GB2240162A - An interdict weapon - Google Patents

Abstract

An interdict weapon, which is effective over a fairly large area, includes a launcher having a sensor-controlled aiming mechanism 16 which is swivellable to select one of a plurality of launch openings (17) for the firing of discus-like short cylindrical projectiles (13) into shallow elongate looping flight paths (25') over the target area so that the launching device 12 does not have to absorb any firing forces of reaction. The projectiles (13) each have a projectile forming charge and a seeker fuze and are fired to rotate about their spin axis 25 preferably in pairs 13a, 13b so as to spin in opposite directions. The pairs may be supported side-by-side on distance pieces 22 of a guide rail 12 and fired by a small rocket engine 32 which operates a pull mechanism 33 and also blows its gas jet 34 through the space between the mutually adjacent peripheries (23) of the projectiles to rotate them. Alternatively the engine 32 may be positioned to act as a blowing thrust drive: in this case it either blows gas through the inter-projectile space or pushes via rod (38), passing through the space and engaging said peripheries 23 either frictionally or by a rack. <IMAGE>

Description

1 AN INTERDICT WEAPON 2 2 -11 c) 1_ C5:2- The invention relates to an

interdict weapon comprising a launching device which can be erected In the vicinity of a target area and which is equipped with at least one sensor for target-position-dependent orientation of its aiming unit from which projectiles can be fired towards the target object.

Such an interdict weapon is known as a defensive system having several projectiles from DE-PS 23 36 040. For the desired effect in the target object, of course, a very accurate alignment of the aiming unit for a bunch of small-calibre relatively light projectiles which have a mutually parallel launching orientation, is necessary. This calls for high sighting -control expenditure both in azimuth and in elevation. Despite practically recoilfree firing of a projectile, however, mechanical reactions on the launching device are not precluded, so that e.g. after a displacement of the launching device the surrounding area has to be scanned and classified anew, which results in relatively long periods of time for the re-aiming for the firing of another projectile at a further target object.

In recognition of these factors, the problem underlying the invention is to design an interdict system which can be constructed to be highly effective against targets, and to be less affected by repercussions on the 2 launching device of the launching of the projectiles.

In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to provide a solution to the problem by providing an interdict weapon having a launching device which can be positioned in the vicinity of the target area to hurl away projectiles which are configurated in a discus-like or short-cylindrical manner to fly roughly in the direction of a target object that is to be combatted.

Such projectiles can have a combat charge of greater penetrating power than direct aimed small-calibre projectiles, and can be used in indirect fire because they are each equipped with a projectile-forming warhead and with a seeker fuze, as described in more detail for instance in US-PS 4,587,902.

The present invention further provides an indict weapon comprising a launching device which can be erected in the vicinity of a target area and which is equipped with at least one sensor for target pos ition-dependent orientation of its aiming unit from which projectiles can be fired towards the target object, characterised in that the aiming unit is equipped with mutually azimuthally differently oriented launch openings for launching discus-like or short -cylindrical projectiles havin seeker fuzes in the direction of the target object acquired by the launching device sensor so that each projectile rotates about its axis as it travels along a 3 shallow, elongate curved flight path over the target area with its seeker fuze pointing at the target area.

It is indeed already known f rom DE-PS 30 42 063 to move a projectile with a stabilisation spin along a rectilinear flight path over a target and to superimpose on this motion a wobbling motion for sensor scanning of the largest possible surf ace-area of the target area.

However, the generation of such superimposed rotational and processional motions is problematical if the effective body is not ejected as submunition from a carrier of, in comparison with the projectile, very great mass (for instance in accordance with DE-OS 31 27 674), but instead is to be accelerated from a launching device which is, in comparison therewith, relatively light and, depending on the substrate factors, scarcely anchored to the ground. Moreover, in the case of a non-stationary carrier (see also DE-OS 23 40 653), which delivers the projectiles in the manner of scatter munition, the problem of the maintenance of the stationarily surveyed alignment in the terrain anyway does not occur. Also the f iring by means of a centrifugal catapulting device (in accordance for instance with DEOS 28 13 840) is out of the question, because such a launching device cannot absorb in a reaction-free manner the quite considerable forces and moments of reaction which would occur upon the catapulting away of the relatively heavy projectile. To this extent more favourable would be a launching of 1 4 several projectiles in directions which are related one another with respect to the forces of reaction reduce the resultant forces on the launching device accordance with EP-OS 144 293; however, such an oppositely directed ejection does not produce the inherent motions, necessary for reasons of stability and sensor system function, about the effective-body normal axis, and the departure in very different dirtections does not produce an effective combatting of a specific target object.

to to in These further problems are reduced in preferred embodiments of the interdict weapon in accordance with the invention, wherein two projectiles are accelerated in a substantially recoil-free manner approximately azimuthally in parallel in a launch direction and rotationally to spin with oppositely directed rotations about axes oriented perpendicular to the launch direction, the rearward extension of which is preferably oriented approximately through the mass centre of gravity of the launching device. The f iring of such a pair of projectiles not only yields the advantage of a higher probability of destruction in the target object, but it also makes it particularly simple to accelerate the two effective bodies out of the rest position. For example, a drive may be effective on both projectiles simultaneously in the launch direction and may press the peripheries of the projectiles into frictional or rolling i 1 mechanical engagement with aiming-channel side walls which are parallel to the launch direction, in order to generate the oppositely directed spins, and thereby mutually compensating torque reactions, of the two projectiles as they are accelerated in the launch direction towards the free flight paths.

Additional alternatives and further developments as well as further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the appended claims and, also taking into account what is set forth in the abstract, from the following description of preferred examples of embodiments of the invention which are shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, which drawings are restricted to show only that which is essential and are not true-to-scale. In the drawings:-

FIGURE 1 shows a typical scenario f or the use of the interdict weapon in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 shows a launch rail, equipped with a pair of projectiles, in cross-section, FIGURE 3 shows a towing drive for a pair of projectiles, FIGURE 4 shows a blast-jet drive for a pair of projectiles, 6 FIGURE 5 shows a thrust-rod drive for a pair of projectiles, and FIGURE 6 shows a modified thrust-rod drive.

The interdict weapon 11 shown in FIGURE 1 has a launching device 12, which is set up manually or which is self-righting in an air-delivered manner, for holding and launching projectiles 13 (13a,13b) which can be fired therefrom for combatting target objects 14, more especially mobile armoured ones, that are to be repulsed. The approach or relative-position of a target with respect to the launching device 12 is ascertained by means of a direction-finding sensor 15, which sensor can be, for instance, a facette sensor or a gradient direction finder, and which sensor works in acousticly or in the optical, thermal or microwave range of the radiation spectrum, in order to pick up radiation reflected by the target object or amanating from the target object and to evaluate same in a direction-wise as well as possibly range-wise manner. An aiming unit 16, arranged above the sensor 15, of the launching device 12 is then swivelled in accordance with the sensor information by motor in such a way that a one of its launch openings 17 still equipped with with usable projectiles 13 points at least approximately into the space sector of the target area in which the target object 14 that is to be combatted has been acquired.

1 1 1.

7 After completion of this aiming procedure a drive 18 is activated, in order to fire off the pair of projectiles 13a-13b. The projectiles 13 are configurated in a shortcylindrical drum or disc-like manner or a discuslike manner. The pair lie transversely to the launch direction 20 side-by-side on a guide rail 19 pointing upwardly somewhat (about 40) relative to the horizontal. The rail 19 is formed at the bottom of an aiming channel 21 which is open in a U-shaped manner or is closed in the manner of a tube with a non-circular cross-section, and is equipped with longitudinal -rib- shaped or knob-shaped distance pieces 22 to reduce the gravity-dictated sliding friction. If the rail 19 is equipped with side walls 24, the projectiles are supported in rolling therewith. This pressure oriented transversely to the rail's longitudinal axis can be further increased through the action of the propulsive force acting between the projectiles 13a-13b. This is advantageous more especially when the effective bodies 13 have relatively high mass moments of inertia about their, nominally vertical, axes.

If, thus, from the drive 18 there acts on the mutually facing adjacent regions of the peripheries 23a, 23b of the projectiles 13a, 13b a force component in the launch direction 20 and, thus, in the longitudinal direction of the aiming channel 21, they are propelled along with oppositely directed rotary motions about thear axes which are oriented in a mutually parallel manner, In 8 which respect they possibly roll along the side walls 24a, 24b. In any event, they experience not only an acceleration in the launch direction 20, but, in addition to this, oppositely directed rotations about their respective axis of rotation 25a, 25b oriented perpendicular to the launch direction 20. The f light paths 251 after release from the guide rail 19 therefore extends, as shown in FIGURE 1, in a somewhat oppositelydirected looping manner. A desirable flight path f anning-out results through intentional imbalances upon the design of the projectiles 13. More especially also superimposed processional motions for the enlargement of the search region of the seeker fuze 26, which is oriented under the respective effective body 13, into the target area 27, can thereby be brought about, as described in more detail in DE-OS 33 45 6G1 for a preferred design of such a seeker-fuze projectile 13 with a projectile-forming warhead liner.

If, to promote the oppositely directed rotary motions, the guide rail 19 is equipped with side walls 24, then their inner surfaces, and/or the peripheries 23 of the projectiles, can be equipped with a material of high coefficient of friction (such as for instance roughened rubber) and/or a surface relief or texture design to promote a frictional engagement 28 (FIGURE 2) to effect the rolling motion; or said inner surfaces and peripheries are profiled for mutual mechanical 9 interengagement, e.g. they may be provided with toothing 29 (FIGURE 5).

In FIGURE 3 it is taken into account that f or the avoidance of a too bulky launching device 12 in the delivery phase it can be advantageous to hinge the mutually differently oriented guide rails 19 by way of e.g. folding hinges 30 to the aiming unit 16 of the launching device 12. Only in the erected position of the launching device 12 do the aiming channels 21 then swing out of an uprighted parallel position into the slightly inclined working position (FIGURE 3). In order to compensate as well as possible for the influence, which is great by virtue of small departure difficulty (inclination), of the force of gravity on the launch kinematics, also a telescope-like extension 31 at least of the guide rails 19 can be extracted manually or be run out by motor, In order to provide longer support during departure of the projectiles.

In the exemplified instance of FIGURE 3 (in the case of which to simplify the drawing the guide rail 19 with the projectiles 13a, 13b resting thereon is shown swivelled out of the horizontal into the vertical), a pulling drive 18.1 in the form of a sustainer (propulsion engine) 32 is provided, which acts by way of a pull mechanism 33 in the form of rods or cables at the axes of rotation 25 on the projectiles. The engine gas jet 34 4 passes through a narrow pass defined between the pair of projectiles 13ja-13b and thereby displaces these into oppositely directed rotary motion (in the appropriate circumstances along with simultaneously rolling pressure against aiming-channel side walls 24), before it passes into an outlet channel 35 of the launching device 12. At the same time this recoil-free device 18.1 (in the appropriate circumstances under the stabilising Influence of a vane guide 36 extending between the aiming-channel side walls 24 or stabilised by a tail assembly, not shown, set back rearwardly on a mounting support) starts to move in the launch direction 20 and pulls the rotating effective bodies 13 along behind it. By way of a mechanical, electrical or pyrotechnical time mechanism or respectively by reason of emergence from the aiming channel side walls 24 a separating mechanism 37 is activated, which cuts the pull mechanism 33 between sustainer 32 and projectiles 13, so that the projectiles 13 then change over into their free flight paths 2Wa, 25b (FIGURE 1).

In the case of a blowing thrust drive 18.2 in accordance with FIGURE 4, on the other hand, an engine 32.2 is arranged stationarily in the region of the transition from the launching -device aiming unit 16 to the guide rail 19, the reaction gas jet 34 of which now passes through (contrary to the conditions in accordance with FIGURE 3) in the launching direction 20 between the z J two projectiles 13a-13b. Thus, the projectiles 13 are here by way of the gas jet 34 at the same time set into rotation and set into motion In the launching direction (and in the appropriate circumstances again pressed in rolling manner against aiming-channel side walls 24). With the emergence from the side walls 24 or respectively with the leaving of the telescope-shaped extension 31 of the aiming-channel guide rail 19, the projectiles 13 again pass into their elongatedly-loop-shaped free flight 10 paths 25' (FIGURE 1).

A form engaging thrust drive 18.3 in accordance with FIGURE 5 acts similarly in the force engaging, blowing thrust drive 18.2 in accordance with FIGURE 4. Serving is for imparting the motion from the drive mechanism 32 to the projectiles 13 in the (here extremely short) aiming channel is now a double-sided rack 38, which in the launch direction 20 engages between the projectiles 13 with peripheral toothing 39 and is likewise guided in a low-friction manner on the aiming-channel guide rail 19.

The recoil-free engine 32 situated in front of an exit channel (corresponding to 35 in FIGURE 3) accelerates e.g. a piston rod 40, which in the interests of axially compact construction as shown can engage coaxially telescopically into a rearwardly open blind hole bore 41 of the rack.

12 The free flight paths 251 experience a favourable mutual fanning-out if the abutment of the peripheries 23 of the projectiles against aimingchannel side walls 24 is terminated before the rack 38 (or in the case of FIGURE 4 the ef fect of the waste-gas jet 34) passes out of engagement with the mutually facing projectile peripheries 23, so that then for a short time additionally a force component transversely to the launching direction becomes effective.

FIGURE 6 shows a further variant for a drive 18, in the case of which a rack 38 corresponding to that in accordance with FIGURE 5 is not set in motion indirectly by way of a piston rod, but is itself equipped (frontally, or as here) rearwardly with an acceleration engine 32, which emerges after the constructionally preset toothing rolling path between the pair of projectiles 13a-13b. The rack 38 is here carried by the rocket tube 42, which is for its part guided (transversely to the plane of the drawing) by housingfast sliding tongs.

In all instance of the drive 18 acting centrally between two projectiles 13a-13b in or contrary to the launching direction 20 it is ensured that the launching device 12 practically does not have to absorb any forces of reaction and moments of reaction by reason of the projectile launching. In this way a displacement of the t 1 13 launching device as a reaction to the firing even in the case of not well anchored erection or respectively in the case of slight mass of the launching device, and thus also a departure error brought about by launching-device displacement, is practically precluded. The described introduction of the translatory and rotational motions is effected at all times in a recoil- free manner, so that mass forces and drive precisely compensate one another. The opposed identical rotational accelerations of the pair of projectiles 13a-13b do not produce any resulting moment of reaction on the launching guide rail 19 on the aiming unit 16; and forces of reaction to the acceleration in the launching direction 20 do not occur here, since the drive 18 is designed as a small rocket engine, which over the acceleration path has to apply only relatively slight forces.

C 14

Claims (12)

1. An interdict weapon having a launching device which can be positioned in the vicinity of the target area to hurl away projectiles dies which are configurated in a discus-like or short-cylindrical manner to fly roughly in the direction of a target object that is to be combatted.

2. An interdict weapon comprising a launching device which can be erected in the vicinity of a target area and which is equipped with at least one sensor for targetposition-dependent orientation of its aiming unit from which projectiles bodies can be fired towards the target object, characterised in that the aiming unit is equipped with mutually azimuthally differently oriented launch openings for launching discus-like or short -cylindrical projectiles having seeker fuzes in the direction of the target object acquired by the launching device sensor so that each projectile rotates about its axis as it travels along a shallow, elongate curved flight path over the target area with its seeker fuze pointing at the target area.

3. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that from each launch opening a pair of projectiles can be accelerated in a recoilfree manner both linearly and rotationally so as to have oppositely i 1 i i ZJ Z directed rotation about their axes which are parallel to one another.

4. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that for each pair of projectiles a common drive is provided, which, coaxially with the launch direction out of the launch opening into the free flight path, acts in the region between the two mutually adjacent projectiles on the peripheries of the projectiles.

5. An interdict weapon according to Claim 4, characterised in that the rotational attack on the pair of projectiles is effected by the gas jet of a rocket engine of the common drive.

6. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the rotational motion of the pair of projectiles Is effected by a rod which is moved in the launching direction, by a rocket engine of the common drive and which stands in operative connection in a formor friction-engaging manner with the peripheries of the projectiles.

7. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 4, 5 or 6, characterised in that the common drive is a pulling drive provided in front of the pair of projectiles, which drive is connected to the projectiles by way of a separable C 16 pull mechanism.

8. An interdict weapon as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the common drive acts between the pair of projectiles with a force component, oriented transversely to the launching direction, to urge diametrically opposed regions of the peripheries of the projectiles bodies into friction- or form- rolling engagement with side walls of the launch opening, which side walls extend parallel to the launching direction.

9. An interdict weapon as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that provided in the region of the launch opening is a guide rail which is oriented in the launching direction; and in that each projectile is supported by distance pieces, which are of small surface-area in cross- section, of the guide rail.

10. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that the guided rail is equipped with rolling side walls and with a telescopic rail extension.

11. An interdict weapon as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the guide rail is hinged, so as to be foldable out of a delivery position into a launching position, by the aiming unit of the launching device.

12. An interdict weapon or launching device i 1 17 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURE 1, or FIGURE 1 as modified by any one or more of FIGURES 2 to 6, of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1991 atThe Patent OMce, State House. 66/71 High Holbom, London WCIR4'1?. Further copies maybe obtained from Sales Branch, Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cwmfelinfach. Cross Keys, Newport. NPI 7RZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray. Kent.