) while the other arm is adjacent the deflection direction of the missile (FK) and in that the dummy targets (Z1 to Z6) generated are disposed on the deflection curve, the missile homing in on them one after another so that its flight path merges into the deflection curve and finally into the direction of deflection (FB2).
2. A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the deflection curve (AK) is a parabola.
3. A method according to Claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the deflection curve (AK) is situated substantially in a horizontal plane and in that the projectiles are brought along ballistic paths in a predetermined sequence to individual points on the deflection curve where they are detonated.
4. A method according to Claim 3, characterised in that the projectiles are fired from a point which is at a 45° angle of elevation.
5. A method according to one of Claims 1 to 4 for the protection of convoys of ships, characterised in that the projectiles are fired from an unmanned escort vessel (S).
6. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, with a control device (3) to which there is connected at least one launching column (4) for firing projectiles and adapted to be controlled in terms of firing direction and sequence and with a device (1) for locating a missile and for ascertaining its location, direction of flight and velocity and for generating electrical data representing the ascertained values and with, connected to the device (1), a data processing system (2) which feeds to the control device (3) control signals such that the launching column fires the projectiles in such a way that the dummy targets generated by the projectiles are situated at predetermined intervals of time and space so that the missile (FK) is consequently deflected from its flight path, characterised in that the data processing system (2) ascertains from the acquired data a deflection curve (AK) of which one arm is adjacent to the approach path while its other arm is adjacent the deflection direction of the missile, and in that the launching column (4) fires the projectiles in such a way that the dummy targets (Z1 to Z6) lie on the computed deflection curve (AK) and so that the missile homes in on them one after another in such a way that its flight path merges into the deflection curve and finally into the deflection direction (FB2).
7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that the rotatable launching column (4) has on its periphery a given number of launchers (W) which are disposed one above another in a plurality of rows (4.31 to 4.36, 4.41 to 4.43), each having a 45° angle of elevation, lateral orientation of the launching column (4) taking place as a result of the predetermined rotation and the firing cadence, by reason of the control device (3), the range of each projectile being established by its propellant charge and the disintegration time being adjusted at each respective projectile.

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