RU2816326C1 - Air launched unmanned aerial vehicle with combat charge and method of its use - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aviation.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to unmanned aerial vehicle and method of its application. Unmanned aerial vehicle contains fuselage with head, middle and tail parts, power plant with nozzle and air intake, swept wing, two-keel all-moving empennage, warhead located inside fuselage, optical system, navigation system sensors and onboard intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks. To use an unmanned aerial vehicle, it is carried out by a carrier aircraft, starting and flying along a given route to reach a given area, searching for targets, their recognition, transmitting information on detected and identified targets to an air command post or a mobile ground control station, making a decision on hitting the object independently or with the help of an operator of the control station.

EFFECT: enabling increase in the target hitting range and increase in the carrier aircraft safety.

8 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of military aviation equipment, in particular to an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle with a combat charge, designed to destroy a wide range of objects, and a method for its use.

Currently, aviation means of destroying front-line aircraft in the vast majority of cases require external target designation.

From an analysis of the state of the art, the following methods of targeting guided airborne weapons against front-line aircraft are known: a radio command method of guidance, a method of guidance by radar radiation, a method of guidance by external target designation to a laser illumination source, and a method of targeting a target with pre-known coordinates.

During radio command guidance of aircraft weapons, the crew adjusts the flight path of the weapons according to data received from the television head for guidance of the weapons. The disadvantages of this method of guidance include the following: dependence of the quality of guidance on weather conditions, i.e. the use of weapons in rain, fog or heavy haze is significantly more difficult; relatively short range of application, which is limited by the capabilities of the data transmission channel, i.e. it is required that the carrier aircraft be located at a short distance from the weapon; exposure of the weapon to interference, i.e. There is a need to ensure stable radio communications to enable continuous guidance.

When implementing the method of aiming aircraft weapons at a radio-emitting target, the sensitive element of the weapon constantly receives the signal emitted by the target. Accordingly, to be able to use this method, the target must continuously emit radio waves. If the target stops emitting radio waves, the targeting accuracy of the weapon is reduced and further guidance can only be carried out by predicting the coordinates of the radiation point. In this case, the target must emit radio waves at a certain frequency at which the sensitive element of the weapon operates. In addition, the sensitive element of the weapon must receive preliminary target designation from the electronic reconnaissance system of the carrier aircraft.

The method of aiming aircraft weapons at a laser illumination source is carried out using reflection of a signal from the target and reception of the signal by the sensitive element of the weapon, with the signal source being an external element of the guidance system. Accordingly, the signal passage depends on weather conditions, i.e. the use of weapons in rain, fog or heavy haze is significantly more difficult. The disadvantage of this method of guidance is also the need for an external illumination source and the relatively short range of use of the weapon, which is limited by the capabilities of the external illumination source and the sensitivity of the receiving element of the weapon.

When aiming aircraft weapons at a target with pre-known coordinates, the weapon hits the point, guided by the data of the global satellite navigation system and by the data of its own navigation system. At the same time, there is a high probability of suppression of global satellite navigation system data along the flight route of the weapon and in the target area, which can lead to a significant miss of the weapon and is a significant drawback.

From patent RU 2380652 C1, published. 01/27/2010, Cl. F42B 25/00, a known guided aerial bomb containing a body, empennage, suspension units, a guidance and control system, and an engine block including a fuel tank, a fuel tank pressurization system, a turbojet engine, engine control equipment and a fuel supply system to the engine, protruding behind the contours of the hull and connected by a communication line to the guidance and control system.

From patent RU 2595748 C1, published. 08/27/2016, Cl. F42B 15/00, a guided munition is known, which includes a nose cone containing a satellite navigation system with an antenna, a housing with a separation device, a precision guidance unit and electronic control equipment.

From patent RU No. 2778177, published. 08/15/2022, Cl. B64C 39/00, a multifunctional small-sized transformable reusable unmanned aerial vehicle in a transport and launch container is known, containing an axisymmetric fuselage, replaceable target load modules, navigation, control and two-way radio communication units, a sustainer power plant, an adapter frame coaxially connected to the fuselage with a launch and acceleration unit stage with stabilizers, folding wing and rudders.

From RU patent No. 2687319, published. 05/13/2019, Cl. В64С 39/02, F41H 13/00, В64С 3/56, an unmanned strike system with variable wing geometry is known, containing an aircraft with a combat element and a control unit, a satellite navigation system, a video camera, a range finder, electrically connected to the control unit. In this case, the wing of the apparatus consists of a fixed and detachable part. The fixed part of the wing is rigidly fixed to the body of the aircraft, the detachable part is mechanically connected to the fixed part by a destructible connection and spring-loaded pins that fit into bushings inside the fixed part.

The objective of the invention is to create an autonomous aircraft weapon capable of hitting a wide range of objects, including targets of a known type with unknown coordinates in a given search area at a considerable distance from the carrier aircraft.

To solve this problem, an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle with a combat charge was created designed to destroy a wide range of operationally scouted stationary and moving objects in counteraction conditions with automatic recognition of the type of target and making a decision to defeat it, including a fuselage containing a head part, a middle part, and a tail part , power plant, power plant nozzle, power plant air intake, swept wing, twin-fin all-moving tail, warhead located inside the fuselage, optical system, navigation system sensors, magnetic heading sensor and on-board intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks.

The cross-section of the fuselage of an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle has an essentially trapezoidal shape with the sides sloping inward relative to the plane of symmetry of the aircraft.

The two-fin all-moving tail of an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted at an angle relative to the plane of symmetry of the aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle has an optical system that contains a camera operating in the visible wavelength range, or a camera operating in the infrared wavelength range, or a camera system operating in both the visible and infrared wavelength range.

The warhead of an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle is a high-explosive charge, a high-explosive fragmentation charge, a high-explosive fragmentation incendiary charge, and a shaped charge.

The method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle for air launch includes transportation of the aircraft at the suspension point of the carrier aircraft, exchange of information between the aircraft and an air command post or mobile ground control post, launch of the aircraft to the line of combat contact, autonomous flight of the aircraft as specified in the flight mission route, an aircraft entering a given area, searching for targets when flying along a route specified in a flight mission or an independently constructed search route, transmitting information from an aircraft camera about detected and recognized targets in real time to an air command post or mobile ground control post .

When implementing the method of using an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle in the event of detection of a target by the aircraft, the following options for its use are possible: the unmanned aerial vehicle independently makes a decision to hit the target according to the target database and the corresponding target priority table, or the operator makes a decision to hit the target.

The invention achieves the following technical result.

The unmanned aerial vehicle is autonomous and does not require preliminary target designation, has low radar signature, small dimensions, low aerodynamic resistance, has the ability to be used against a wide range of targets at any time of the day and in any weather conditions, ensures maximum damage, and can be used on a significant distance from the carrier aircraft, ensures the safety of the carrier aircraft, increases the likelihood of detecting and hitting a target, both openly located and hidden, allows for incidental reconnaissance and information transfer, has a simple design, is cheap and available in mass production.

The invention is illustrated by the following images:

fig. 1 - Tactics of autonomous use of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

fig. 2 - Tactics for using an unmanned aerial vehicle in conjunction with a mobile ground control point (GCP);

fig. 3 - Tactics for using an unmanned aerial vehicle in conjunction with an air command post (ACP).

An air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle is a loitering munition and is intended for single use. The air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage, a swept wing, a two-fin all-moving tail, an air intake, a nozzle and attachment points. The warhead is located inside the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a propulsion system, an optical system, navigation system sensors and an on-board intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks.

The fuselage of an unmanned aerial vehicle consists of a head part, a middle part, and a tail part. An optical system window is located on the lower surface of the head part of the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The power plant air intake is located on the upper surface of the middle part of the fuselage. The power plant nozzle is located in the rear fuselage of the aircraft.

The plumage of the unmanned aerial vehicle consists of a swept wing and a two-fin all-moving tail. The swept wing and two-fin all-moving tail are designed to be foldable. The swept wing includes right and left folding consoles. The two-fin all-moving tail includes right and left folding consoles. In the transport position, the swept wing consoles are retracted under the lower surface of the fuselage with an overlap. In the flight position, the swept wing consoles rotate and occupy a flight position. In the transport position, the consoles of the two-fin all-moving tail are folded along the side surface of the fuselage. In the flight position, the consoles of the two-fin all-moving tail rotate and occupy a flight position and are a continuation of the side generatrix of the fuselage. Making the consoles of the swept wing and the two-fin all-moving tail of the unmanned aerial vehicle foldable ensures a reduction in the dimensions of the unmanned aerial vehicle, minimization of aerodynamic drag during transportation, as well as the possibility of placing the unmanned aerial vehicle in the internal compartments of the carrier aircraft.

The cross-sectional shape of the fuselage of an unmanned aerial vehicle is essentially a trapezoid with the sides “sloping” inwards relative to the plane of symmetry of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The swept wing and two-fin all-moving tail of the unmanned aerial vehicle are inclined at an angle relative to the plane of symmetry of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The air intake and nozzle are located out of line of sight when viewing the aircraft from below. This design of the unmanned aerial vehicle ensures minimization of peaks in the reflection of radio waves from its surface, which ensures minimization of the effective scattering surface, i.e. low radar signature of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Unmanned aerial vehicle attachment points are front and rear yokes designed for attaching an unmanned aerial vehicle to aircraft ejection devices (ACU) or universal intra-fuselage ejection devices (UVCU).

The unmanned aerial vehicle is used from standard aviation ejection devices of the AKU-58 type from external hardpoints and from universal intra-fuselage ejection devices of the UVKU-50 type from the internal hardpoints of front-line aviation aircraft.

The warhead is located inside the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle. An unmanned aerial vehicle can be equipped with different types of warheads: a high-explosive charge, a high-explosive fragmentation charge, a high-explosive fragmentation incendiary charge or a shaped charge. The ability to deploy various types of projectiles as the warhead of an unmanned aerial vehicle ensures the destruction of a wide range of targets. Thus, an unmanned aerial vehicle allows you to destroy armored and unarmored targets, causing maximum damage.

The power plant of the unmanned aerial vehicle is represented by one turbojet engine, ensuring flight at altitudes from 0 to 8 km and speeds corresponding to Mach numbers from 0.11 to 0.6.

The optical system of an unmanned aerial vehicle contains a camera operating in the visible wavelength range, or a camera operating in the infrared wavelength range, or a camera system operating in both the visible and infrared wavelength ranges.

The optical system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, together with the on-board intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks, ensures autonomous detection and recognition of targets and guidance of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the target. When using a camera operating in the near and/or far infrared wavelength range, detection and recognition of targets is possible at any time of the day and in any meteorological conditions.

An on-board intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks allows for autonomous search and independent decision-making to hit targets, which allows the carrier aircraft not to enter the enemy’s air defense coverage area, which ensures the safety of the carrier aircraft and the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle at a considerable distance from the carrier aircraft, and also ensures that the unmanned aerial vehicle conducts reconnaissance and transmits information about detected targets to a ground control post or air command post until one of the targets is hit. Reconnaissance information about detected targets, telemetric information about the performance and location of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and video footage of the target before its defeat is transmitted to the ground control post or air command post.

The tactics for using an unmanned aerial vehicle are as follows.

The unmanned aerial vehicle is transported on the carrier aircraft's hardpoint. The unmanned aerial vehicle can be controlled both from a carrier aircraft, which plays the role of an air command post, and from a mobile ground control post, and is also completely autonomous. During the transportation of an unmanned aerial vehicle, information about the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle and its readiness for launch is transmitted to the carrier aircraft or a mobile ground control point. Information exchange is carried out before and after separation of the unmanned aerial vehicle from the carrier aircraft within the range of the communications complex.

The launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle is carried out to the line of combat contact. Next, the unmanned aerial vehicle carries out an autonomous flight along the route specified in the flight mission using navigation system sensors. When entering a given target area, the unmanned aerial vehicle begins a search along the route specified in the flight mission or builds an independent optimal search route in the given target area. Data from the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle and information about detected and/or recognized targets in real time are transmitted to the air command post or to the mobile ground control post.

Further, when a target is detected, two fundamentally different options for using an unmanned aerial vehicle are possible. In the first option, the unmanned aerial vehicle operates autonomously, without the use of a mobile ground control post and an air command post (Fig. 1). In the second option, the unmanned aerial vehicle operates using external target designation together with a mobile ground control point via the communication system of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the ground control point "BBVS-NPU" (Fig. 2) or with an air command post via the communication system of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the air command post "BBVS-VKP" (Fig. 3).

In the case of using the tactics of an unmanned aerial vehicle in autonomous mode, the target is hit as follows. After detecting and autonomously recognizing a target (without operator participation), the unmanned aerial vehicle independently makes a decision to hit the target according to the target database and the corresponding target priority table. To implement this application, the unmanned aerial vehicle has the ability to automatically detect and recognize as many target types as possible. At the same time, the connection of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the ground control point (“BBVS-NPU”) or with the air command control post (“BBVS-VKP”) can be maintained to be able to transmit information about the state of the unmanned aerial vehicle, its coordinates, types and coordinates of detected targets .

Autonomous tactics of an unmanned aerial vehicle have the following advantages. There is no need for external target designation, i.e. the unmanned aerial vehicle independently searches for a target in the search area using an optical system. The separation of the unmanned aerial vehicle occurs before the line of combat contact, which makes it possible not to put the expensive carrier aircraft at risk and ensure the safety of the carrier aircraft. After the unmanned aerial vehicle is launched from the carrier aircraft, the unmanned aerial vehicle is completely autonomous, i.e. has complete independence from the carrier aircraft, and the carrier aircraft can return to its home airfield or carry out tasks in accordance with its flight mission. Thus, the unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized by a long range of use.

In the second variant of using an unmanned aerial vehicle, the operator makes a decision to hit the target. In this case, detection and recognition of detected target types is carried out automatically by an unmanned aerial vehicle, and target marking is carried out by the operator. In this case, the target can also be marked by the operator without automatic detection and recognition by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In both cases, after switching to the “Attack” mode, the unmanned aerial vehicle autonomously forms a flight path to the target to destroy it. If the target is not found within the allotted time, then the unmanned aerial vehicle destroys the target with pre-known coordinates specified in the flight mission.

If several targets are detected in the search area, the unmanned aerial vehicle can transmit information about them to the ground control post or air command post. Detected targets can be hit either by newly launched unmanned aerial vehicles or other fire weapons, for example, cannon or rocket artillery, army or front-line aviation, to which information about the detected targets will be transmitted for their further destruction.

During the flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the ground control point or air command post can receive the following information in real time: data on the performance and serviceability of the unmanned aerial vehicle systems, navigation and other information about the unmanned aerial vehicle, information about detected and recognized targets (type target and its coordinates), recording the results of combat use (a video segment or graphic image transmitted by an unmanned aerial vehicle shortly before hitting the target in order to solve the problem of recording the result of combat use). Rapid transmission of information from an unmanned aerial vehicle to a ground control point or air command post is used to assess detected targets in a given area, as well as as training material for a neural network to detect and recognize new types of targets.

Possible options for the tactics of an unmanned aerial vehicle provide increased efficiency in detecting and hitting targets.

Thus, the design and layout of an unmanned aerial vehicle, embodied in its constituent elements and their arrangement, ensures stealth, small dimensions, low aerodynamic drag, the possibility of autonomous use of an aircraft without prior target designation, use of an aircraft at any time of the day and in any weather conditions , expansion of the range of targets to be hit, in particular, operationally scouted stationary and moving enemy targets in a given target search area in the face of enemy counteraction, automatic recognition of the type of target, increasing the range of use of the aircraft, safety of the carrier aircraft when launching the aircraft, reconnaissance and transmission by the aircraft information, including about detected targets, to the ground control post or air command post until one of the detected targets is hit.

An air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized by high efficiency in hitting targets and is cheap and accessible for mass production.

Claims (8)

1. An air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle designed to engage a wide range of operational intelligence of stationary and moving objects in counteraction conditions with automatic recognition of the type of target and making a decision to defeat it, including a fuselage containing a head section, a middle section, a tail section, a power plant, a power plant nozzle, a power plant air intake, a swept wing, a two-fin all-moving tail, a warhead located inside the fuselage, an optical system, navigation system sensors and an on-board intelligent search and guidance system based on trained neural networks. 2. The air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, in which the fuselage in cross-section has an essentially trapezoidal shape with the sides “sloping” inward relative to the plane of symmetry of the unmanned aerial vehicle. 3. The air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, in which the two-fin all-moving tail is inclined at an angle relative to the plane of symmetry of the unmanned aerial vehicle. 4. The air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, in which the optical system contains a camera operating in the visible wavelength range, or a camera operating in the infrared wavelength range, or a camera system operating in both the visible and infrared ranges wavelengths. 5. An air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, in which the warhead is a high-explosive charge, a high-explosive fragmentation charge, a shaped charge. 6. A method of using an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle, including transportation of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the carrier aircraft’s suspension point, exchange of information between the unmanned aerial vehicle and an air command post or mobile ground control post, launch of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the line of combat contact, autonomous flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle aircraft along the route specified in the flight mission, exit of the unmanned aerial vehicle into a given area, search for targets while flying along the route specified in the flight mission or an independently constructed search route, transmission of information from the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle about detected and recognized targets in real time to an air command post or mobile ground control post. 7. The method of using an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to clause 6, in which, after detecting a target, the unmanned aerial vehicle independently makes a decision to hit the target according to the target database and the corresponding target priority table. 8. The method of using an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle according to clause 6, in which, after detecting a target, the operator makes a decision to hit the target.