GB2220731A

GB2220731A - Armoured fighting vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2220731A
Application number: GB8913951A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Doring Aston Linaker
Original assignee: Thales Optronics Ltd
Current assignee: Thales Optronics Ltd
Priority date: 1988-06-18
Filing date: 1989-06-16
Publication date: 1990-01-17
Also published as: GB8913951D0; GB8814529D0

Abstract

An armoured fighting vehicle 10 comprises a boom device 11 mounted at one end on a turret race 12 on the body of the vehicle 10. Device 11 is extensible and retractable and is operable by a drive device 17 within the vehicle 10. It is of the folding arm type having three portions 11A, 11B, 11C, the central portion 11B being connected between portions 11A, 11C by hinge devices 13A, 13B. Arm portion 11C is preferably telescopic. The free end of device 11 carries a sensor pod 14 incorporating a plurality of sensor devices eg. visual viewing sensor, thermal imager and laser rangefinder, the data signals from which are directed along the boom device 11 to the interior of the vehicle 10 to a surveillance monitor 15 therein. <IMAGE>

Description

ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES This invention relates to armoured fighting vehicles.

Modern forms of armoured fighting vehicles incorporate surveillance devices whereby personnel within the vehicle can witness a field of view outside the vehicle. However the known arrangements provide very limited surveillance if the vehicle itself is to remain hidden from view.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an armoured fighting vehicle having a new and improved form of surveillance device.

According to the present invention there is provided an armoured fighting vehicle having an armoured body for housing personnel and a boom device mounted at one end on the exterior of the body, the boom device being extensible and retractable and carrying surveillance sensor means at its end remote from the body, said surveillance sensor means being connected by signal carrying means extending along the length of the boom device to surveillance monitoring means housed within the body and operable by personnel therein.

The boom device preferably is of the folding arm type and may incorporate telescopic extensions. The boom end which is mounted on the vehicle body may be mounted on a turret race or may be rigidly mounted. Conveniently the boom device is capable of extension and retraction by electrical, electro-hydraulic or hydraulic drive arrangements capable of operating for several hours duration in the absence of power delivered from the engine of the armoured fighting vehicle so that the surveillance sensor means may.

be used in a silent watch role. Preferably the boom device is sufficiently structurally rigid to carry the weight of an operator at the boom end remote from the vehicle body.

The surveillance sensor means may themselves be mounted for movement in elevation and azimuth relative to the remote boom end and may include a plurality of individual sensor elements, including a thermal imager. One sensor element may be a direction seeking navigational aid to provide a direction indication of the field of view which is under surveillance at any instant in time.

The surveillance monitoring means housed within the vehicle body may incorporate TV display devices and may be provided with linking means for connecting these display devices to remote stations either by radio communication or by trailing cable.

By virtue of the present invention surveillance is provided from an armoured fighting vehicle which itself can be hidden from view. The field of view of the surveillance can be unlimited and, in particular, can be selected by personnel within the vehicle body operating drive mechanisms for both the boom device and the surveillance sensor means.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing.

In the drawing an armoured fighting vehicle 10 in the form of a tank is provided with a boom device 11 mounted at one end on a turret race 12. The tank may also comprise a turret for armourment (not shown) as well as other relatively conventional armourments not described in the interest of conciseness. Boom device 11 is of the folding arm type having three arm portions llA, llB, llC, the central arm portion 11B being connected between the arm portions 11A, 11C, by hinge devices 13A, 13B. Arm portion 11C is preferably telescopic.The free end of arm portion 11C supports surveillance sensor means 14 which are connected by signal carrying means (not shown) extending along the length of the boom device 11 and coupled through the turret race 12 via a slip ring arrangement to surveillance monitoring means 15 housed within the body 16 of the vehicle 10 so as to be operable by personnel located therein. If monitoring means 15 is located in a turret portion of the vehicle 10 which rotates with rotation of the boom 11 then no slip ring arrangement is required at turret race 12.

Drive means 17 is provided within body 16 for driving boom device 11 into and out of its extended condition and drive means 18 is provided for driving the surveillance sensor means 14 in elevation and azimuth. The drive means 17 is preferably of electro-hydraulic type utilising heavy duty electrical batteries to provide silent operation of hydraulic rams associated with the boom 11. A safety lowering system operable in the event of electrical power failure-is also preferably provided, comprising a manual pump and gradual hydraulic pressure release device.

The drive means 18 is also preferably of the electrohydraulic type with the sensor means 14 mounted in a rotatable pod having at least a limited, but preferably 360 degrees, traverse and a pitch range of 15 degrees above and below horizontal. In the case where 360 degrees traverse is provided data signals to and from the sensor means 14 would be directed through a slip ring arrangement at the interface between the pod and the boom 11. With only limited traverse a wind-up cable would be used.

It will be appreciated that the sensor means 14 may comprise visual viewing sensors, thermal images, laser rangefinders and the like together with a symbology processor to provide an aiming mark in the surveillance monitoring means 15 for use with a fire control system, and a magnetic north detector or other navigational aid to determine the bearing of the viewing sensors. It is of course preferred that the means 14 delivers its various data outputs in a TV compatible format to a data bus so that the monitoring means 15 may be replicated at various stations within the vehicle 10 for use by different crewmen without having to change seats.

The boom device 11 is robust and invulnerable to damage from small arms and shell fragments and is flexible in orientation being capable of both elevation and azimuthal movements so that the sensor means 14 can effectively look round corners without exposing the vehicle 10 to view. By virtue of the boom device 11 being mounted on the vehicle 10 it is portable and rapidly capable of being re-positioned either by adjustment of the boom device relative to the vehicle 10 or by movement of the vehicle 10 or by a combination of both whether or not the boom device 11 is in its extended condition.

To provide stability of the vehicle 10 when the boom device 11 is extended it is preferred that the vehicle suspension system be rendered rigid to prevent dynamic shifts altering the hull pitch and roll parameters.

Preferably also hull pitch and roll limit switches override the drive means 17 to prevent extension of the boom device 11 when measured values of hull pitch and roll parameters exceed preset values. In this connection it will be appreciated that since the sensor means 14, in use, is remote from the hull of the vehicle 10 being carried at the free end of the relatively slender boom device 11 to pitch and roll parameters of the sensor means 14 will be different from those of the hull and so sensor pod pitch and roll measuring devices are required in means 14.

Claims

1. An armoured fighting vehicle having an armoured body for housing personnel and a boom device mounted at one end on the exterior of the body, the boom device being extensible and retractable and carrying surveillance sensor means at its end remote from the body, said surveillance sensor means being connected by signal carrying means extending along the length of the boom device to surveillance monitoring means housed within the body and operable by personnel therein.

2. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boom device is of the folding arm type.

3. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the boom device incorporates at least one telescopic extension.

4. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the boom device is sufficiently structurally rigid to carry the weight of an operator at the boom end remote from the vehicle body.

5. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the surveillance sensor means are themselves mounted for movement in elevation and azimuth relative to the remote boom end.

6. An armoured fighting vehicle as claim in any preceding claim, wherein the boom end which is mounted on the vehicle body is mounted on a turret race.

7. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the boom device is operable by electro-hydraulic means utilising electrical batteries as the power source to enable silent operation of the boom device.

8. An armoured fighting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.