US20170268852A1 - Method for steering a missile towards a flying target - Google Patents

Method for steering a missile towards a flying target Download PDF

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Publication number
US20170268852A1
US20170268852A1 US15/459,217 US201715459217A US2017268852A1 US 20170268852 A1 US20170268852 A1 US 20170268852A1 US 201715459217 A US201715459217 A US 201715459217A US 2017268852 A1 US2017268852 A1 US 2017268852A1
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Prior art keywords
missile
target
radar
location
area
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US15/459,217
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English (en)
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Thomas Kuhn
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Diehl Defence GmbH and Co KG
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Diehl Defence GmbH and Co KG
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Assigned to DIEHL DEFENCE GMBH & CO. KG reassignment DIEHL DEFENCE GMBH & CO. KG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KUHN, THOMAS
Publication of US20170268852A1 publication Critical patent/US20170268852A1/en
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/008—Combinations of different guidance systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
    • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
    • F41G7/2246—Active homing systems, i.e. comprising both a transmitter and a receiver
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
    • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
    • F41G7/2253—Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
    • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
    • F41G7/2273—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves
    • F41G7/2286—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves using radio waves
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
    • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
    • F41G7/2273—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves
    • F41G7/2293—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
    • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
    • F41G7/30—Command link guidance systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B10/00—Means for influencing, e.g. improving, the aerodynamic properties of projectiles or missiles; Arrangements on projectiles or missiles for stabilising, steering, range-reducing, range-increasing or fall-retarding
    • F42B10/60—Steering arrangements
    • F42B10/62—Steering by movement of flight surfaces
    • F42B10/64—Steering by movement of flight surfaces of fins
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B15/00—Self-propelled projectiles or missiles, e.g. rockets; Guided missiles
    • F42B15/01—Arrangements thereon for guidance or control
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B15/00—Self-propelled projectiles or missiles, e.g. rockets; Guided missiles
    • F42B15/10—Missiles having a trajectory only in the air
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
    • G01S13/87—Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
    • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S13/883—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for missile homing, autodirectors

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for steering a missile towards a flying target.
  • a flying target is detected by ground radar and a location area of the target in the air space is determined from the radar data.
  • Data relating to this location area is transmitted to an air defence missile which heads for the target on the basis of this data.
  • the target data which is transmitted for the purpose of alignment contains errors and is at risk of dropping out, and in addition reaches the missile only with a delay.
  • the status variables of the target which are estimated by the guidance of the missile correspondingly contain errors. Therefore, only an imprecise approach flight is possible.
  • modern medium-range aerial target engagement systems comprise, for example, an image-resolving infrared homing system with which the target which is being approached by air is detected as an image.
  • the missile can determine a location area of the target with high precision, flies towards the target and effectively engage with it.
  • An object of the present invention is to specify an improved method for steering a missile towards a flying target.
  • a radar which is remote from the missile detects the target and transmits data relating to a first location area of the target to the missile, the missile determines, from the data of its own missile radar, a second location area of the target, processes both location areas to form a target area and flies to the target area.
  • the invention is based on the idea that the missile is steered to the first location area of the target exclusively on the basis of the data of the remote radar, until a possibly present close-range homing device locks onto the target.
  • a predicted impact point (PIP) is calculated from the first location area to which the missile is directed, this impact point (PIP) can be relatively remote from the actual target or impact point owing to an alignment error.
  • the missile flies past the target by a large distance. If a close-range homing device is present, when it locks onto the target the alignment error becomes visible and can be compensated. After the locking on, a necessary condition for a hit is that the alignment error must be completely eliminated in the remaining flight time of the missile to the target.
  • the detection range of, for example, passive infrared homing devices given clear visibility is a multiple of the minimum detection range predefined by the necessary condition for a hit.
  • the missile therefore has a generous steering margin, also to cope with unexpected manoeuvres of the target.
  • the detection range can, however, be limited by influences due to the weather. If the target is locked onto only below the minimum detection range for the close-range homing device owing to meteorological conditions, a hit is no longer guaranteed.
  • the missile is equipped with a missile radar which, even when there is no optical contact with the target, can already detect the target or determines data relating to the target. In this context it is sufficient if, for example, only distance data is determined. Although the data which is determined by the missile radar is, under certain circumstances, not sufficient for independent alignment, since, for example, a direction indication is missing, the data can be processed together with the data of the first location area of the target, determined by the remote radar, to form a sufficiently precise target area.
  • the first location area of the target which is determined by the remote radar is too large to permit precise steering of the missile in the end phase of the approach flight
  • linking of the location probabilities of the target in the first and second location areas can give rise to a smaller target area which is within the minimum detection range. Even if the target is in a cloud and also cannot be detected optically until engagement, the target range can be so small that engagement is possible entirely without optical contact.
  • the missile is expediently a missile for ground-supported air defence with a rocket motor and, in particular, with a homing head with a homing system for two-dimensional angled detection of the target in the azimuth direction and elevation direction with respect to the axis of the missile.
  • the system which is referred to below as an image-processing homing system or close-range homing device can be a passive infrared homing system with a detector which is sensitive in the infrared spectral range and with which images of the surroundings are detected.
  • an active radar homing device is possible with which direction-resolved detection of targets is made possible, also only in the final phase of the approach flight owing to the required energy supply.
  • the radar which is remote from the missile can be a ground radar or a radar of an aircraft.
  • the missile radar expediently contains a radar sensor which is immobile relative to an external housing of the missile.
  • the radar sensor technology can be kept particularly simple and cost-effective.
  • This data of the radar sensor can be evaluated by a control unit of the missile, wherein for reasons of saving costs, installation space and weight, expediently only distance data are determined from the data of the radar sensor.
  • the location areas must be strictly delimited areas in the airspace.
  • a location area can be a probability distribution in space with or without limitation, e.g. a distribution of the location probability of the target in space. The same applies to the target area. If a spatial limitation of the location areas or of the target area occurs, this can occur, for example, as a result of the combination of all those areas in which the location probability is above a predetermined limiting value.
  • the processing of the two location areas to form a target area can be achieved by fusing the data of the two location areas by means of a common entry in a state filter.
  • the processing of the two location areas to form a target area occurs immediately when location probability data of the remote radar and of the missile radar are processed to form the target area. This can be done by data fusion, for example by inputting the data of the missile radar and of the remote radar into a state estimator, for example a Kalman filter.
  • the data relating to the location areas advantageously contains a two-dimensional or three-dimensional function of the location probability of the target as a function of the position. Dividing the location areas respectively into a multiplicity of sub-areas with various location probabilities can also be understood to be such a function.
  • the position-dependent location probability is expediently determined by a state filter, for example a Kalman filter.
  • position-resolved location probabilities of the target in the two location areas are combined in the missile to form a superordinate, position-resolved location probability.
  • the target area can be determined from this superordinate position-resolved location probability of the target.
  • the combination can be carried out by multiplying the probabilities.
  • the missile radar measures the distance from the target
  • the missile expediently a control unit of the missile, determines a probability of the target being located in the second location area from the data of the distance measurement.
  • the position-resolved location probability of the first location area can be linked by the missile to the location probability resulting from the distance measurement. As a result, a small target area can be determined for precise steering of the missile in the direction of the target.
  • the two location areas are located with respect to one another in such a way that their intersection areas result in a target area which is unfavorably large or is unfavourably distributed in space. It therefore may be the case, for example, that the target area contains sub-areas in which the target can be located which are at a distance from one another in space. Depending on the selection of the sub-area by the missile, in this context the target can be missed. In order to avoid this, it is advantageous if the missile has at least three forward-oriented radar sensors. The radar sensors are expediently oriented in different spatial directions, with respect to the axis of the missile.
  • the radar sensors expediently each monitor just one spatial segment of at least three spatial segments lying one next to the other.
  • the spatial segments can adjoin one another or partially overlap one another.
  • a rough determination of the direction can be derived from the signals of the sensors. This determination may be sufficient to clarify a target area ambivalence and to avoid an incorrect selection of the sub-area.
  • the segment probabilities that is to say location probability of the target in the respective segment of the radar sensor, can be processed together with location probabilities in the two location areas.
  • the missile cannot detect the target by a homing system until engagement.
  • a position-resolved optical image for example in the infrared spectral range, cannot be used to steer the missile.
  • the distance of the missile from the target is known from the data of the missile radar. If the missile flies past the target, the measured distance increases again, with the result that a position of maximum approach can be estimated from the development of the distance data. In the vicinity of this position, an active body of the missile can be fired, and the target can be engaged with even without optical contact.
  • the missile radar is used as a proximity sensor for the firing of a charge of the missile.
  • the spatial segment in which the target is located is expediently determined as the missile flies past the target, and firing of the explosive charge is controlled at least largely into this spatial segment.
  • the term largely can be understood here to mean more than 50% of the total effective force.
  • the spatial segment extends expediently in an azimuth angle range of less than 180°, in particular less than 140°, about the axis of the missile.
  • the approach flight of the missile can be divided into a plurality of phases in which directional control of the flight of the missile is dependent on data from various data sources.
  • an alignment phase the flight control occurs only, or predominantly, by data of the remote radar. It is possible to dispense with the use of the data of the missile radar, insofar as it is already available.
  • a middle phase following the alignment phase the directional control of the flight of the missile expediently takes place only, or predominantly, by linking the data of the remote radar and that of the missile radar.
  • the alignment and middle phase can be delimited from one another by the time at which the missile radar detects the target or recognizes it as such and has determined the distance from the target.
  • the directional control of the flight of the missile can take place only, or predominantly, by linking the data of the missile radar and of an image-resolving homing system of the missile, in particular of an infrared homing system of the missile.
  • the directional control in the end phase can also take place solely by the internal homing system, but support by means of the data of the missile radar is advantageous, in particular for controlling the steering deflection, that is to say the flight agility.
  • the middle phase and end phase can be delimited from one another by the time at which the missile-internal homing system recognizes the target as such and has determined the direction of the target relative to an axis of the missile.
  • the missile is in this respect expediently equipped with an image-resolving infrared homing system with the data of which the missile is controlled at least in an end phase of the approach flight to the target.
  • a precise approach flight can be achieved under initially poor visibility conditions if the missile flies at least largely under radar control to the target area before the target can be sighted optically in the IR homing system, and after optical detection of the target by the IR homing system flies at least largely under optical control towards the target.
  • the radar control expediently takes place using the data of the target generated by the missile radar.
  • Predominant approaching of the target with one or other system can take place in that the radar data or optical data is evaluated more highly in a state estimation than the data of the corresponding other system.
  • the homing system Before two-dimensional detection of the target by a homing system, the homing system will search for the target in a spatial area and expediently scan the spatial area. Such a search can be simplified or sped up if the position of the second location area of the target which is determined by the missile radar is used to control a viewing direction of the homing system relative to the missile axis. The position of the first location area is expediently also used for this, or the position of the target area, for example relative to the missile axis.
  • the orientation of the homing system can be controlled into the target area, wherein the orientation of the homing system can be held in the target area during the approach flight and before the optical target detection.
  • the target has been detected in a two-dimensional fashion by the homing system and if the missile flies towards the target on the basis of the data generated by the homing system, it is advantageous to know the distance from the target and to take this into account in the control of the flight.
  • the distance and/or approach speed of the missile to the target which are determined by the missile radar, are used as parameters for controlling the flight.
  • the line of sight spin rate can be used as steering parameter. The spin rate can be adjusted to zero, in order to remain on a collision course with the target. Surface deflection is dependent here on the line of sight spin rate of the target and expediently on the distance and/or approach speed of the missile to the target.
  • the invention is also directed to a missile which according to the invention is equipped with a distance radar, an IR homing system with two-dimensional resolution, control surfaces for controlling a steered flight, and a control unit which is prepared for generating steering signals from the data of the distance radar and of the IR homing system and for actuating the control surfaces with said signals.
  • the missile can firstly be steered to the target by using the data from the distance radar. Steering to the target can also be carried out precisely even under unfavourable weather conditions.
  • control unit is prepared to process data from a remotely arranged radar, for example a ground radar.
  • a first location area which is determined by the ground radar can be linked to, by a second location area determined by the distance radar, to a target area towards which the missile is steered.
  • the distance radar is advantageously equipped with at least three forward-oriented radar sensors.
  • the scanning range of the radar sensors expediently lies in each case in just one spatial segment of at least three spatial segments lying one next to the other.
  • a favorable arrangement of a plurality of radar sensors can be achieved if they are arranged in the region of a transition cone between a missile head and a missile body.
  • the radar sensors are expediently fixedly attached to an external housing of the missile, with the result that their viewing direction is oriented immovably with respect to the axis of the missile.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a missile in the form of a guided missile with a homing head, an effective part and a rocket engine, according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is an illustration showing the flying missile which is aligned by a ground radar with a target concealed by a cloud;
  • FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the missile in an approach flight to the target whose position is estimated from two location areas.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the missile as it flies past the target during the triggering of an charge of the effective part, oriented towards the target.
  • a missile 2 in the form of a guided missile for ground-based air defence.
  • the missile 2 is equipped with a rocket motor 4 , an effective part 6 which contains an explosive charge, and a homing head 8 which has an IR homing system 10 for detecting a target which is luminous in the infrared spectral range, with two-dimensional resolution in the front spatial area in front of the missile 2 .
  • the missile 2 contains control surfaces 12 on control vanes 14 which are arranged in the rear of the missile 2 and are actuated by a control unit 16 .
  • a missile radar 20 is arranged in a transition area 18 between the homing head 8 and the body part which is embodied in a thicker fashion radially with respect thereto and lies behind the homing head 8 .
  • This system which is arranged in the conical transition area 18 contains four radar sensors 22 which each detect a spatial segment 24 by a sensor.
  • the spatial segments 24 are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1 and each have an azimuthal extent of 90° and are arranged adjoining one another, adjacently symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the missile 2 or axis of the missile. Their elevation angle is from 110° relative to the axis of the missile up to ⁇ 3° in the forward direction, with the result that the spatial segments 24 overlap by approximately 6° in the forward direction.
  • FIG. 2 shows a flying target 26 (indicated only by a cross) for example a rocket which has an explosive head and is to be engaged with by the missile 2 .
  • the target 26 is detected as such by a radar 28 which is remote from the missile 2 .
  • the radar 28 is a ground radar 28 in this exemplary embodiment but can also be an air-based radar of an aircraft.
  • the target is detected by the ground radar 28 and classified as an object to be engaged with.
  • the missile 2 is started from a platform which can be a ground-based platform or a flying platform. After the target 26 has been detected by the ground radar 28 , alignment data are sent to the missile 2 from the ground radar 28 .
  • the data contains information relating to a first location area 30 within which the ground radar 28 has made out the target 26 .
  • the detection of the target 26 by the ground radar 28 is extremely precise in terms of the distance from the ground radar 28 to the target 26 , but the determination of angles by the ground radar 28 takes place significantly less precisely.
  • the location area 30 therefore has the shape of a pressed-flat rotational ellipsoid, which is illustrated in simplified form in FIG. 2 by an ellipse.
  • the extent of the rotational ellipsoid is significantly larger perpendicularly with respect to the direction of the ground radar 28 than in the direction of the ground radar 28 .
  • the steering of the missile 2 towards the target 26 takes place in three chronologically successive phases.
  • target coordinates of the target 26 are generated exclusively from the alignment data of the ground radar 28 .
  • the flight of the missile 2 is controlled exclusively on the basis of the alignment data of the ground radar 28 .
  • alignment data of the ground radar 28 are fused with data of the missile radar 20 .
  • the flight of the missile 2 is controlled on the basis of fusion data which are acquired from the processing of the data of the ground radar 28 and of the missile radar 20 .
  • the flight control is performed at least largely on the basis of the data of the IR homing system 10 of the missile 2 .
  • the radar data of the missile radar 20 is used merely to assist, for example for the distance measurement for controlling the agility.
  • the determination of direction to the target expediently takes place exclusively by means of the missile's own homing system 10 .
  • the sight of the missile 2 of the target 26 is blocked by a cloud 32 .
  • the missile 2 firstly flies exclusively with alignment data of the ground radar 28 in the direction of the location area 30 .
  • the location of the target 26 within the location area 30 is still unclear. Therefore, the missile 2 aims for a preliminary target point 34 which, expressed in simple terms, can lie at the geometric center point of the location area 30 .
  • this flight route is indicated by a line of narrow dashes.
  • the optical distance 36 to the target 26 is relatively short in this case and is indicated by a dot-dashed line.
  • the infrared homing system 10 would detect the target 26 , and the missile 2 would attempt to swerve in towards the target 26 on the basis of the data of the homing system 10 , as a result of the short optical distance 36 which is below a minimum lock-on range, that is to say a minimum distance at which the target must be picked up optically in order to achieve a high hit rate, the hit rate or probability of a hit will be very low.
  • the missile 2 will fly past the target 26 .
  • the missile 2 is equipped with a missile radar 20 .
  • the missile radar 20 actively emits radiation and finally detects the target 26 .
  • the detection takes place exclusively by means of distance detection, with the result that the distance r of the missile 2 from the target 26 is determined.
  • a second location area 38 On the basis of this distance r, a second location area 38 , in which there is a high probability of the target 26 being located solely on the basis of the data of the missile radar 20 , is obtained.
  • the location area 38 is in the shape of a spherical cup, the radial thickness of which depends on the distance-measuring accuracy of the missile radar 20 . In order to simplify the illustration, this location area 38 is illustrated in FIG. 2 by a dotted circular section.
  • the probability of the target 26 being located at the theoretical target point 34 which is determined on the basis of the data of the ground radar 28 is set low. This is because this target point 38 lies significantly further away than the distance measurement of the missile radar 20 has indicated. Therefore, the data of the ground radar 28 is combined with the data of the missile radar 20 and processed to form a target area 40 . This can be done by transferring the data of the two radars 20 , 28 to an algorithm for estimating the location probability of the target 26 , for example to a Kalman filter as input data and by calculating the location probability of the target 26 therefrom.
  • the position-resolved probabilities of the target 26 being located in the two location areas 30 , 38 are combined in the missile 2 to form a superordinate, position-resolved location probability of the target area 40 .
  • the position-resolved probability of the target 26 being located in the first location area 30 which probability is supplied by the ground radar 28 , is linked to the location probability of the target 26 in the second location area 38 , which results from the distance measurement.
  • the location areas 30 , 38 can be bounded or unbounded entities and each contain a location probability distribution of the target 26 in space.
  • the conceptualization of the areas 30 , 38 , 40 is merely for the sake of better illustration.
  • An area can be a spatial entity in which the location probability of the target 26 in the space is above a limiting value. This entity can be but does not have to be specifically formed in the missile 2 .
  • the flight of the missile 2 is therefore corrected, with the result that it flies towards the target area 40 .
  • the precise target point which is aimed at within the target area 40 can be the geometric center point or some other point with a larger location probability, for example with the maximum location probability corresponding to the current state estimation.
  • the missile 2 flies towards the target area 40 in a manner controlled by the data which have been fused by the two radars 20 , 28 .
  • the missile 2 leaves the cloud 32 just before reaching the target area 40 and obtains unimpeded sight of the target 26 .
  • the optical distance 42 or the target concealment distance from which the target 26 becomes optically visible to the missile's own homing system 10 is also very short here, and not significantly longer than the optical distance 36 .
  • the flight direction correction which is to be performed is significantly smaller, with the result that the minimum lock-on range is shorter than before.
  • the optical distance 42 is longer than the minimum lock-on range, and the missile 2 can, during its flight, swerve in towards the target 26 and directly hit it.
  • the missile-internal homing system 10 does not yet lock on to the target 26 , and the target 26 has therefore not yet been detected by the homing system 10 .
  • the approximate position of the target 26 in the target area 40 is known. This position and/or the extent of the target area 40 are used to control the orientation of the homing system 10 . Therefore, a search space of the homing system 10 , which is scanned by it, can be limited, for example, to the target area 40 or to some other area which is determined as a function of the geometry of the target area 40 , for example which extends beyond the target area 40 in a predefined fashion.
  • the data of the internal homing system 10 is used for the direction control of the missile 2 , with the result that after the homing system 10 has locked on to the target 26 the final phase of the target approach flight begins.
  • the data of the missile-internal homing system 10 is used to steer the missile 2 to the destination 26 .
  • the distance from the destination and/or the approach speed of the missile 2 to the target 26 which are determined by the missile radar 20 can be used as an additional parameter of the flight control.
  • FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a location area 30 which has been determined from data of a remotely arranged radar and of a location area 38 which has been determined from data of the missile radar 20 of the missile 2 .
  • the following description is limited essentially to the differences with respect to the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 2 , to which reference is made in relation to features and functions which remain the same.
  • all the features of a preceding exemplary embodiment are generally adopted in the respective following exemplary embodiment, without being described again, unless features are described as differences with respect to one or more preceding exemplary embodiments.
  • the location area 30 in FIG. 3 is illustrated in turn as an ellipse, and the location area 38 as a circular arc-shaped segment. It is apparent that the location area 38 penetrates or intersects the location area 30 in a plurality of target areas 44 . In the illustration in FIG. 3 , this is illustrated in the form that the location area 38 is concealed in the inner area between the two target areas 44 by the location area 30 . This is shown by a dotted illustration of the location area 38 . However, in the outer area of the location area 30 the location area 38 lies in front of the location area 30 , which is illustrated by continuous lines. The arrangement in front of or behind can be understood in terms of the view of the missile 2 .
  • the target areas 44 are combined in a circular shape in a target area.
  • this target area 44 is geometrically more complex, wherein the complexity increases further as a result of the different probabilities of location at the center or in the peripheral areas of the location areas 30 , 38 .
  • the illustration from FIG. 3 is therefore to be understood only as a schematic illustration which makes it clear that data fusion of data of the missile radar 20 and of the ground radar 28 can also give rise to a large and complex target area 44 . An extremely accurate approach of the target 26 can be impeded by this.
  • the missile radar 20 is equipped with the multiplicity of radar sensors 22 .
  • the lower target area 44 would be detected by the lower radar sensor 22 —if that is where the target 26 were located—and the upper target area 44 would be detected by the upper radar sensor 22 .
  • target detection occurs only by one of the radar sensors 22 , it is clear which spatial segment 24 the target 26 is located in. Even if the spatial segments 24 overlap, the location of the target 26 can be determined unambiguously since the overlapping areas of the spatial segments 24 are expediently considerably smaller than the spatial segments 24 themselves.
  • the spatial segment 24 is determined having the highest probability of the target 26 being located in this spatial segment 24 , this is abbreviated as the segment probability.
  • This segment probability is used during the determination of the position-resolved probability of the target 26 being located in the target area 40 .
  • the target 26 lies in the upper target area 44 , with the result that on the basis of the data of the missile radar 20 the target area 44 can be limited to the upper target area 44 .
  • the missile 2 can then be steered to this target area 44 in the middle phase.
  • the optical distance 42 or the target concealment distance from the missile 2 to the target 26 is shorter than the minimum lock-on range 46 , with the result that the target 26 can be hit.
  • the missile 2 swerves in from the theoretical target point 48 of the target area 44 onto the actual target 26 and then flies specifically towards the target 26 .
  • a movement of the target 26 itself is not taken into account.
  • this is not critical since both the ground radar 28 and the missile radar 20 continuously supply target data, with the result that the location areas 30 , 38 or the target area 40 , 44 can always be calculated in an updated fashion, for example by state estimation.
  • the target 26 is continuously tracked in its movement by the missile 2 .
  • the steering towards the target 26 has to take place without a final phase, since the on-board homing system 10 cannot detect the target 26 because of poor visibility. If the target 26 is located, for example, in a cloud, the sight of the target 26 may be permanently blocked. A target approach flight can then take place without the involvement of the infrared homing system 10 .
  • FIG. 4 shows such an exemplary embodiment in which the missile 2 flies towards the target 26 without optical sight.
  • the approach flight is, of course, not as precise as when the homing system 10 is used, with the result that a flypast takes place, as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
  • the missile 2 flies past the target 26 at a very short distance 50 .
  • From the detection of the target 26 by one of the radar sensors 22 it is clear which spatial segment 24 the target 26 is located in.
  • the target 26 is located in the spatial segment 24 (illustrated above) of the radar sensor 22 which is oriented upwards in FIG. 4 .
  • the current distance of the missile 2 from the target 26 , and the spatial segment 24 in which the target 26 is located relative to the axis of the missile 2 are always known.
  • the distance from the target is then constantly monitored. The distance decreases continuously and reaches its minimum at the moment of the flypast. At the moment when the distance increases again, it is clear that the missile 2 has flown past the target 26 . If the minimum distance 50 of the missile 2 from the target 26 is less than a predefined maximum engagement distance, the effective part 6 of the missile 2 is fired in the flypast and a splitter charge is ejected by the missile 2 in order to engage with the target 26 .
  • the missile radar 20 is used as a direction-sensitive approach sensor for controlling direction-dependent firing of the charge of the missile 2 .
  • the effective area 52 into which the charge of the effective part 6 is largely ejected is illustrated by two thickly dashed lines.
  • the charge could be ejected in a belt shape around the missile 2 , with the result that all-round engagement with the target 26 takes place.
  • More effective engagement can be achieved if the effective part 6 is triggered in a directional fashion.
  • the directional triggering is expediently possible into a multiplicity of sectors which can correspond, in particular in their azimuthal extent, to the spatial segments 24 .
  • the effective part 6 is triggered only into the upper sector in accordance with the upper spatial segment 24 in which the target 26 is located during the flypast. As a result of this directional engagement, a relatively large engagement distance can be achieved.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
  • Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
US15/459,217 2016-03-16 2017-03-15 Method for steering a missile towards a flying target Abandoned US20170268852A1 (en)

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DE102016003238.3 2016-03-16
DE102016003238.3A DE102016003238A1 (de) 2016-03-16 2016-03-16 Verfahren zum Steuern eines Flugkörpers zu einem fliegenden Ziel

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CN111290002A (zh) * 2018-12-06 2020-06-16 北京理工大学 应用于卫星信号不稳定区域的飞行器侧偏修正系统
CN112824820A (zh) * 2019-11-21 2021-05-21 北京恒星箭翔科技有限公司 一种40毫米火箭筒用反低小慢目标防空导弹系统及拦截方法
US20220163670A1 (en) * 2019-07-12 2022-05-26 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Threat coping system
EP4113052A1 (de) * 2021-07-01 2023-01-04 Thales Selbstlenkende vorrichtung für rakete
CN117073473A (zh) * 2023-10-17 2023-11-17 中国空气动力研究与发展中心空天技术研究所 一种基于时间约束的导弹视角规划制导方法及系统
US11859949B1 (en) * 2018-09-28 2024-01-02 Bae Systems Information And Electronic Systems Integration Inc. Grid munition pattern utilizing orthogonal interferometry reference frame and range radio frequency code determination

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US4589610A (en) * 1983-11-08 1986-05-20 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Guided missile subsystem
US6877691B2 (en) * 2002-03-12 2005-04-12 Bae Systems Information And Electronic Systems Integration Inc. High altitude stripping for threat discrimination
US7066427B2 (en) * 2004-02-26 2006-06-27 Chang Industry, Inc. Active protection device and associated apparatus, system, and method
US8242422B2 (en) * 2009-02-23 2012-08-14 Raytheon Company Modular divert and attitude control system
US8710411B1 (en) * 2009-09-29 2014-04-29 Lockheed Martin Corporation Method and system for determining an optimal missile intercept approach direction for correct remote sensor-to-seeker handover
US8274027B2 (en) * 2010-02-02 2012-09-25 Raytheon Company Transparent silicon detector and multimode seeker using the detector
US8698058B1 (en) * 2010-07-23 2014-04-15 Lockheed Martin Corporation Missile with ranging bistatic RF seeker
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Cited By (7)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11859949B1 (en) * 2018-09-28 2024-01-02 Bae Systems Information And Electronic Systems Integration Inc. Grid munition pattern utilizing orthogonal interferometry reference frame and range radio frequency code determination
CN111290002A (zh) * 2018-12-06 2020-06-16 北京理工大学 应用于卫星信号不稳定区域的飞行器侧偏修正系统
US20220163670A1 (en) * 2019-07-12 2022-05-26 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Threat coping system
CN112824820A (zh) * 2019-11-21 2021-05-21 北京恒星箭翔科技有限公司 一种40毫米火箭筒用反低小慢目标防空导弹系统及拦截方法
EP4113052A1 (de) * 2021-07-01 2023-01-04 Thales Selbstlenkende vorrichtung für rakete
FR3124855A1 (fr) * 2021-07-01 2023-01-06 Thales Dispositif autodirecteur pour missile.
CN117073473A (zh) * 2023-10-17 2023-11-17 中国空气动力研究与发展中心空天技术研究所 一种基于时间约束的导弹视角规划制导方法及系统

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IL250598A0 (en) 2017-03-30
ZA201701705B (en) 2018-05-30
DE102016003238A1 (de) 2017-09-21

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