Air defense destruction missile weapon system

• US 5,458,041 A
• Filed: 08/02/1994
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Sun, John, Hackman, William K., Starace, Ralph C., Sanders, Ross J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wesson, Theresa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/284,875
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 89/1.11, 244/3.11, 244/3.12, 244/3.14, 244/3.16, 244/3.19, 342/25, 342/53, 342/54
• US Class Current: 89/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/00 Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles flight control B64C, G05D1/00 ; counter-measures against guided missiles F41H11/02; spin-stabilised missiles F42B10/26; self-propelled or guided missiles having direction control systems only installed aboard F42B15/01; rocket torpedoes F42B17/00; marine torpedoes or sea-mines having self-propulsion means F42B19/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; computing aspects G06
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/008 Combinations of different guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/22 Homing guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2226 comparing the observed data with stored target data, e.g. target configuration data
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2233 Multimissile systems
• 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: F41G 7/226 Semi-active homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and involving auxiliary illuminating means, e.g. using auxiliary guiding missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2286 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/308 for guiding a plurality of missiles

Abstract

An air defense missile weapon system in which a plurality of unmanned missiles penetrate, survey, identify, attack and destroy target areas that include air defense sites and sites of military interest. Each of the missiles has an airframe, sensors, data links, propulsion means, and a plurality of control surfaces. The missiles are launched from a carrier aircraft towards the target sites from a stand-off range. The missiles preferably operate in cooperative teams of hunter and killer missiles, and are interoperable with a plurality of military aircraft and other existing weapon systems.

Claims

1. A method of destroying a military target site, comprising the steps of:

launching a plurality of missiles from an aircraft at a stand-off range from a target area, each said missile having an airframe, means for propulsion of said missile, and control surfaces,

at least one of said missiles being a hunter missile adapted to include a radio frequency direction finder, an imaging infrared seeker system with automatic target cuing algorithms, an on-board Global Positioning System locating system, a jam-resistant data link system for transmitting and receiving data between said hunter missile and said aircraft and between said hunter missile and other command and control platforms and receiving stations, a radar cross section augmentation system, a laser target designator, and a warhead,

at least one of said missiles being a killer missile adapted to include an on-board Global Positioning System locating system, a radar cross section augmentation system, a laser tracker, a jam-resistant data link receiver, and a warhead;

deploying said plurality of missiles to said target area;

operating said radar cross section augmentation system of at least one of said plurality of missiles to induce emissions of radio frequency energy from said military target site;

operating said radio frequency direction finder and said automatic target cuing algorithms of said imaging infrared seeker system of said hunter missile to survey, locate and select a target of said military target site for destruction;

directing a selected one of said killer missiles to said selected target; and

,

detonating said warhead at said selected target.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said military target site is an air defense system site.

3. An air defense destruction missile weapon system comprising:

a carrier aircraft; and

,

at least one missile adapted for launch from said carrier aircraft, each said missile having

an airframe,

means for propulsion,

a plurality of control surfaces,

a radio frequency direction finder,

an imaging infrared seeker system with automatic target cuing algorithms,

an on-board Global Positioning System locating system,

a jam-resistant data link system for transmitting and receiving data between said hunter missile and said carrier aircraft and between said hunter missile and other command and control platforms and receiving stations,

a radar cross section augmentation system, and

a warhead.

4. A method of destroying a military target site, comprising the steps of:

launching a plurality of missiles from an aircraft at a stand-off distance from said military target site, each said missile having an airframe, means for propulsion of said missile, and control surfaces,

at least one of said missiles being a hunter missile having a multisensor target surveillance and recognition system, an on-board jam resistant Global Positioning System locating system, a jam resistant data link system for transmitting and receiving data between said hunter missile and said carrier aircraft and between said hunter missile and other command and control platforms and receiving stations, a laser target designator, and a warhead,

at least one of said missiles being a killer missile having an on-board Global Positioning System locating system, a laser tracker, a jam resistant missile-to-aircraft data link receiver, and a warhead;

deploying said missiles to said military target site;

operating said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said hunter missile to survey, identify and locate targets of said military target site;

transmitting target information for said identified and located targets over said missile-to-aircraft data link to said aircraft;

laser designating selected targets of said identified and located targets for attack; and

,

directing a respective one of said killer missiles to a respective one of said selected targets; and

,

exploding said warhead at said respective one of said selected targets.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said hunter missile is a radio frequency direction finder and an imaging infrared seeker.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said hunter missile is a dual mode synthetic aperture radar and laser radar seeker.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said hunter missile is a dual mode millimeter wave and laser radar seeker.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said hunter missile is a dual mode synthetic aperture radar and imaging infrared seeker.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein each said killer missile further includes a laser radar.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein each said killer missile further includes a radar cross section augmentation system.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein each said hunter missile is deployed at an altitude substantially higher than an altitude at which each said killer missile is deployed.

12. The system according to claim 4 wherein said military target site is in air defense system site.

13. An aircraft defense destruction missile weapon system comprising:

a carrier aircraft; and

,

at least one air defense destruction missile adapted for launch from said carrier aircraft, each said missile having

an airframe,

means for propulsion of said missile,

control surface means for controlling flight of said missile,

a multisensor target surveillance and recognition system,

an on-board Global Positioning Satellite locating system,

a jam resistant data link system for transmitting and receiving data between said hunter missile and said carrier aircraft and between said hunter missile and other command and control platforms and receiving stations,

a radar cross section augmentation system, and

a warhead.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said missile comprises a radio frequency direction finder and an imaging infrared seeker.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said missile comprises a dual mode synthetic aperture radar and laser radar seeker.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said missile comprises a dual mode millimeter wave and laser radar seeker.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said multisensor target surveillance and recognition system of said missile comprises a dual mode synthetic aperture radar and imaging infrared seeker.