Patent Application
20160363422
The present invention relates to defense systems for changing the course of an incoming propelled munition.
History has shown that propelled missiles including grenades (RPGs) and torpedoes impose a serious threat to either a fixed position or to a helicopter or other mobile operation. Currently, there is no low cost effective mechanism for attempting to neutralize this threat.
Disclosed is a defense system for changing the course of an incoming munition, the system comprising: a net, and a drogue chute attached to the net. The defense system also includes launch means for launching the net and drogue chute in a desired direction, and deploying means for deploying the net and drogue chute. In one embodiment, the defense system further includes means for keeping the drogue chute on the bottom of the net. And the deploying means includes a wire between the launch means and the net and drogue chute.
In another embodiment, an explosive or rocket device is used in lieu of the drogue chute.
Before one embodiment of the disclosure is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Further, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upward”, “downward”, “side”, “top” and “bottom”, etc., are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
Illustrated in
The defense system 10 also includes a casing 30 housing the net 18 and drogue chute 22, as shown schematically in
It is important for the drogue chute 22 to deploy at the bottom of the net 18. This, with the assistance of gravity, increases the likelihood of the munition 14 being deflected substantially downwardly away from its intended target. The lines or risers 38 (see
In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
The defense system 10, as illustrated in
In the preferred embodiment for RPGs, the net 18 is made from Kevlar and has a deployed diameter of about ten feet. The net 18 will be of anti-rip design that will allow sharp nosed munitions to penetrate the net but will not allow the munition 14 to pass through the net 18. Once the nose of the munition has passed through the net, or the munition slides to the peripheral frame without penetrating the net, any pull on the net will change the direction of the munition. In other embodiments (not shown), other net materials and net sizes can be used, provided the material will maintain its contact with the munition after its initial collision with the munition. The net 18 allows air or water to pass through the net 18, so the net 18 maintains its position transverse to the direction of incoming travel of the munition prior to its collision with the munition. Overtime, the drogue chute 22 may change the position of the net 18 before the munition 14 engages the net 18, but it is expected the munition and net collision will occur prior to significant movement of the net and drogue chute.
In the illustrated embodiment, the net 18 includes an outer periphery frame 44, and at least a portion of the net outer periphery frame 44 is inflatable. Although in other embodiments (not shown), other net constructions can be used, by using an inflatable frame, the net weight, complexity and size prior to deployment can be minimized. Similarly, the drogue chute 22 includes an outer periphery frame 48, and at least a portion of the drogue chute outer periphery frame 48 is inflatable. In the illustrated embodiment, the net and drogue chute inflatable frames are in gas communication via a conduit 49 (see
In order to connect the drogue chute 22 to the net 18, the defense system 10 further includes a loop 50 (see
The defense system 10 also includes deploying means 54 (see
In the illustrated embodiment, the high pressure gas is helium or hydrogen, which is lighter than air. This provides the frames 44 and 48 with some buoyancy, thus helping to maintain the net and drogue chute in a particular location. But it is expected that the net 18 will ensnare the munition 14 soon after deployment, so the absence of buoyancy is not likely to be problematic. When the net is to be deployed under water, the net will be designed to have essentially the same density, or buoyancy, as the water.
In the illustrated embodiment, the activation means 66 comprises the housing 58 also having a channel 70 in air communication with the high pressure reserve 62 and the frames 44 and 48, and a slide 74 traversing the channel 70 and movable between a channel closed position and a channel open position. When it is time to deploy the net 18 and drogue chute 22, the slide 74 moves from its closed to its open position, thus causing the frames 44 and 48 to fill with gas. After filling, the frames 44 and 48 are sealed off, trapping the gas inside the frames 44 and 48. This filling of the frames in turn forces the net 18 and drogue chute 22 from the casing 30, with the net 18 being oriented generally transverse to the casing 30, and generally transverse to the direction of the incoming munition 14. In other embodiments (not shown), other means for activating the gas to cause the frames to fill can be used, such as electronic or other igniters.
In the illustrated embodiment, deploying means 54 deploys the net 18 and drogue chute 22 at a predetermined distance from the launch means 40 with a wire 84 (see
More particularly, the wire 84 is attached to the slide 74 so that, when the ordinance 42 reaches its predetermined distance from the launch means 40, the wire 84 moves the slide 74 from its channel dosed position to its channel open position, resulting in the deploying of the net 18 and drogue chute 22. More particularly, the wire 84 is unwound to a predetermined length as the ordinance 42 flies. At this length, the wire 84 no longer unwinds, so the wire 84 pulls the slide 74. After pulling the slide 74, the wire 84 is ejected by the launch means 40 to prepare for the launching of another defense system 10.
In the illustrated embodiment, the defense system 10 also includes aiming means 90 (shown schematically in
The aiming means 90 includes wire payout means for paying out a predetermined, or as calculated by the launch system, a calculated predetermined amount of wire 84, depending on the desired net and drogue chute deployment location.
In other embodiments (not shown), a multiple of such defense systems 10 can be deployed at a single instance or one after another in order to neutralize a threat from one or more munitions.
The disclosed defense system 10 is not just confined to rocket propelled missiles. Any propelled ordinance (such as a torpedo) that can be detected by radar, sonar or heat can be defeated. Only the specific design of the ordinance needs be adjusted to be appropriate to the type of threat. For example, “Ship buster missiles” are very large and in their final approach are very low (dose to the water). A heavy duty defense system 10 would take care of such a missile.
Also, especially with air-to-air missiles, but even with ground-to-air missiles, the altitude of the engagement might reduce the effect of the drogue chute because of the thinner air. For high altitude systems, the drogue chute can be replaced with an exploding device in the form of a rocket 94 (see
Various other features of this disclosure are set forth in the following claims.
