SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DIRECTABLE COUNTERMEASURE WITH DIVERGENT LASER

• US 20150323656A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Inventors: SOLETSKY, Philip, LUNDQUIST, Jan Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/224 Deceiving or protecting means jamming or anti-jamming of radio-wave systems in general G01S7/36, G01S7/38; defense installations in general F41H11/02; chaff dispensers F42B12/70
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0056 for blinding or dazzling, i.e. by overstimulating the opponent's eyes or the enemy's sensor equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/495 Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures using electronic or electro-optical means

Abstract

A system includes a threat warning system and an countermeasure system. The threat warning system generates threat data that includes at least a threat coordinate value. The countermeasure system includes a wide-angle laser beam director and the infrared counter measure system receives the threat data including the threat coordinate value from the threat warning system and causes the beam director to direct a divergent laser beam based on the threat coordinate value.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a threat warning system to generate threat data, wherein the threat data comprises at least a threat coordinate value; and

a countermeasure system comprising a wide-angle laser beam director, wherein the infrared countermeasure system receives the threat data including the threat coordinate value from the threat warning system and causes the beam director to direct a divergent laser beam based on the threat coordinate value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to five degrees.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to ten degrees.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the countermeasure system directs the divergent laser beam without the use of a tracking camera.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the countermeasure system provides a feedback loop between the beam director and the threat warning system and updates the direction of the beam director based on an updated threat coordinate value received from the threat warning system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the threat data further comprises an angle of approach value for the threat;

the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light; and

the countermeasure system causes the beam director to vary an angle of the cone based on the received angle of approach value.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the countermeasure system does not alter the direction of the beam director after initial direction.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving threat data from a threat warning system, wherein the threat data comprises at least a threat coordinate value; and

causing a wide-angle laser beam director to direct a divergent laser beam based on the threat coordinate value.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to five degrees.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to ten degrees.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising directing the divergent laser beam without the use of a tracking camera.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising updating the direction of the beam director as a result of receiving an updated threat coordinate value from the threat warning system.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the threat data further comprises an angle of approach value for the threat and the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light, the method further comprising causing the beam director to vary an angle of the cone based on the received angle of approach value.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the processor further directs the divergent laser beam without the use of a tracking camera.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive threat data from a threat warning system, wherein the threat data comprises at least a threat coordinate value; and

cause a wide-angle laser beam director to direct a divergent laser beam based on the threat coordinate value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to five degrees.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light in the range of one degree to ten degrees.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the processor further updates the direction of the beam director as a result of receiving an updated threat coordinate value from the threat warning system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the threat data further comprises an angle of approach value for the threat and the divergent laser beam comprises a jamming cone of light, wherein the processor further causes the beam director to vary an angle of the cone based on the received angle of approach value.