Aircraft protection system and method

• US 6,977,598 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Longbottom, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/651,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 89/11.1, 342/36, 342/67
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/04 for dispersing fire from a battery ; for controlling spread of shots; for coordinating fire from spaced weapons
• 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 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• 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: F41H 13/0062 causing structural damage to the target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4804 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying lidar signals or the like, e.g. laser illuminators
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/495 Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures using electronic or electro-optical means

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for protecting aircraft includes a plurality of missile warning sensors and a turret mounted near the top of at least one support structure. Each missile warning sensor is operable to detect a missile and the turret is operable to emit a laser beam that is directed toward the missile to divert the missile from its intended flight pattern.

Claims

1. A system for protecting aircraft, comprising:

one or more supports positioned adjacent a flight pattern of an aircraft;

one or more missile warning sensors coupled to at least one of the supports, each of the one or more missile warning sensors operable to detect a missile when launched;

one or more turrets coupled to at least one of the supports, each of the one or more turrets operable to emit a laser beam toward the missile;

a controller operable to control the emission of the laser beam in response to detection of the launched missile; and

wherein the laser beam is operable to divert the missile by relying on optical scatter and reflections.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is selected from the group consisting of a commercial aircraft, a private aircraft, a freight aircraft, and a military aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the supports is selected from the group consisting of:

a tower, a building, a mountain, a hill, a mobile tower, a low mounted ground base, an antenna, a tethered balloon, and a tree.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more supports comprises a plurality of supports, at least one of the plurality of supports having an elevation of at least one thousand feet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more supports comprises a plurality of supports, at least one of the plurality of supports positioned to reduce the optical scatter and reflections angle with respect to the missile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight pattern of the aircraft comprises an aircraft takeoff.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight pattern of the aircraft comprises an aircraft landing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more missile warning sensors are mounted near a top of the one or more supports.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more turrets are mounted near a top of the one or more supports.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more supports is a plurality of supports, and wherein the controller is further operable to synchronize the laser beams emitted by respective turrets to divert the missile from its flight path or destroy the missile.

11. A method for protecting aircraft, comprising:

providing one or more supports adjacent a flight pattern of an aircraft;

coupling one or more missile warning sensors to at least one of the supports, each of the one or more missile sensors operable to detect a missile when launched;

coupling one or more turrets to at least one of the supports, each of the one or more turrets operable to emit a laser beam toward the missile to divert the missile from its path by relying on optical scatter and reflections.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more turrets is operable to emit the laser beam toward the aircraft, the method further comprising reflecting the laser beam off of a reflective surface of the aircraft to divert the missile from it path.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising reducing the optical scatter and reflections angle with respect to the missile by employing an extra tall support structure.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein providing one or more supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft further comprises providing one or more supports adjacent an aircraft takeoff.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein providing one or more supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft further comprises providing one or more supports adjacent an aircraft landing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein coupling one or more missile sensors to at least one of the supports further comprises coupling the one or more missile warning sensors near a top of at least one of the supports.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein coupling one or more turrets to at least one of the supports further comprises coupling the one or more turrets near a top of at least one of the supports.

18. A method for protecting aircraft, comprising:

providing a plurality of supports adjacent a flight pattern of an aircraft, at least one of the supports having an elevation of at least one thousand feet;

coupling one or more missile warning sensors to at least one of the supports, each of the one or more missile warning sensors operable to detect a missile when launched by detecting an increase in either ultraviolet or infrared energy;

coupling a plurality of turrets to respective ones of the supports, each turret operable to emit a laser beam toward the missile;

directing, in response to the detected missile launch, the plurality of turrets toward the missile; and

emitting, by at least one of the turrets, a laser beam toward the missile to divert the missile from its path.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising randomly positioning the plurality of supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising strategically positioning the plurality of supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft to optimize air space coverage by the one or more turrets.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the plurality of supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft further comprises providing the plurality of supports adjacent an aircraft takeoff.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the plurality of supports adjacent the flight pattern of the aircraft further comprises providing the plurality of supports adjacent an aircraft landing.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein coupling one or more missile sensors to at least one of the supports further comprises coupling the one or more missile warning sensors near a top of at least one of the supports.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein coupling the plurality of turrets to respective ones of the supports further comprises coupling the plurality of turrets near a top of at least one of the supports.