Small smart weapon and weapon system employing the same

• US 9,006,628 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lone Star IP Holdings, LP
• Original Assignee: Lone Star IP Holdings, LP
• Inventors: Roemerman, Steven D., Volpi, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US12/754,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 89/18, 89/18.06, 89/18.12, 89/18.19, 89/65, 89/15.1, 89/15.3, 89/15.4, 89/15.5, 89/15.8, 102/262, 244/3.14, 244/3.15, 244/3.19
• US Class Current: 244/3.14
• 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 weapon, comprising:

a warhead including destructive elements; and

a guidance section including a single, ring antenna about a surface of said warhead, said antenna being configured to receive mission data including global positioning system ephemerides employing an inductive field before launching said warhead from a delivery vehicle and further configured to receive instructions after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle to guide said weapon to a target.

2. The weapon as recited in claim 1 wherein said antenna employs radio frequency to receive said instructions after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle.

3. The weapon as recited in claim 1 wherein said guidance section employs a global positioning system in cooperation with said antenna to guide said weapon away from areas to be avoided.

4. The weapon as recited in claim 1 further comprising a folding lug switch assembly that provides a mechanism to attach said weapon to said delivery vehicle.

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

6. The weapon as recited in claim 1 further comprising a folding lug switch assembly configured to close after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle, thereby satisfying a criterion to arm said warhead.

7. The weapon as recited in claim 1 further comprising a safety pin configured to be removed from a folding lug switch assembly, thereby satisfying a criterion to arm said warhead.

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

9. The weapon as recited in claim 1 further comprising an aft section including flight control elements and tail fins.

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

11. A weapon system, comprising:

a delivery vehicle; and

a weapon, including;

a warhead including destructive elements,

a guidance section including a single, ring antenna about a surface of said warhead, said antenna being configured to receive mission data including global positioning system ephemerides employing an inductive field before launching said warhead from a delivery vehicle and further configured to receive instructions after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle to guide said weapon to a target, and

an aft section including flight control elements and tail fins.

12. The weapon system as recited in claim 11 wherein said weapon further comprises a folding lug switch assembly that provides a mechanism to attach said weapon to said delivery vehicle and is configured to close after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle, thereby satisfying a criterion to arm said warhead.

13. The weapon system as recited in claim 12 wherein said weapon further comprises a safety pin configured to be removed from said folding lug switch assembly, thereby satisfying a criterion to arm said warhead.

14. The weapon system as recited in claim 11 wherein said antenna employs radio frequency to receive said instructions after launching said warhead from said delivery vehicle.

15. The weapon system as recited in claim 11 wherein said guidance section employs a global positioning system in cooperation with said antenna to guide said weapon away from areas to be avoided.