UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE WITH DEPLOYABLE TRANSMIT/RECEIVE MODULE APPARATUS WITH RAMJET
First Claim
1. A method for bistatic radar target detection comprising:
- launching a UAV and navigating the UAV with a ramjet engine at supersonic cruise to beyond a radar range limit;
maintaining a mothership aircraft on a flight profile outside the radar range limit;
extending antenna arms to act as air brakes reducing speed and providing boresight orientation of Tx/Rx modules for bistatic RF pulse reception;
employing a high power radar system on the mothership aircraft to emit radar pulses;
employing receive (Rx) modules on the UAV as a bistatic receiver to receive reflected radar pulses from targets; and
,transmitting target data from the UAV via a communications data link to the mothership aircraft.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for bistatic radar target detection employs an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a ramjet providing supersonic cruise of the UAV. Deployable antenna arms support a passive radar receiver for bistatic reception of reflected radar pulses. The UAV operates with a UAV flight profile in airspace beyond a radar range limit. The deployable antenna arms have a first retracted position for supersonic cruise and are adapted for deployment to a second extended position acting as an airbrake and providing boresight alignment of the radar receiver. A mothership aircraft has a radar transmitter for transmitting radar pulses and operates with an aircraft flight profile outside the radar range limit. A communications data link operably interconnects the UAV and the tactical mothership aircraft, transmitting data produced by the bistatic reception of reflected radar pulses in the UAV radar antenna to the mothership aircraft.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for bistatic radar target detection comprising:
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launching a UAV and navigating the UAV with a ramjet engine at supersonic cruise to beyond a radar range limit; maintaining a mothership aircraft on a flight profile outside the radar range limit; extending antenna arms to act as air brakes reducing speed and providing boresight orientation of Tx/Rx modules for bistatic RF pulse reception; employing a high power radar system on the mothership aircraft to emit radar pulses; employing receive (Rx) modules on the UAV as a bistatic receiver to receive reflected radar pulses from targets; and
,transmitting target data from the UAV via a communications data link to the mothership aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
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a ramjet providing supersonic cruise of the UAV, and deployable antenna arms supporting a passive radar receiver adapted to bistatically receive reflected radar pulses, said deployable antenna arms having a first retracted position for supersonic cruise and adapted for deployment to a second extended position, said second extended position acting as an airbrake and providing boresight alignment of the passive radar receiver; and, a communications data link transmitting data produced by the reflected radar pulses in the passive radar receiver. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for bistatic radar target detection comprising:
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a mothership aircraft having a radar transmitter for transmitting radar pulses, said mothership aircraft operating with an aircraft flight profile outside a radar range limit with respect to a target; an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a ramjet providing supersonic cruise, and a passive radar receiver for bistatic reception of reflected radar pulses from the radar transmitter on the mothership aircraft, said passive radar receiver deployable for boresight alignment and said UAV operating with a UAV flight profile in airspace beyond the radar range limit. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification