Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISTRIBUTED LAUNCHER_NETWORK FOR ACTIVE RADAR MISSILES
1 ~ACKGROUNE~OF~ NVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention rel~tes to missile systems
and ~ore speci~ically to ~ di~tributed launcher network.
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2. D~iscussion
Traditional weapon sy~tems include a sensor, a
co~munications 6yste~, a weapon, a central processing
unit, ~nd a fire control computer. For example, a simple
weapon system might include the eyes of an observer as a
sensor, the pointing finger of the observer as a
co~munications ~ystem, a rifle as a weapon, an~ the
operator96 brain s a central procassing uni~ and fire
control co~putar. A compl~x weapon system ~ight include a
radar syste~ :as a sensor, a set of radio frequency
transceivers as a co~munication system, a missile as the
weapon, and a central processing unit and fire control
comput~r as them~elves. No matter how complex,
traditional weapon &yst~ms ar~ located and operated
independently o~ oach other, ~side ~rom a mutual sharing
of sensor information.
In today's mult~-threat env~ronment, traditional
weapon ~ystems ~re archaic. Tech~ical development-~ in
weapon~y have reduced the time wlthin ~hich to receive and
. 25 analyze information . When traditional weapon sy~tems are
employed, ~a central command authori~y has ~ifficulty
controlling each weapon ~y~t~3. Because the co~ponents of
the traditional ystem~ are located together, these
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systems are easily destroyed. Furthermore, a fixed number
of traditional weapon systems can only cover a limited
geographical area.
In accordance with the teachings o~ the present
invention, a distributed launch~r ~etwork ls provided.
The network ls ~odular in design, employing co~ponents
which are easily added or 6ubtracted as reguired by the
size and number of geographical areas to b~ covered. It
employs one or more target ~ensors which collect target
position infor~ation ~nd feed it into a target data net.
The target data net integrates t~e target position
im~ormation from each targ~t 6ensor to ~orm a summary of
~ultiple target activity. One or more fire control
centers ~re plugged into th~ target data net for receiving
target position information. E~ch fire control center
issues launch and control orders to one or more airborne
vehicles through launchers assigned to its control. In
the pr~ferred embodiment, the irborne ~ehicle is the
Advanced Medi~m Range Air-to~Air Missile ~AMRAAM), an
air-to-air missile used in a ~urface~to-air mode. A~ter
launch, th~ fire control centers trans~it updated target
po~ition informat~on to th~ airborne vehicles under their
control.
Other aspect~ o~ this invention are as follows:
~ n ~pparatus for controlling at least one
airborne vehicle, ~aid apparatus compri~ing:
(a) at least one csntrol ~eans for
controlling the launch and flight of
at least one of said airborne
vehicles: and
~b) at least one launcher communicating
with the control means but spaced
therefrom a cuf~icient distance such
that distruction of the control means
would not destroy the launch~r. :~:
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2a
An apparatus for controlling ~t laa~t one
airborne vehicle said apparatus compri6ing:
(a) at least one control ~eans ~or
controliing the launch uf at least one
o~ ~aid air~orne vehicles:
(b~ at lea~t one launcher, ~aid launchers
being geogr~phically di~tributed to
~axi~izQ ~rea coverage~ aid launchers
having a 360~ azi~uth eapabillty, and
R~ ld launcher~ including a guidance
~eans ~or transmitting updated target
po~ition in~or~ation to said airborne
vehicle after launch;
(c) at l~ast one target position sensor, :
said target positiDn sensors being
geographically distxibuted, being
spread out to maximiz~ surveillance
area, said target position sensors
being capable of generating
thxee-dimensional target position
infor~ation; and
(d) integrating ~eans for combining the
targ~t po~ition informa~ion from the
target position ~ensors for use by
said control means.
A method for controlling at least one
airborne vehicle, ~aid airborne vehicl~ bQing a part o~ a
distribute~ launcher network compri~in~ at least one
target 6en~0r, at ïeast one launcher, and at least one
controlling Dleans for controlling ~he launch and flight o~
6~id ~irborne vehicî~, ~aid controlling ~eans having a
co~munications.m2ans ~or co~municating with ~aid launcher
and said ~irborne ~rehicle, ~aid 3~ thod compri~ing:
~a) receiving target po~ition information
~ro~ ~t least one targ~t ~ensor: :
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2b
th) combinin~ target po~ition information
into a summary of multi-target
activity ~or u~e by ~t leas~ one of
~aid controlling means;
(c) 6ending updated position information
and launch and control orders using
~aid co~munications ~eans to at least
one of ~aid launchers and ~irborne
vehicles; and
~d) sending updated position information
using said communications means ~o
~aid airborne vehicle after launch.
~R~Y ~5CRIPTION OF ~HE ~Ba~I~2
Other object~ and advantages o~ ~he invention
will become apparent upon reading the ~ollowing detailed
~escription and upon reference to the ~ollowing drawing in
which:
FIG. 1 is a ~che~atic diagram ~howing the basic ~.
co~ponents of the di~tributed launcher networX~ ~
:- : .: . . .: .
3 2fD297~
1 ~ETAILED DESC~ ION OF T~E ~ RRED EMBODIMENT~
Turning now to FIG. 1 the distributed launcher
network 10 ie con~tructed in a ~odular ~a~hion. To the
left ~ide of the diagram, one or ~ore taryet 6ensors 12a-c
obtain target po6ition in~ormation. Although thr~e target
~ensors are ~hown for clarity, target ~ensor~ can be added
or subtracted depending upon the ~iz~ of ths geographical
area to be ~urveyed. One for~ of target ~ensor envisioned
by this invention i~ a three-dimen~ional radar ~ystem.
The target ~ensor~ 12a c are ~dvantageously placed in
optimal surveillance location~, ~way from other networX
omponent6, ~nd are operated independently of each other.
Target po~ition information ~rom the target
sensors 12a-c is ~ed into ~ target data net 14. The
15 target data net 14 combines the tarqet position
information from each target 6ensor 12 to form an
integrated picture of target activity. Although only one
target data net is s~own ~or clarity, more target data
nets can be added depending on the number of geographical
areas to be surveyed.
The integrated target position information is
available for use by the fire control c~nters 16a b. Only
two fire control centers 16a-~ are ~hown; hvwever, in
keeping with the modular nature of the system, fire
control cen~ers may be added or subtracted as required by
the tactical ~ituation. The ~ire conkrol centers 16a-b
are ~ssigned a ~pecific geograph~cal area of
responsibility. Fire control cent~r operators monitor
~heir areas of respon6ibility ~nd ~end launch and control
order~ to their assigned launchers 18a-e.
The location of ~he launcher~ 18a-e is recorded
on a grid system. A common reference, ~rom which angular
course direction i~ measured, is al80 noted on the grid
system. The launchers 18a-e are programmed to receive
control orders referenced to the~r own posi~ion on the
grid ~ystem. ~h~refore, t~rget posi~ion information is
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4 2~297~2
1 converted into launcher co~rdinates be~ore being used to
generate a launch message. The launchers 18a-e and
airborne vPhicles 20a-e receive launch ~nd control orders
via a ~ecure communications link. After launch, the
airborne vehicles 20a-e continue to receive updated
targeting information via the ~ecure communications link.
In th~ preferred iQ~bodi~ent, the airborne
vehicles 20a-e are the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air
Missile ~MR~M). This missile i~ ~daptable for use in
other environ~ents besides air-to-air. In ~he preferred
embodiment of the distributed launcher network lo, it is
being deployed as a 6ur~ace-to-air missile. Other
embodiments envision use of the missile in a co~bination
o~ environment~. Any l~unching platform capable of
communicating with the ~ire control centers 16a-b can
become part of th~ distributed launcher network lo.
The present invention has several advantages
over the prior ar~- which are readily apparent to one
skilled in the art. The invention gives battlefield
2~ commanders the flexibility of placing the target se~sors
12a c in opti~al Eurveillance locationis and the launchers
18a-e in optimaI locations for defending tactical
positionis. The number of launchers 18a-e and target
sensors 12a-c is variable and launcher assignments can be
changed fro~ one fire control center 16 to ano~her. The
dashed and 601id lines between the fire control centers
16a-b and the launchers 20a-e re~lect this
interchangeability. ~hus, th~ relative ~ize and ~ire
power o~ the network 10 is discretionary and permits
~ontinual ~djust~ent ~s ~:actical condition~ vary.
The distributed launcher network 10 i~ less
vulnerable to destruction than traditional weapon systems.
Locating the launchers 18a-e remotely from the target
sensors 12a e makes them far less vulnerable to
destruction by a weapon which is attracted by tile presence
of an emitting target 6ensor. Due to the distri~uted :~
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5 20297~t~ :
1 nature of the network 10 the launcher~ 12a-e are ~uch less
likely to b~ ~potted by aerial reconnaissance; there is
much less heavy ~quipment assembled in the ~ame location.
Because it is less vulnerable to destruction, it provides
a grea~er defense o~ a given area than a traditional
weapon ~ystem.
Finally, t~e distrlbuted launcher network 10 has
other advantages. It ha~ bettar freedom o~ movement than
a traditional weapon 6ystem. Instead of shutting down the
entire launcher battexy and loosing all apability d~ring
tactical movement different modules ~ay be unplugged and
moved independently lea~ing the rest of the system
operational. The invention also provides better
coordination of fire power. ~ultiple simultaneous
15 launches airborne vehicles to defend against enemy wave
raids is possible. Each launcher has a full 360 azimuth
capability.
Although the invention has been described with
particular reference to certain preferred embodiments
thereof, variations and ~odifications can be effected
within the spirit and ~cope of the following claims.
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