Small smart weapon and weapon system employing the same

• US 7,958,810 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lone Star IP Holdings, LP
• Original Assignee: Lone Star IP Holdings, LP
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Roemerman, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; Bret
• Application Number:
  US12/754,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110108660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 102/221, 102/222, 102/223, 102/225, 102/226, 102/228, 102/229, 102/258, 102/260, 102/382, 102/385, 89/15.1, 89/15.3, 89/15.4, 89/15.5, 89/15.8, 89/6, 89/65, 89/371.6, 89/371.7, 89/371.8, 89/371.9, 89/18.12, 89/18.2, 89/11.1, 244/137.1
• US Class Current: 89/1.54
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/04 of armour-piercing type
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/362 Arrows or darts F42B12/38 takes precedence, having means for implantation, e.g. hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54; arrows or darts in general F42B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/44 of incendiary type F42B12/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 25/00 Fall bombs F42B10/00, F42B12/00 take precedence; for practice or training F42B8/12 ; gliding type bombs F42B15/105
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/005 Combination-type safety mechanisms, i.e. two or more safeties are moved in a predetermined sequence to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/20 wherein a securing-pin or latch is removed to arm the fuze, e.g. removed from the firing-pin F42C9/041 and F42C15/40 take precedence

Abstract

A weapon and weapon system, and methods of manufacturing and operating the same. In one embodiment, the weapon includes a warhead having destructive elements. The weapon also includes a folding lug switch assembly that provides a mechanism to attach the weapon to a delivery vehicle and is configured to close after launching from the delivery vehicle, thereby satisfying a criterion to arm the warhead. The weapon still further includes a guidance section including an antenna configured to receive mission data before launching from the delivery vehicle and further configured to receive instructions after launching from the delivery vehicle to guide the weapon to a target.

Claims

1. A method of operating a weapon, comprising:

providing a warhead of said weapon including destructive elements;

attaching said weapon to a delivery vehicle with a folding lug switch assembly;

folding said folding lug switch assembly into a cavity of said weapon after launching from said delivery vehicle; and

providing a signal to arm said warhead.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising guiding said weapon to a target.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising using a global positioning system to guide said weapon to a target.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising using a target sensor to guide said weapon to a target.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving instructions via an antenna of said weapon after launching from said delivery vehicle to guide said weapon to a target.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said antenna employs radio frequency or an inductive field for receiving said instructions.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said antenna is about a surface of said weapon.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving mission data via an antenna of said weapon before launching from said delivery vehicle to guide said weapon to a target.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said antenna employs radio frequency or an inductive field for receiving said mission data.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said antenna is about a surface of said weapon.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said warhead includes destructive elements formed by non-explosive materials.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said warhead includes destructive elements formed by explosive materials.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said folding lug switch assembly projects from a surface of said weapon.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said cavity is in an upper surface of said weapon.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said folding lug switch assembly is spring-loaded to fold after launching from said delivery vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising removing a safety pin from said folding lug switch assembly prior to providing said signal to arm said warhead.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a delay before providing said signal to arm said warhead.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said delivery vehicle is an aircraft and said attaching further comprises attaching said folding lug switch assembly to one of a wing station, rack, and bomb bay associated therewith.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing an aft section including flight control elements and tail fins.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said weapon is a Mark-76 derived weapon or a bomb dummy unit (BDU)-33 derived weapon.