EP1679483A1 - Method for controlling a weapon system of a shooting platform and shooting platform for carrying out this method - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves automatically controlling rallying of weapon systems of firing platforms (2a-2e) from detected coordinates of a target, where the coordinates are provided by the remote firing platform (2c). The coordinates of the target are transmitted to each platform. The weapon systems are oriented in direction of the target, where the target is found in sectors of fire (4a-4e) of the weapon systems. An independent claim is also included for a firing platform comprising a weapon system and implementing a weapon system`s rallying controlling method.

Description

The technical field of the invention is that of methods for processing a target from a firing platform.

It is known to implement in the field several firing platforms, generally mobile and carrying one or more weapon systems, for example a gun.

Armored vehicles generally progress in groups of two to five vehicles. Each vehicle is usually provided with target detection means as well as radio communication means.

Conventional engagement tactics include assigning each armored vehicle a defined fire range. The group leader thus assigns each vehicle his sector and he gives the orders of engagement of the shots.

Today, there is a growing problem of the speed of response to a detected threat.

Indeed, if the group is relatively dispersed to cover an area, the detection of a target or a threat is not necessarily made by the group leader vehicle and the time of transmission of location information and orders of commitment may be too long to ensure the destruction of the target.

It is the object of the invention to provide a method for treating a target that does not have such disadvantages.

The invention also proposes a shooting platform implementing such a method.

Thus, the subject of the invention is a method for controlling the rallying of at least one weapon system of at least one firing platform, in which method the weapon system can be oriented in a firing area by rallying means, for example to be able to treat a target located in the sector, characterized in that the means for rallying the weapon system of at least one platform is automatically controlled from the rallying coordinates provided. by a remote station.

• on définit au préalable les secteurs de tir des systèmes d'arme des différentes plate-formes,
• on oriente chaque système d'arme suivant une direction sensiblement médiane de son secteur,
• on transmet à chaque plate-forme les coordonnées d'une cible détectée,
• on oriente automatiquement en direction de la cible le ou les systèmes d'arme pour lesquels ladite cible se trouve dans le secteur de tir.

More particularly, the rally control method comprises the following steps:

• the firing ranges of the weapon systems of the different platforms are defined beforehand,
• each weapon system is oriented in a substantially median direction of its sector,
• the coordinates of a detected target are transmitted to each platform,
• the weapon system (s) for which the target is located in the firing area is automatically oriented towards the target.

According to a variant of the invention, it will also be possible to orient towards a target at least one weapon system for which the target will not be in the firing area.

It will also be possible to point towards the target the weapon system for which the rallying time will be the shortest.

Advantageously, the remote station ensuring the target detection and the transmission of coordinates thereof will be constituted by at least one other shooting platform.

The invention also relates to a firing platform carrying at least one weapon system and a rallying means for orienting the weapon system according to coordinates, for example to be able to process a target, platform implementing the rally control method according to one of the preceding claims and comprising a fire calculator incorporating a coordinate processing means and a communication means, platform characterized in that it incorporates a communication means providing the coordinates target of the processing means and that the joining means is automatically controlled from the coordinate processing means.

The platform may include a validation means for authorizing or not the automatic rallying of the weapon system.

The platform may include a control means for stopping automatic rallying in progress to replace it with rallying controlled by an operator.

The firing platform may incorporate target detection and location means as well as communication means for transmitting the coordinates of the target to at least one other platform.

Advantageously, the firing platform may comprise at least one human-machine interface for displaying on a map the firing areas assigned to the weapon systems of at least one other platform, as well as to the month of a zone. located on either side of each firing area and can be rallied within a predefined time.

The man-machine interface may possibly make it possible to display the rallying times of the weapon systems of the various platforms towards a detected target.

Advantageously, the firing platform may comprise means for expressly commanding the rallying of at least one weapon system from another platform so as to be able to process a target that is not in the sector of fire. shot attributed to it.

The man-machine interface will be able to make it possible to visualize the obstacles, and / or the blind spots and / or the friendly positions and the computer of fire will be able to prohibit the automatic rallying on a target if obstacles and / or friendly positions are interposed between the target and the platform and / or if the target is in a blind spot.

• la figure 1 est une vue d'un groupe de véhicule avant affectation de secteurs de tirs,
• la figure 2 montre le même groupe après affectation des secteurs de tir,
• la figure 3 schématise une plate-forme de tir conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 4 schématise un groupe de véhicule mettant en oeuvre le procédé selon l'invention,
• la figure 5 est un schéma d'interface homme machine permettant de connaître les zones protégées par un groupe de véhicule.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of particular embodiments, a description given with reference to the accompanying drawings and in which:

• FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle group before allocation of firing sectors,
• Figure 2 shows the same group after allocation of firing areas,
• FIG. 3 schematizes a shooting platform according to the invention,
• FIG. 4 schematizes a group of vehicles implementing the method according to the invention,
• Figure 5 is a human machine interface diagram for knowing the areas protected by a vehicle group.

FIG. 1 shows a group 1 of armored vehicles 2 comprising a vehicle 2a leader of the group and four vehicles 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e. Each vehicle carries a weapon system comprising a gun turret 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e.

To monitor an area of land, the group leader vehicle 2a assigns each vehicle of group 1 a firing area 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and 4e. The tubes of the various guns are oriented along median directions Da, Db, Dc, Dd and De of each firing sector.

Thus Group 1 covers a sector of about 180 ° in the direction of its progression.

It would of course be possible to provide vehicles covering a sector of 180 ° behind the group leader vehicle 2a.

Figure 3 shows the organization of a shooting platform 2 according to the invention, for example here the platform 2c.

This firing platform carries a weapon system 3c comprising a turret 5 carrying a gun 6.

The platform 2c incorporates a rallying means 7 which here comprises a first motorization 8 of the turret providing a pivoting thereof with respect to a vertical axis 9 (bearing pointing) and a second motor 10 for pivoting the tube 6 relative to a horizontal axis of the turret 5 (pointing in site).

This joining means 5 makes it possible to orient the tube 6 of the weapon system so as to be able to process a detected target.

The actuators 8 and 10 are driven from one or more electronic control units 11 power control that receive the pointing parameters that are provided by a fire computer 12. The latter receives information from at least one target detector 13 (of radar or infrared technology for example) and it is connected to a human machine interface 14 comprising for example a screen 15, and a keyboard 16 or other means for the transmission of control commands to the firing computer 12 or directly to the power control boxes 11.

The platform 2c also comprises a radio communication means 17 (transmitter / receiver) which makes it possible to exchange data with a remote station, for example with the other platforms.

It also comprises means 18 for processing the coordinates of the target received by the radio communication means 17.

The processing means 18 ensures from the reception of the coordinates of the target, and by means of the firing algorithms incorporated in the firing calculator 12, the calculation of the positioning instructions in site and in the formation for the weapon system 3c. .

Of course, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram that does not prejudge the concrete realization of the different means. In particular, the processing means 18 represented in the form of a block is in fact embodied in the form of particular algorithms incorporated in memories or registers of the firing calculator 12.

It is the same for the means ensuring the processing of the data relating to the targets detected by the detector 13.

FIG. 3 schematizes block 21 as a control means providing an interface between the firing computer 12 and the power box or casings 11. This control means is actuated for example by a line C1 corresponding to the command directly from the man-machine interface 14 (manual control of the turret) or by a line C2 which corresponds to a command provided by the firing computer 12 from the target coordinates calculated from the signals supplied by the detector 13 or introduced by the user using the interface 14.

These control modes C1 and C2 are conventional and commonly used in combat vehicles.

According to the invention, the control means 18 can also be actuated by a line C3 which is derived from the processing means 18 of the target coordinates received from the remote station by the radio communication channel 17.

Thus the weapon system 3c can be controlled automatically, not by its own firing, but from target coordinates provided by a remote station, fixed or mobile, terrestrial or flying like a drone. It will be possible advantageously to choose as remote station another vehicle 2d of group 1.

This reduces the reaction time of each vehicle in the group, since the target coordinates are transmitted simultaneously to all the vehicles of the group by the vehicle having detected the target first. The vehicles can then have their weapon system automatically oriented towards the target detected by one of them.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the orientation of a weapon system will be controlled only if the target is in the firing sector 4 that has been assigned to this weapon system. To do this, it is sufficient to provide the fire computer 12 with a test comparing the coordinates of the target received via the communication means 17 and the geometric definition of the firing sector that has been recorded in a memory of the firing calculator 12 at the beginning. of mission.

It is understood that the calculator incorporates the data relating to the ranges of projectiles fired by the weapon system (s) and that the rallying on a target can be carried out only if the weapon system to be controlled can actually engage it.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the firing platform comprises a validation means 19 (schematized here by a switch on the control line C3). This validation means 19 is actuated from the man-machine interface 14. It makes it possible to prohibit for a given vehicle an automatic homing on a target whose coordinates have been received by the communication means 17.

Such an arrangement makes it possible to maintain the control of the behavior of the different platforms of a given group. The auto-homing mode of operation is then assigned by the group leader to one or the other of the vehicles when assigning the ranges.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the control means (computer 12 and block 21) is designed so that the control channel C1 always has priority. Such an arrangement is easily achieved by appropriate software commands. It is also possible to provide a monostable component which cuts off the control line C3 when a control signal appears on the line C1.

Such an arrangement allows the commander of the tank to always keep control of the evolutions of his weapon system and allows him to stop a rallying movement controlled from the outside to replace it with a manual command, for example to manage another priority.

FIG. 4 schematizes an example of implementation of the method according to the invention. The vehicles 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e have a similar arrangement to that of Figure 2. An enemy vehicle (or target) 20 is identified by the detector 13 of the vehicle 2c. The latter determines the location of the target vehicle with his calculation means and he communicates this information to all the vehicles of the group.

The firing calculators 12 of each vehicle analyze these data and check whether or not the target vehicle 20 is in the firing sector 4 assigned to them.

Here the target vehicle is in the firing area 4d of the vehicle 2d. Only the 3d weapon system of this vehicle will then be oriented towards the target 20. The turret pivots and the tube passes from its initial direction Dd1 to the final direction Dd2. The other platforms do not move because the target vehicle 20 is not in their ranges 4b, 4c, 4d.

According to a second embodiment may be provided means for forcing the rallying of a weapon system even if the target is not in the range of fire assigned to it.

For this it is necessary to provide a Man Machine interface to determine the weapon system or systems best oriented to treat a target.

FIG. 5 shows the screen 15 of such an interface 14. This screen shows a map of the terrain on which the various vehicles 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e are positioned.

In a conventional manner and well known to those skilled in the art the position of each vehicle is known, for example using a satellite positioning device (GPS) or a device for reading relative positions. The vehicles are transmitted to each other permanently their real position through the means of communication 17. Thus each head of vehicle can constantly display on his screen 15 an image giving the position of each.

During the assignment at the beginning of the mission to each vehicle of a firing sector (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d or 4e), the geometric definitions of these sectors have also been transmitted to each vehicle and the screens constantly display them. with an appropriate color.

• une première zone 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d ou 4e (zones hachurées sur la figure) qui correspond aux secteurs à l'intérieur desquels le système d'arme considéré peut se déplacer en moins d'une seconde, et
• une deuxième zone 4a', 4b', 4c', 4d' ou 4e' (zones en grisé sur la figure), zone disposée de part et d'autre de la première zone et qui correspond aux secteurs que le système d'arme peut rallier en un délai compris entre 1 et 3 secondes.

In accordance with the embodiment described herein, each vehicle has been assigned a sector broken down into two parts:

• a first zone 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d or 4e (shaded areas in the figure) corresponding to the sectors within which the weapon system considered can move in less than one second, and
• a second zone 4a ', 4b', 4c ', 4d' or 4e '(shaded areas in the figure), zone disposed on either side of the first zone and corresponding to the sectors that the weapon system can rally within 1 to 3 seconds.

The remainder of the screen 15 is squared which means that weapon systems can only join points in this area with a delay greater than 3 seconds.

Thus each vehicle leader easily visualizes on his screen the rallying capabilities of all vehicles in the group.

When a target is detected by one of the vehicles, it is located on the screen 15 by an appropriate pictogram.

Thus in Figure 5 there is shown a target 20 which is both in the area 4a 'and in the area 4d'. This target was detected for example first by the vehicle 2e.

The latter transmits target coordinates to all vehicles. If the firing sectors programmed at the beginning of the mission are the narrow sectors 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and 4e, no automatic rallying trigger is commanded. It is then necessary to manually assign the rally to the target 20 of one or more weapon systems. According to the invention, this rallying is controlled by the leader of the second vehicle that has detected the target first (which saves reaction time).

The latter will choose one and / or the other vehicles 2a or 2d to treat the target. It will for example support the icon representing the chosen vehicle (by implementing a touch screen). His radio communication means 17 will then send a rallying order accompanied by a vehicle identification code so designated. This order will be imposed on the fire computer 12 independently of the definition of the firing area and the rallying will be automatically controlled via the control channel C3.

From the point of view of technical realization, it is sufficient to provide at the level of the firing computer of each vehicle programming lines allowing, when receiving a target location via the communication channel 17, to no longer compare this location of target with the geometric dimensions of the predefined firing area.

The command thus received will therefore automatically cause the rallying on the designated coordinates whatever they are.

The weapon system for which the rallying time is the shortest can be oriented preferably in the direction of the target. This delay may be apparent to the user of a spatial visualization on the interface of the different rallying times. We can thus predict at the calculator level a module evaluating for each vehicle the real rallying time necessary to align their weapon system with the target. This time can be displayed in clear next to the vehicle, which will help the user to select the vehicle for which the time is the shortest. This shortest time can be displayed on the screen with characters of a different color or size than the characters used for the other calculated times, in order to attract the user's attention more surely. to the best placed vehicle. If the firing sectors programmed at the beginning of the mission are the wide sectors 4b ', 4c', 4d 'and 4e' while the group leader has the narrow firing area 4a. The detection of the target 20 by the vehicle 2c causes according to the invention the automatic rallying of the weapon system 3d.

If the nature of the target, however, requires treatment by at least two weapons systems, the leader of the vehicle 2c may manually assign the rally to the target 20 of another weapon system, for example the weapon system 3a. .

As a variant, it will be possible conventionally to include on the terrain map given by the screen 15 the obstacles (buildings or vegetation), the dead angles of fire of the various vehicles, the friendly positions. This information will make it easier for the user to make a decision. They can also be automatically taken into account at the computer of each vehicle to prohibit certain automatic rallies, especially if the obstacles prevent the treatment of the target or if friendly positions are on the firing path.

It is possible to apply the invention to other types of land or naval platforms. The invention may also be applied to fixed platforms, for example damaged vehicles having lost their mobility but not their firing capability.

The invention can also be applied to other rallies than those needed to process a target. The group leader can thus implement the invention for Automatically order a modification of the weapon system orientations of the different vehicles in the field.

Claims (13)

A method of controlling the joining of at least one weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of at least one firing platform (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e), wherein the weapon system can be oriented in a firing sector (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e) by joining means, for example to be able to treat a target (20) located in the sector, characterized in that we control the joining means of the weapon system at least one platform (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e) automatically from rallying coordinates provided by a remote unit (2c). Rally control method according to claim 1, characterized in that : the firing areas (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e) of the weapon systems (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of the different platforms (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2nd) each weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) is oriented in a substantially median direction of its sector,
transmitting to each platform (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e) the coordinates of a target (20) detected, the weapon system or systems (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) for which said target (20) is located in the firing sector are automatically oriented towards the target. Rally control method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it is also possible to orientate towards a target at least one weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) for which the target (20) is not in the firing area (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e). Rally control method according to claim 3, characterized in that the weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) is oriented in the direction of the target for which the rallying time is the shortest. Rally control method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the remote station providing the target detection (20) and the transmission of the coordinates thereof is constituted by at least one other shooting platform. Shooting platform (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e) carrying at least one weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) and a rallying means (5) for orienting the weapon system. weapon according to coordinates, for example to be able to process a target, platform implementing the rally control method according to one of the preceding claims and comprising a firing calculator (12) incorporating a means (18) for processing the coordinates and a communication means (17), platform characterized in that it incorporates a communication means (17) providing the target coordinates to the processing means (18) and that the rallying means is automatically controlled by from the coordinate processing means (18). Shooting platform according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a validation means (19) for authorizing or not the automatic rallying of the weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e). Shooting platform according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises a control means (12, 21) for stopping an automatic homing in progress to replace it with rallying controlled by an operator. Shooting platform according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it incorporates means (13) for detecting and locating targets as well as communication means (17) for transmitting the coordinates of the target to at least one other platform. Shooting platform according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one man-machine interface (14, 15) for displaying on a map the firing areas (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d). , 4e) assigned to the weapon systems (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of at least one other platform, and to the month a zone (4a ', 4b', 4c ', 4d', 4 ') located on either side of each firing area and can be rallied within a predefined time. Shooting platform according to Claim 10, characterized in that the man-machine interface (14, 15) makes it possible to display the times for joining the systems weapon (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of the different platforms to a detected target. Shooting platform according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that it comprises means for expressly controlling the joining of at least one weapon system (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of another platform (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e) so as to be able to treat a target (20) that is not in the firing area assigned to it. Shooting platform according to one of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the man-machine interface (14, 15) makes it possible to display the obstacles, and / or the blind spots and / or the friendly positions, and in that the firing calculator (12) makes it possible to prohibit automatic homing on a target (20) if obstacles and / or friendly positions are interposed between the target and the platform and / or if the target is in a blind spot .

Images