EP1087200B1 - Missile mission unit - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a missile mission unit for a missile, to which Sensors for the movement of a target relative to the missile and for the Self-motion of the missile are connected, containing means for detection and Identification and determination of the track of the target, that of data of the sensors resources for situational assessment and analysis from the information about location, type and track of the destination, a first database in which knowledge about potential targets are stored, a second database in which data about the Skills of the missiles are stored, and means of generating plans for Actions and from this are activated to generate decision criteria,

On a combat aircraft are in use usually several target-tracking Missiles suspended in launchers under the wings. The target-tracking Missiles have seekers with sensors that target one or more targets to capture. Furthermore, the missile inertial sensors may contain, which on the Respond to movements of the missile in the inertial space. From viewfinder signals of Seekers are generated steering signals that lead the missile to the target. there can use with a fighter aircraft similar or different missiles be hung on different seekers, such as missiles, with a passive infrared seeker are equipped and missile with a radar viewfinder, Missile with combined infrared and radar finder or missile with different range or speed. At the fighter plane are also provided sensors, namely once sensors, which on the movement of the Aircraft, such as inertial sensors or satellites navigation receivers, and sensors that detect targets in the field of view, such as radar and / or Infrared devices. In a manned combat aircraft, the pilot must select a destination select a missile to attack the target and the missile to the target instruct, i. make sure the seeker has captured the target. Depending on the type and He will be the one or the other select another missile and shoot. For a fast and agile target in With a short distance he will be a fast and agile missile may select a lower range. Another missile is possibly more suitable for slower targets at greater distances. The vote between a missile with active radar seeker and a missile with a passive infrared seeker may u. depend on the distance of the target, the Environmental conditions and the available to the opponent Countermeasures. Also critical is the time of the launch of the selected Missile.

The pilot receives a variety of visual or audio signals from the various sensors, which he has to process and from which he has to make his decision. additionally of course, the pilot must fly the fighter jet in aerial combat. The pilot must also watch out for threats such as from enemy missiles and if necessary, avoid such threats and activate countermeasures. This can overwhelm the pilot and lead to fatal mistakes.

Underlying state of the art

It is known (DE 197 16 025 A1) into the mission avionics network of the platform, ie e.g. of the fighter aircraft, for each missile a missile-specific Build Missile Mission Unit. This missile mission unit contains stored knowledge in the form of data and / or facts necessary for the mission of Missile are relevant. This can be data showing the characteristics of the Characterize missiles themselves, such as speed, maneuverability (maximum lateral acceleration), range, etc. This can also be data over Characteristics of potential goals. The missile mission unit receives data from Sensors. These are the data from your own sensors Missile. But this can also be data from sensors of the platform, e.g. the radar, or from the sensors of other missiles mounted on the platform. The Missile Mission Unit then provides the pilot with decision criteria for the mission Use of the associated missile. It can then be e.g. be displayed that Missile "1" is more suitable for the present situation and a specific objective as missile "2". In a manned fighter but then the pilot is the make final decision. He is, however, relieved of a lot of information. This information is preprocessed by the missile mission unit. Instead of missile-specific mission units can in DE 197 16 025 A1 the Missionary avionics also contain only a single mission unit, in which the Functions of the individual, missile-specific units are integrated. Preferably but is the or each missile mission unit in the associated missile arranged and connected to the platform via a standardized interface. Then is when inserting a certain type of missile into the launcher over the Automatically interface the missile mission unit designed for this type of missile switched on in the computer network. It is not an intervention in the platform-side mission avionics required.

Disclosure of the invention

The invention relates to an advantageous embodiment of a missile mission unit of the type mentioned, as described by DE 197 16 025 A1 and, in particular, the training of the means for the production of plans for actions.

According to the invention, the means for generating plans for actions contain means for Situation prediction, which to access the databases and on which Information is provided by the means for situational assessment and analysis, wherein the means for prediction of the situation of the target and its known Characteristics, the characteristics of the missile and the states of motion Extrapolate future situations.

There are facts and data about the properties of potential targets, e.g. from saved various enemy aircraft types. The number of in question upcoming aircraft types is limited. Their characteristics and usual, for the aircraft type characteristic air combat tactics are known. Therefore, can from the situation evaluation, in turn, from the signals of the various Sensors are obtained and e.g. the type of aircraft of the target and the relative positions and Provide motion states of target and missile or vehicle, estimated will be how this situation will develop in the future. So it can be e.g. through the Missile mission unit u.U. estimated without the participation of the pilot, which evasive maneuver the enemy plane in the assessed situation and how, on the other hand, your own plane or missile will perform will move. The pilot is relieved of these tasks.

Advantageously, the results of the situation prediction are on means for Calculation of missile ranges, possibly with respect to the target or, if applicable, different destinations may be available for different available types of missile.

From the prediction of the future change of the situation, the missile mission unit recognize and if necessary make visible to the pilot, whether the goal of one launched missile at the flight condition of the platform (of own aircraft) can be detected or not. Does the platform carry several missiles? Types, it can be determined by the missile mission unit, which of these Missile with the best prospects of success should be shot down.

In a preferred embodiment, the results of the calculation are optimal Inferential for the production of reaction proposals switched.

These inference means are preferably of a learning capable, suitably trained neuro-fuzzy Structure formed. They contain "rules" approximately in the form: "If the goal without Another maneuver of the aircraft in the firing range of the missile is, then fire the Missile off "," If the target is slightly out of the firing range of the Is missile, then perform this or that maneuver to the target in the Shot area of the missile to bring "etc. The inputs" within "or "marginally outside" are linquistic inputs, which are indicated by "Fuzzy-Logic" be detected. The inference means give the pilot recommendations for action.

Through the measures described the so-called. "Recognize Act Cycle", ie the Time span between the recognition of a situation and the reaction to it considerably shortened. This can be essential in a dogfight for survival.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to FIGS associated drawings explained.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig.1

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a structure of the process of recognizing a destination until the reaction by the pilot or a "decision element" in the Trap of an unmanned carrier.

Fig.2

illustrates the acquisition of knowledge by the inference means at a Structure of Fig.1.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

In Fig. 1, 10 is a target, in the present case an enemy combat aircraft, designated. With 12 sensors are designated. These sensors 12 include a viewfinder 14 and inertial sensors 16 for determining the intrinsic movement of the target 10 Viewfinder 14 detects the movement of the target 10 relative to the missile. The movement of the target is symbolized by a block 18. The proper motion of the missile is represented by a block 20. The viewfinder 14 contains a plurality of different ones Sensors. The viewfinder may u.U. "see" several objects at the same time.

Because of the different sensors of the viewfinder for the different ones Objects and potential targets supplied data are processed by image processing Detection of objects, ie a determination of where an object is located. Furthermore, it takes place an identification of the objects with regard to friend / enemy recognition. By comparison with image structures e.g. known types of aircraft with the image-resolving sensors supplied image structures, the nature of the object is detected. Furthermore, the Traced motion structures or traces of objects. The objects are classified, so that potential goals are picked out. This is through a block 22 shown.

The result of this detection, identification and classification becomes 24 for situation detection and analysis "switched on". These means 24 recognize the classification of objects a certain situation, such as: "A plane of the type X flies a curve to the top left ".

The missile mission unit further includes means 26 for generating plans and actions. These means 26 comprise the elements 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 in Fig.1.

Block 28 is a database in which knowledge about potential goals is stored are. It is known what flight characteristics a type X aircraft has and which air combat tactics in a given situation usually with a Type X aircraft are applied. If the target as a type X aircraft and the situation is recognized, then one can estimate from it, how the goal in the next future is expected to behave.

Similarly, stored in a database represented by block 30, which qualities and abilities of the ones to be shot by the own plane Missile or each one of various available missiles.

From this, a situation prediction can be made. This is represented by block 32.

From this situation prediction, one can calculate how the target is to reach range 40 of the missile or to the reach areas 40, 40A and 40B various available missiles lies. This is in the figure by the block 34 shown. Block 36 symbolizes the evaluation of the results of block 34 shown calculations. The result of this evaluation is on inference means 38 "Switched".

These inference means 38 are of a learning capable, suitably trained neuro-fuzzy Structure formed. They contain "rules" approximately in the form: "If the goal without further Maneuver of the aircraft in the firing range of the missile, then fire the missile from "," If the target is slightly out of the firing range of the missile, then Perform this or that maneuver to bring the target into the firing range of the To bring missiles "etc. The inputs" within "or" slightly outside " are thereby linquistic inputs, which are registered by "Fuzzy Logic". The Inference means 38 provide recommendations to the pilot or decision element 44 to trade. These recommendations are indicated in the figure by a parallelogram 46 shown.

Figure 2 illustrates the acquisition of the required knowledge by the lemfähige Inference.

The adaptive inference unit may be from aerial combat simulations or real Air combat training automatically acquire realistic knowledge. That is the Prerequisite for correct and effective conclusions.

In Figure 2, the own aircraft is designated 50. The reference numeral 10 denotes again the goal or the goals. The own plane 50 becomes real or in one Simulation controlled by the pilot 52, as shown by arrow 54. By a Air combat simulation, represented by block 56, or through real air combat training, represented by block 58, simulation data or training data is transmitted the situational behavior of attackers, i. own plane 50, and destination 10 and generated via a simulated missile mission. This simulation and / or Training data is stored in a data memory 60.

The behavior of the attacker is essentially determined by the recommendations of the inference unit 38 and thus by the knowledge stored therein in the form of rules. The inference unit 38 is constructed as a fuzzy-neural network. A set of rules representing heuristic prior knowledge is stored and processed a priori in the inference means.

By means of the data stored in the data memory 60, the fuzzy-neural network of the inferring unit is continuously further trained on the basis of the rules stored a priori . This is done according to known learning strategies and procedures, which are shown in Fig.2 by a block 62. An arrow 64 symbolizes the change of the fuzzy-neural network of the inference unit 38. By means of these learning strategies and procedures, new rules can be automatically generated and / or the premises (if) or consequence parts (then) of the rules optimally adapted to the behavior of the attacker and destination. It is also possible to optimally adapt the parameters of the fuzzy sets which define the membership functions to the linguistic value ranges of the variables to the circumstances.

In this way, the knowledge manifested in the rules about the Flight crew use continuously and automatically to the changing requirements as a result new tactics, target types, missiles, etc. adapted.

The recorded data in the data memory 60 is also used to store the To complete and update databases 28 and 30 on targets and missiles.

Claims (6)

1. Missile-mission unit for a missile (10) to which sensors (12, 14, 16) for the movement (18) of a target (10) relative to the missile (42) and for the movement (20) of the missile (42), itself are connected

   (a) means (22) for the detection and identification and for the determination of the trace of the target, which are fed with the data of the sensors,

   (b) means (24) for the evaluation and analysis of the situation from the information about position, kind and trace of the target,

   (c) a first database (28), wherein knowledge about potential targets is stored,

   (d) a second database, wherein data about the abilities of the missile are stored, and

   (e) means (26) for generating plans for actions and therefrom for the generation of decision-criteria
   characterized in that

   (f) the means (26) for the generation of plans for actions comprise means (32) for prediction of situations, which access the databases (28, 30) and which are fed with information from the means (24) for the evaluation and analysis of the situation, the means (32) for prediction of the situation extrapolating future situations from the kind of the target and its known properties, the properties of the missile and the movement states.
2. Missile-mission unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the results from the situation forcast are fed to means (34) for the calculation of missile ranges (40, 40A, 40B), possibly relative to the target (10) or possibly different targets possibly for different available types of missiles.
3. Missile-mission unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the results of the calculation are fed to the optimal interference means (38) for the generation of proposals how to react (46).
4. Missile-mission unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the proposals how to react are fed to a human-to-human-interface.
5. Missile-mission unit according to claim 3, characterized in that

   (a) a data memory (60) is provided, wherein data are stored obtained from the simulation or a real air fight training,

   (b) the interference means (3 8) are formed by a fuzzy-neural network and

   (c) training method means (62) are provided, arranged to modify the fuzzy-neural network with the stored data in such a way that laws and/or membership functions of the interference means (38) are continuously adaptable to the actual environment.
6. Missile mission unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the databases (28, 30) of the means (32) for predicting the situations are updated by the simulation- and training data stored in the data memory (60).

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