EP0257163B1 - Method and apparatus for submarine-launching of an aerial missile - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a vehicle for launching a missile from a submarine while diving against a surface ship, the control of the trajectory of the missile being ensured both in the underwater course and in the air course.

So far, the projectiles launched by a submarine are essentially conventional missiles which force the submersible to run the risk of surfacing to launch.

In diving, apart from the torpedoes available to submarines, we know missiles with an aerial trajectory against distant strategic objectives, launched by vergicular tubes, and tactical anti-submarine missiles.

We also know from the article "Exocet anti-ship missiles" in a special issue "Warships and naval equipment" of the International Defense Review, Interavia, Geneva (CH), 1976, pages 171-175, a long-range weapon against surface ships in the form of an amphibious tactical missile following a first submarine trajectory and a second aerial trajectory, the aerial missile proper being initially enclosed in an underwater motor envelope, the l he plate is ordered at all times to cross the critical intermediate zone of the agitated surface of the sea, which envelope opens at the desired time to let escape the air craft.

The invention relates to an improved version of this weapon allowing an increase in the distances accessible to submarines attacking a surface ship while retaining the benefit of the discretion of the submarine while diving.

It thus proposes a method of launching a submarine submerged from an aerial tactical missile with a range, comprising the following steps: hermetically enclosing the missile in an envelope, wings and control surfaces folded, launching the envelope outside from the submarine, propel the envelope underwater, check the underwater trajectory and the start of the aerial trajectory at all times, ensure the exit of the water with a certain longitudinal speed at a certain angle (a) relative to the horizon, trigger the release of the missile from its envelope at a certain altitude above sea level, spread the wings and the control surfaces of the missile and direct it towards the objective, characterized in that the the trajectory of the envelope is controlled by means of jet control surfaces by means of an inertial unit and that the release of the missile by ejection from its envelope consists in applying to this missile a push towards the front so that this missile causes by its warhead the opening of the front door of the envelope then, after the rear section of the missile has crossed the front section of the envelope, to ignite the acceleration thruster of this missile.

It also provides a vehicle for launching a missile according to this method comprising an airtight envelope containing the missile and provided with an engine compartment, characterized in that the engine compartment comprises an underwater propellant with a nozzle and rudders and that the envelope also comprises an electronic control unit, a thermal battery and a piston by means of which the ejection of the missile is obtained at a chosen moment by a thrust applied to said piston from the engine compartment so that it presses towards the forward on the missile and let it pass through the front of the envelope.

The aerial vehicle of such a vehicle with its range of the order of, for example, 38 km, gives submarines an efficiency in range which allows them to clearly outclass all types of existing torpedoes, whose range n '' does not exceed 10 km, as soon as the sonar information is sufficiently precise to allow at least partial localization of the objective. However, current sonars have relatively large ranges which are often accompanied by suitable precision in bearing but poor precision in distance. The machine can then be satisfied with the precision in field and its self-directing organ or search head, be adapted to a search without precise knowledge of the distance from the designated objective on the surface.

In addition, a missile with trajectory, mainly aerial can be easily animated with a considerable speed, for example 300 m / s instead of 25 m / s for a torpedo, which allows it to reach its goal in a time very short and reduces in considerable proportions the possibilities of evolution or countermeasures of the target.

The invention differs from the teaching of documents such as document US-A 3 853 081 which is concerned with the dropping of the propellant of a military charge, without disturbing the kinetics of this charge.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings, and giving by way of indication, but in no way limiting, an embodiment of the invention.

• - la figure 1 est une vue schématique de la trajectoire de lancement, par un submersible, d'un engin amphibie suivant l'invention,
• - la figure 2 est une vue schématique en coupe de l'engin amphibie de la figure 1,
• - la figure 3 est une vue en coupe suivant III-III de la figure 2,
• - la figure 4 est une vue schématique en coupe suivant IV-IV de la figure 2.

In these drawings:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the launch path, by a submersible, of an amphibious machine according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the amphibious craft of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view along III-III of FIG. 2,
• - Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view along IV-IV of Figure 2.

FIG. 1 shows a submarine submerged at a depth "p", for example 50 m, launching horizontally by a conventional tube a combined vehicle according to the invention, generally designated by the reference 2.

This combined vehicle 2 first follows the underwater trajectory 3 which cuts the surface of the sea 4 at 5 at a nose-up angle "a" of 30 _° for example and releases at an altitude "h" an air vehicle 6 which continues its course in a classic way.

To carry out the launch by a submarine of a missile which is not itself waterproof under pressure, it is necessary according to the invention to enclose the latter in a launch envelope waterproof 10, itself expelled from the submarine's torpedo tube by means of one of the usual torpedo methods, that is to say for example flushing with compressed air or driving back. We can therefore choose a launch envelope 10 to the dimensions of the torpedo tubes, for example the usual diameter of the torpedoes, or 533 mm (21 inches), which requires the folding of the wings 32 and the control surfaces 33 of the missile 6 to l 'inside its launch envelope 10 (Figure 1).

To control the position and direction of the launch vehicle 10 at any time, a simplified inertial unit 14 known per se is used according to the invention, either integral with the missile 6 itself or with the launch envelope 10. The vehicle submarine is provided with a propellant 7, for example with powder, the thrust of which is directed by jet control surfaces 8 ensuring the vehicle an underwater trajectory stabilized in pitch and yaw. Roll stabilization was not provided because the missile 6 is itself roll stabilized after it leaves the launch vehicle in position 20 and it then automatically returns to its correct flight position in roll, whatever his cottage at the exit of the vehicle.

The underwater vehicle 10 comprises in its rear engine compartment 9 amplifiers intended to control the jet control surfaces 8 and a computer intended to give orders to these amplifiers, organs contained in an electronic unit 11, and a source of electrical energy , for example a thermal battery 12.

The computer in the housing 11 uses the information from the launching submarine 1 stored in memory before launching into the missile calculator 13 6. In a variant not shown, the control surfaces of the jet are controlled by this computer 13 secured to the missile.

The characteristic according to the invention according to which the vehicle 10 is self-propelled, after its exit from the submarine 1, instead of gaining the surface under the sole action of Archimedes' thrust, is advantageous not so much for the gain of speed given by the underwater propellant only to prevent the underwater vehicle 10 from appearing at the surface at 5 in any configuration, probably very close to vertical, which would then cause problems for the missile 6 to choose the correct vertical shot plan.

The preferred conditions for leaving the water are of the order of: nose-up of 30 _° and longitudinal speed: 25 m / s.

These conditions must make it possible to obtain a minimum of disturbances at the exit of the water by rough sea while remaining within acceptable limits for the culminating altitude 28 of the missile before its phase of connection to the horizontal part 38 at low altitude. of its trajectory 15, which culminating altitude 28 must remain moderate to avoid detection of the missile by radar or enemy optical stations.

With regard to the problem of the separation of the missile 6 from its launch vehicle 10, provision has been made to control this separation by a device sensitive to the dynamic pressure, which decreases in an enormous proportion at the time of the exit of the water. . This device opens a door 16 placed on the front bottom of the underwater propellant 7.

The gases exiting through this door 16 push on the missile 6 in the direction of the arrow f1 by means of a piston 17, so that the missile 6 causes its nose 18 to open the front door 19 from vehicle 10 and exits as seen in position 20, the fragments of the front door falling as seen in 34.

The acceleration thruster 21 of the missile 6 is ignited by a controlled delay timer (not shown) after the rear section 22 of the missile has passed through the front section 23 of the vehicle 10, and the missile continues its trajectory by its own means like a conventional missile launched at a site of 30 °.

From the moment the door 16 has been opened, the gases of the underwater propellant 7 exert in the compartment 36 a rearward thrust which slows down the movement of the underwater vehicle 10, rapidly cancels its speed and does so. fall back on the water in position 39 (figure 1) at a small horizontal distance "a" from the vertical of the separation position 20.

The entire launch vehicle is shown in Figure 2. The launch vehicle has a cylindrical shape of diameter "D" paxemple of 533 mm (21 inches), terminated at the front by a warhead 26 of elliptical section. It carries a certain number of empennages 40 which deploy after the exit from the torpedo tube.

compatible avec la pression hydrostatique.Wings and control surfaces folded, the missile 6 is inscribed in a circumference of diameter "d" thus leaving the possibility of giving the wall of the launch vehicle a thickness

compatible with hydrostatic pressure.

The total length "L" of the launch vehicle can be less than 7 m, its elongation (or fineness) is therefore close to 13.

FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of the jet control surfaces 8 in the rear zone of the compartment 9 of the vehicle 10. The pallet 29 at the interior end of each of the four control surfaces 8 is moved from the interior to the exterior of the nozzle 25 or vice versa according to the orders of the computer housed in the electronic unit 11, to stabilize the vehicle 10 in the desired direction during its underwater trajectory 3.

FIG. 3 shows the cruise nozzle 30 and the acceleration nozzles 31 of the missile 6. The wings 32 are folded back to fit inside the envelope 10; we see their position deployed in dotted lines 32 'as well as that of the rudders 33 which open at 33' when the machine reaches position 20.

Submarine 1 while diving is in principle capable of supplying the missile with the same information as that usually provided by a surface vessel, and this with satisfactory precision. This information is the direction and if possible the distance that of the target, the reference of the vertical of the launching submarine and its speed.

Advantageously, the submersion of the submarine must be between the periscopic immersion of about 15 m and a maximum of 80 m. The speed of the submarine at the time of launch is for example less than 5 m / s and the launch takes place by a torpedo tube approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the submarine, and practically always close to the horizontal .

• - d'abord au véhicule de lancement 10, par les gouvernes de jet 8 interceptant en partie les gaz du propulseur sous-marin 7 pendant toute sa trajectoire sous-marine 3 et la première partie de sa trajectoire aérienne 15, assurant ainsi une bonne sortie de l'eau suivant la direction choisie, c'est-à-dire, en principe, un cabré à 30_° et permettant de corriger les éventuelles perturbations dues à l'état de la mer au moment de la sortie de l'eau.
• - ensuite au missile 6 lui-même stabilisé en roulis, par l'intermédiaire de ses quatre gouvernes aérodynamiques 33.

It can be seen that the invention makes it possible to control at any time the attitude of the missile 6 from the moment of launching by the torpedo tube until the final impact. This control is carried out by means of the inertial unit 14 of the missile 6 which works for the entire duration of the trajectory and which makes it possible to develop the orders to be given:

• - first to the launch vehicle 10, by the jet control surfaces 8 partly intercepting the gases of the underwater propellant 7 throughout its underwater trajectory 3 and the first part of its aerial trajectory 15, thus ensuring a good exit of water in the chosen direction, that is to say, in principle, a nose-up at 30 _° and making it possible to correct any disturbances due to the state of the sea at the time of leaving the water.
• - then to missile 6, itself stabilized in roll, by means of its four aerodynamic control surfaces 33.

It goes without saying that the present invention has been described above by way of a preferential indicative example but in no way limitative and that any equivalence may be introduced into its constituent elements without departing from its scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. A method for launching a long range aerial tactical missile from a submerged sub-marine comprising the following steps:
enclosing hermetically the missile (6) in an envelope (10), with its wings (32) and control surfaces (3) folded down, launching up the envelope out of the sub-marine (1), propelling the envelope under the water, continuously controlling the underwater trajectory (3) and the initial part of the aerial trajectory, providing emergence from the water with a certain longitudinal velocity at a certain angle (a) relative to the horizon, triggering release of the missile (6) from its envelope at a certain altitude above sea level, folding out the wings (32) and the control surfaces (33) of the missile and guiding the same to the target, characterized in that the trajectory of the envelope is controlled by means of jet spoilers (8) through an inertia type data generator (14) and in that release of the missile though ejection from its envelope consists of applying to such missile a forward thrust (f1) so that the missile causes through its cone end (18) the forward door of the envelope to open and then after the rear section (22) of the missile has travelled the forward section of the envelope, igniting the booster stage (21) of such missile.

2. A vehicle for launching a missile according to the method of claim 1 comprising a hermetic envelope (10) containing the missile (6) and provided with a motor compartment (9), characterized in that the motor compartment comprises an underwater propulsion unit (7) with a nozzle and jet spoilers (8), and in that the envelope also comprises an electronics piloting housing (11), a thermal battery (12) and a piston (17) by means of which ejection of the missile is obtained at the chosen moment by a thrust applied to said piston from the motor compartment whereby to cause the same to bear forwardly (f1) against the missile and drive it through the forward section (19) of the envelope.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said chosen moment is marked by the opening of a door (16) provided in the front bottom of the underwater propulsion unit (7).

4. A vehicle according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the underwater propulsion unit (7) is a powder propulsion unit.

5. A vehicle according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the outer diameter of the vehicle is equal to that of a conventional underwater torpedo.

6. A vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said jet spoilers (8) are controlled by a computer included in the housing (11) and made integral with the envelope.

7. A vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said jet spoilers (8) are controlled by a computer (13) made integral with the missile.

8. A vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said inertia type data generator (14) is the data generator specific to the missile.

9. A vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said inertia type data generator (14) is made integral with the envelope.

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