IL223461A

IL223461A - Weapons-based protection device for vehicles

Info

Publication number: IL223461A
Application number: IL223461A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Diehl Defence Gmbh & Co Kg
Priority date: 2012-02-02
Filing date: 2012-12-06
Publication date: 2017-03-30
Also published as: DE102012002043A1; DE102012002043C5; ZA201300523B; EP2623922A2; DE102012002043B4; EP2623922A3

Description

Weapons-based protection device for vehicles C. 219633 BP 360 XL CM/ST/bu Weapons-based protection device for vehicles The present invention relates to a weapons-based protection device as an assembly for a vehicle without a gun turret in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1 .

Shaped-charge weapons such as rocket-propelled grenades, RPGs for short, represent a significant threat to objects such as vehicles, either in war zones or in areas of political tension. They are used for asymmetric warfare, usually by resistance fighters, Mujahideen or the like. Conventional passive armour cannot protect the vehicle against the penetration capacity of shaped-charge weapons. Large numbers of reasonably priced RPGs are available on the world market and also on the black market. Since they can be fired at close proximity, usually from a hideout, and the crew of a vehicle is no longer able to react to them in the short time available, they represent a quite exceptional threat.

In view of this, there have been moves to fit vehicles with a protection system against such threats. These are protection systems which determine by means of sensors, e.g. radar antennas, when a missile is rapidly approaching the vehicle. A computer is used to calculate the missile's trajectory and flying direction. Depending on the calculated trajectory, a launcher system aimed at the approaching guided missile is activated; a grenade is fired and detonated at a previously calculated point of impact between the fired grenade and the approaching missile, so that the grenade destroys the missile at the point of impact.

Since RPGs are usually fired at short range, i.e. within a 100 metre range, it is particularly important for the launchers to be aimed at the approaching threat very quickly and also very precisely. This requires very high angular accelerations in azimuth and also in elevation. It is necessary here for the required drives (e.g. electric motors) and gears to be limited in terms of weight, in order to create the lowest possible moments of inertia. Corresponding systems are disclosed in DE 10213 691 Al, DE 10230 028 A1 and DE 10024 320 Al, for example.

Since an RPG attack can also be accompanied simultaneously by enemy vehicles and/or personnel approaching the object, a weapons-based protection device also comprises a weapons system (e.g. small or medium-calibre weapons), preferably with an automatic loading device, the mount whereof allows remote control or remote guidance in azimuth and elevation. The weapon can thereby be operated under cover. Weapons systems of this kind significantly increase the combat strength of armoured vehicles and improve the chances of survival by holding down the enemy. The aiming speeds of such weapons systems in azimuth and elevation are significantly slower, however, than the aiming speeds of active protection systems.

The problem addressed by the present invention involves supplying a generic protection device with improved performance.

The present problem is solved in the case of the generic weapons-based protection device by the features of the characteristic part of Claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are claimed in the dependent claims.

The fact that the protection system and the weapons system exhibit a common vertical axis of rotation means on the one hand that the protection system and weapons system can be arranged such that their silhouettes do not shadow one another. On the other hand, structural components such as sensors, drives, electronic controls and/or the energy supply can be jointly used by both systems together, resulting in a weight reduction compared with merely adding a protection system and a weapons system.

The weapons-based protection system is preferably configured such that no shadow is cast by the silhouette of the weapons system in relation to the azimuth movement of the protection system over a 360° range.

The present invention further enables the protection system and the weapons system to be positioned close to the common axis of rotation, so that very low moments of inertia and therefore a very short reaction time can be achieved for the system concerned.

At the same time, the invention enables the firing mechanism of the protection system and the weapons system to be located at different height levels, despite being configured close to the axis of rotation. This means, for example, that the firing mechanism of the protection system can be arranged above the weapons system and pivoted about an angle range of 360°.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the present protection device, a supporting device may be provided, which is rotatable about the common axis and supports either the protection system or the weapons system or both. In this way, mutual shadowing can be prevented, as the supporting device can be turned in addition to the rotational movement of the protection system or weapons system.

In accordance with an embodiment of the supporting device, said device may comprise a ring mounting (hollow mounting, outer mounting) and also a core mounting positioned within the ring mounting, both of which are rotatable about the common axis collinearly but independently of one another. A highly space-saving configuration is thereby possible, which at the same time effectively excludes mutual shading of the systems .

The protection system is advantageously supported by the core mounting. Said mounting only exhibits very low moments of inertia, which means that lightweight drives can be used for very rapid aiming of the protection system at an approaching threat. The weapons system, in contrast, is situated on the ring mounting and is therefore not shaded by the protection system either.

The weapons system may be arranged either radially or tangentially relative to the ring mounting. The tangential arrangement of the weapons system (i.e. of the firing direction thereof) relative to the ring mounting has the advantage that a large radial projection of the structure is not caused and the moments of inertia are therefore low for the weapons system too and consequently the reaction times can also be kept short.

In order to fix the weapons system on the ring mounting, said mounting may be equipped with a fixing bracket (attachment), which simultaneously fixes the rotational axis of the weapons system in terms of elevation.

A further embodiment of the supporting device may be realized by a common turntable. The protection system and/or the weapons system are situated on said turntable, wherein at least one of these systems may be rotatably positioned in an eccentrically or parallel displaced manner relative to the common axis of rotation of the turntable. In this case, the one system can be prevented from shadowing the other by turning the common turntable in conjunction with the selfturning of the protection system or weapons system.

In accordance with a particular embodiment, the common turntable may support a protection system which may exhibit a plurality of revolving supports alongside one another, each having at least one, preferably a plurality, of firing mechanisms. Consequently, approaching threats can be simultaneously engaged independently of each other by one firing mechanism each.

Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with the help of drawing figures. In the figures: Fig. 1 shows a vehicle with a first embodiment of a weapons-based protection device according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a vehicle with a second embodiment of a weapons-based protection device according to the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a vehicle with a third embodiment of a weapons-based protection device according to the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a vehicle with a fourth embodiment of a weapons-based protection device according to the present invention and Fig. 5 shows a vehicle with a fifth embodiment of a weapons-based protection device according to the present invention.

Reference number 10 in Fig. 1 denotes an armoured vehicle without a gun turret which has a weapons-based protection device 1 on the roof. The weapons-based protection device 1 on the one hand comprises a weapons system 4 which can be aimed in azimuth and elevation, e.g. a machine gun, and on the other hand an active protection system 2 aligning the target direction likewise in azimuth and elevation in an automated manner having a plurality of firing mechanisms 3. Using said firing mechanisms it is possible for effectors, such as grenades for destroying an approaching threat, known as hard-kill grenades, to be fired. The hard-kill grenade explodes at the point of impact and destroys the approaching threat before it hits the vehicle.

The weapons-based protection device 1 comprises a computer housed in the interior of the vehicle 10, which, after detecting an approaching threat, calculates the trajectory and point of impact of the approaching threat using a previously fired hard-kill grenade and at the same time controls the aim of the firing mechanism 3.

To determine the position and speed of the approaching threat, the vehicle is, for example, equipped with four peripherally positioned sensors in the form of radar antennas 9a - 9b. These detect the approaching threat and transmit the relevant data to the computer.

Behind the weapons-based protection device 1 is a hatch 12, which is closed during engagement. Because the point of impact between the approaching threat and the hard-kill grenade may be very close to the vehicle 10, the crew is thereby provided with cover against flying parts after the approaching threat has been destroyed.

The weapons system 4 and also the protection system 2 are located on a common axis of rotation according to the invention. In this case, in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 the protection system 2 is supported by a pivotable core mounting 6, on the outer peripheral surface of which is located a ring mounting 5 likewise rotatable about the core mounting 6. On the upper side of the core mounting 6 is situated the firing mechanism 3, so in direct proximity to the common axis of rotation.

The weapons system 4 comprises a machine gun, a viewfinder which enables the crew to survey at least a portion of the terrain from within the vehicle and an automatic charging mechanism or ammunition tracking. The weapons system 4 is radially aligned relative to the ring mounting 5, but simultaneously pivotable in elevation.

The ring mounting 5 has a radial attachment (fixing bracket 11} for this purpose, which at the same time contains the axis of rotation for the elevation of the weapons system 4.

The lower plane of the firing mechanism 3 in this case is arranged at a raised height level, so that no shadow area caused by the weapons system 4 is produced along the entire 360° periphery. The weapons system 4 is not shadowed by the protection system 2 along the entire periphery either.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 2 the weapons system 4 and also the protection system 2 are arranged on a common turntable 7. Consequently, the protection system 2 and also the weapons system 4 each likewise exhibit a common vertical axis of rotation, namely the axis of rotation of the common turntable 7. The protection system 2 and also the weapons system 4 are each additionally provided with their own revolving stand 8b and 8a. On account of the common turntable 7 and the rotatability of the turntables 8a and 8b independently of one another in each case, a mutual shadow area over the entire peripheral region is avoided, despite the displaced configuration relative to one another. The turntables 8a and 8b are each displaced in an axis-parallel manner relative to the common axis of rotation in this case, i.e. relative to the axis of rotation of the turntable 7.

The embodiment of the turntable 7 has the advantage that, as shown in Fig. 3, apart from the weapons system 4 not only one but a plurality of protection systems 2a and 2b may be provided, each with their own turntables 8b and 8c. In this way, simultaneous aiming can take place for a plurality of threats approaching simultaneously independently of one another.

The embodiment according to Fig. 4 shows a supporting device in the form of a single turntable 8, which supports both the protection system and also the weapons system 4 beneath the protection system 2. The axis of rotation of the protection system 2 and of the weapons system 4 is identical. This embodiment is particularly simple and cost-effective to execute. The configuration of the loading mechanism and of the sight of the weapons system 4 is in the vertical in this case and therefore very close to the pivot point of the common axis of rotation, so that particularly low moments of inertia are thereby produced. The rotational movement of the weapons system 4 may also be decoupled from the rotational movement of the turntable 8 with the protection system 2 (or vice versa) in this case, for example through an elongated, automatically rotatable ring mounting, within which the supporting shaft for the protection system 2 runs.

The embodiment according to Fig. 5 corresponds to the embodiment according to Fig. 1. The weapons system 4 in this case is tangentially aligned with the ring mounting 5. A small radial projection of the weapons system 4 is thereby achieved, meaning that this configuration makes for further reduced moments of inertia and therefore an additionally increased reaction speed.

The feature common to all embodiments is that components of the drive, such as electric motors, sensors, electronic controls or the energy supply can be used in a centralized manner for both systems, so that both material and also weight savings result compared with merely adding a protection system with a weapons system. Moreover, advantages are achieved in terms of the degrees of freedom for the azimuth and elevation movement and therefore the effectiveness and efficiency of the protection device. The present invention therefore makes a particular contribution to the relevant technical field.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Weapons-based protection device Jit as an assembly for an object, particularly a vehicle ( Vt) without a gun turret, comprising: an active protection system J ) aligning the target direction, preferably in azimuth and/or elevation, in an automated manner having at least one firing mechanism 0) for the aimed firing of effectors, particularly so-called hard-kill grenades, to protect against approaching threats, a weapons system 0 which can be aimed, preferably in azimuth and/or elevation, in relation to the target direction, characterized in that the protection system it and the weapons system (0) exhibit a common vertical axis of rotation.

2. Protection device according to Claim 1, characterized in that there is no shadow from the silhouette of the weapons system 07 in relation to the azimuth movement of the protection system Ji ) over 360°.

3. Protection device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the firing mechanism (Jt) of the protection system and the weapons system {Jt are located at different height levels.

4. Protection device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a supporting device which is rotatable about the common axis is provided, which supports either the protection system Jt or the weapons system i i\ or both.

5. Protection device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the supporting device comprises a ring mounting ( ) and also a core mounting ^b) positioned within the ring mounting

6. Protection device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the protection system { ή is supported by the core mounting {bή .

7. Protection device according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the weapons system (b is radially aligned to the ring mounting JJirf .

8. Protection device according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the weapons system is tangentially aligned with the ring-shaped mounting ί'5’).

9. Protection device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the ring mounting ) exhibits a fixing bracket , which fixes a horizontal rotational axis of the weapons system ^ ή or protection system for the elevation thereof.

10. Protection device according to Claim 4, characterized in that a common turntable is provided as the supporting device and the azimuth axis of rotation of the protection system ( and/or weapons system (/ ) are positioned in a parallel displaced manner relative to the axis of rotation of the turntable (