Directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system and method
First Claim
1. A directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system for use on an aircraft to track and jam a missile having an infrared (IR) missile seeker, comprising:
- a pointer-tracker having a detector and a Roll/Nod gimbal that includes optics for collecting incident IR radiation and routing it to the detector and an JR laser transmitter mounted thereon;
an JR laser optically coupled to the laser transmitter; and
a missile warner including a receiver that detects a likely missile launch and passes the threat coordinates to the pointer-tracker,said pointer-tracker slewing the gimbal to the threat coordinates to initiate tracking and then processing the data from its detector to refine tracking of and verify the threat, and, if verified, engage the IR laser to emit a modulated IR laser beam through the laser transmitter to jam the IR missile seeker.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An agile, high-power, reliable DIRCM system that is easily extended to address sophisticated UV or UV-visible capable multi-band threats includes a missile warner having missile warning receivers (MWRs), one or two-color suitably in the mid-IR range, that detect likely missile launch and pass the threat coordinates to a pointer-tracker having a Roll/Nod gimbal on which the IR laser transmitter is mounted. The pointer-tracker slews the gimbal to initiate tracking based on the threat coordinates and then uses its detector to continue to track and verify the threat. If the threat is verified, the pointer-tracker engages the laser to fire and jam the missile'"'"'s IR seeker. By slewing the gimbal based on unverified threat coordinates to initiate tracking the system is highly agile and can respond to short and near simultaneous MANPADS shots.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system for use on an aircraft to track and jam a missile having an infrared (IR) missile seeker, comprising:
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a pointer-tracker having a detector and a Roll/Nod gimbal that includes optics for collecting incident IR radiation and routing it to the detector and an JR laser transmitter mounted thereon; an JR laser optically coupled to the laser transmitter; and a missile warner including a receiver that detects a likely missile launch and passes the threat coordinates to the pointer-tracker, said pointer-tracker slewing the gimbal to the threat coordinates to initiate tracking and then processing the data from its detector to refine tracking of and verify the threat, and, if verified, engage the IR laser to emit a modulated IR laser beam through the laser transmitter to jam the IR missile seeker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system for use on an aircraft to track and jam a missile having an infrared (IR) missile seeker, comprising:
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a pointer-tracker having a detector and a Roll/Nod gimbal that includes optics for collecting incident IR radiation and routing it to the detector and an IR laser transmitter mounted thereon; an IR laser; a continuous optical fiber that is routed around the Roll/Nod gimbal axes to optically couple the IR laser to the laser transmitter; and a missile warner including multiple receivers that detects a missile launch and passes the threat coordinates to the pointer-tracker, said pointer-tracker slews the gimbal to the threat coordinates, processes the data from its detector to perform fine tracking and engages the IR laser to emit a modulated IR laser beam through the laser transmitter to jam the IR missile seeker. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) for using a pointer-tracker having a Roll/Nod gimbal mounted on an aircraft to track and jam a missile having an infrared (IR) missile seeker, comprising:
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Collecting incident IR radiation in a wide FOV; Declaring likely missile launch based on the collected IR radiation; Passing threat coordinates for the missile launch to the pointer-tracker; Slewing the Roll/Nod gimbal to the threat coordinates to initiate tracking; Collecting incident IR radiation in a narrow FOV through the gimbal to refine tracking of and verify the threat; Modulating an IR laser beam; and If verified, emitting the modulated IR laser beam to jam the IR missile seeker. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification