EP0392086B1 - Fin stabilised projectile - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a wing-stabilized projectile, in particular a tank ammunition, with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Known such bullets are such. B. to combat slow-flying destinations, such as helicopters. Usually, bullets that can be steered by a shooter or purely ballistic bullets that autonomously detect their target during their flight are used for this purpose.

A disadvantage of the steerable projectiles is that they require visual contact with the target and to control the projectile towards the target require a connection between a control unit, for example a fire control system in a vehicle, and the projectile. In addition, the effort involved in control elements and their complex structure is considerable in such controlled projectiles.

An autonomous projectile looking for its target is known for example from DE 33 37 873-A1. Here, a sensor seeker head is to correct the trajectory of the projectile by means of a thrust jet control device towards the target after detection of a target.

The disadvantage of this floor is the complex thrust control with a nozzle system and a hot gas generator of considerable size. The space remaining on the floor for the actual active charge is relatively small. Furthermore, an abrupt trajectory correction, as is often required after immediate target acquisition, is not possible with the thrust control described in this document. The hit probability of a projectile according to DE 33 37 873-A1 is therefore low at the relatively high flight speeds.

From EP-A-0 229 541 a wing-stabilized projectile with a shaped charge warhead and a pulse control arranged in the projectile tip is also known. For this purpose, corresponding pulse engines are located on the circumference of the floor, evenly distributed.

It is also disadvantageous in this arrangement that the projectile must be corrected very precisely with respect to the target, since otherwise the narrow shaped-charge beam misses the target. However, this in turn requires a complex control device which cannot be accommodated in an armored projectile.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a simply constructed wing-stabilized projectile, in particular tank ammunition, which is distinguished by a high probability of being hit when combating slow flight targets.

This object is achieved by a wing-stabilized projectile according to the invention with the features of the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

The great advantage of the wing-stabilized projectile according to the invention is that it has advantages of conventional armored projectiles, such as. B. large warhead, combined with the advantages of steerable projectiles and thus a compensation of ballistic errors and target movements during the flight time of the projectile without requiring a direct connection between the projectile and a control unit in an armored vehicle.
In addition, the projectile according to the invention can be used to combat hidden targets, for example by activating an ignition chain in the projectile at a preselectable attachment angle above the target, using time detectors or distance detonators.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

In the following, the invention is described in an explanatory manner using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of a drawing and with the restriction to the features essential to the invention.

In the right part of the figure, a wing-stabilized projectile 10 according to the invention with a longitudinal axis 12 is shown during its flight in the target area. The projectile 10 is stabilized by the stabilizer wing 14 and contains in its projectile tip 22 a sensor unit 16 and a warhead 18 arranged behind it with a spherical plate 20, which is preferably designed as a spherical fragment plate.

Sensor electronics can be accommodated anywhere in the floor 10. The scanning of the target area, indicated in the drawing by an area shown in broken lines, is carried out with the sensor unit 16, which can be, for example, a single sensor or a sensor line.

A rotation required for scanning can be achieved according to the invention either with a rigid sensor in the sensor unit 16 in that the projectile 10 as a whole rotates about its longitudinal axis 12 as a result of a corresponding adjustment of the tail wings 14, for example in the direction of an arrow 26, or in that the sensor unit 16 itself, as a rotating sensor, executes a relative rotational movement with respect to the projectile 10.

As soon as a flight target, illustrated here by a helicopter 24, has been detected by the projectile 10, in particular its sensor unit 16, to compensate for ballistic errors and target movements during its flight time, the projectile 10 shortly before the target 24 about its vertical axis (axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the projectile 10) is rotated and the entire projectile tip 22 including the sensor unit 16 is blasted off and the warhead 18 now directed towards the target 24 with the spherical plate 20 is initiated.

A possible detection of wrong targets can be avoided by transmitting route or time information from a fire control system in an armored vehicle before the shot is broken. For this purpose, a transceiver device according to the invention also provided on floor 10 with a corresponding electronics unit is used, which has not been described in the drawing for the sake of clarity.

According to the invention, 10 microreaction engines or a detachable mass in the projectile tip 22 are provided in the projectile, which serve for the exact alignment of the projectile 10, in particular the spherical plate 20, with the target 24.

Claims (3)

1. Fin-stabilised projectile (10), particularly for tank ammunition, with a projectile nose (22) containing a sensor unit and with a warhead (18) containing an active charge, characterised by the following features:

   (a) the projectile nose (22) containing the sensor unit (16) is ejectably mounted on the projectile (10);

   (b) to cause the projectile (10) to perform a tilting movement in the direction of the target (24) the projectile contains an ejectable mass or micro-reaction driving mechanisms;

   (c) the warhead (18) is provided with a ball plate (20) situated in front of the active charge as viewed in the direction of flight;

   (d) the projectile (10) contains a detonation sequence to cause the projectile nose (22) to be blown off and to effect the subsequent priming of the warhead (18).
2. Fin-stabilised projectile in accordance with Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the sensor unit (16) consists of a fixed sensor, the rotation of the projectile (10) required for scanning a target area being effected by appropriately adjusted tail unit fins (14).
3. Fin-stabilised projectile in accordance with Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the sensor unit (16) consists of an independently driven sensor, rotatable in relation to the projectile (10), with a corresponding drive in the projectile (10).

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