Underwater vehicle having an optical beam operating system

• US 9,045,210 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MBDA Deutschland GmbH (MBDA SAS)
• Original Assignee: MBDA Deutschland GmbH (MBDA SAS)
• Inventors: Hagen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US14/352,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 114/316
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/28 Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/38 Arrangement of visual or electronic watch equipment, e.g. of periscopes, of radar periscopes, optical aiming or sighting devices per se G02B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/005 the high-energy beam being a laser beam

Abstract

An underwater vehicle includes an optical beam operating system having a radiation generator, a radiation emission device, and a radiation transmission device connecting the radiation generator to the radiation emission device. The radiation generator is provided on or in the underwater vehicle. The radiation emission device can be brought to the water surface by the underwater vehicle.

Claims

1. An underwater vehicle, comprising:

an optical beam operating system configured to generate a beam weapon and which comprises

means for generating a high-power radiation beam;

means for emitting the high-power radiation beam onto a target object as a weapon; and

radiation transmission means for connecting the means for generating to the means for emitting and for transmitting the high-power radiation beam from the means for generating to the means for emitting,

wherein the means for generating is provided on or in the underwater vehicle and

wherein the means for emitting is configured so that it is raisable the water surface by the underwater vehicle.

2. The underwater vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one extendable mast, wherein the means for emitting is provided in a region of a free end of the extendable mast.

3. The underwater vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a daughter vehicle separable from the underwater vehicle and connected to the underwater vehicle via a connection apparatus,

wherein the means for emitting is in the daughter vehicle, and

at least one section of the radiation transmission means is in the connection apparatus or is connected to the connection apparatus.

4. The underwater vehicle of claim 3, wherein the daughter vehicle is a tow buoy.

5. The underwater vehicle of claim 3, wherein the daughter vehicle is includes a stabilization platform on which the radiation emission device is arranged.

6. The underwater vehicle of claim 2, wherein the radiation transmission means runs at least section-wise inside the mast.

7. The underwater vehicle of claim 6, wherein the radiation transmission means is an optical conductor or has at least one optical conductor.

8. The underwater vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least the part of the radiation transmission means running inside the mast is formed of an open optical transmission segment.

9. The underwater vehicle of claim 1, wherein the means for generating is inside a pressure hull of the underwater vehicle.

10. The underwater vehicle of claim 1, wherein the means for emitting includes an optical or electro-optical targeting device.