Method and apparatus for improving the aim of a weapon station, firing a point-detonating or an air-burst projectile
AssigneeNostromo Holdings, LLC
InventorKevin Michael Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The method and apparatus for a remote weapon station or incorporated into manually-aimed weapons. The methodology requires use of a muzzle velocity sensor that refines the aiming of the second and subsequent fires or volleys fired from weapon systems. When firing the first volley a weapon uses an estimated velocity and, at firing, the muzzle velocity of a projectile is measured. When firing the second volley a weapon's fire control calculates an aiming point using the measured velocity of the first volley.
Claims26
A method of aiming a weapon station when firing projectiles toward a target, said weapon station comprising a weapon barrel with a muzzle, a mechanical support for controlling the elevation and traverse of the barrel, sensing means for determining the muzzle velocity (MV) of a projectile when exiting the barrel and a fire control processor for calculating barrel elevation for ballistic flight of the projectile toward a desired target in dependence upon certain input parameters, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) inputting to the processor, initially, an estimated default muzzle velocity for a given ammunition can of a selected type of ammunition projectile;
- (b) inputting to the processor a range to the target;
- (c) adjusting the barrel elevation based on the default MV and the range to the target for the ballistic flight toward the target of a projectile from said given ammunition can of projectiles;
- (d) firing at least one projectile from said given ammunition can of projectiles toward the target;
- (e) determining an actual MV for said at least one projectile;
- (f) adjusting the barrel elevation based on said actual measured muzzle velocity and said range to the target;
- (g) firing at least one additional projectile from said given ammunition can of projectiles toward the target.
A weapon station including a weapon with a barrel having a muzzle for firing ammunition projectiles from an ammunition can of projectiles and comprising:
- a mechanical support configured to elevate and averse said weapon barrel;
- a sensing device, disposed in or adjacent said barrel, for measuring an exit muzzle velocity (MV) of a fired ammunition projectile;
- a fire control unit coupled to the mechanical support and to the MV sensing device, said fire control unit having a processor for calculating the barrel elevation and traverse in dependence upon at least one input parameter including a default MV for a given ammunition can of projectiles and a measured MV of projectiles that are fired from said weapon.
An apparatus, including a weapon having a barrel with a muzzle capable of firing ammunition projectiles, said apparatus comprising:
- hand-held binoculars and a range finder for determining range to a target;
- a mechanical support for the weapon configured to allow elevation and traverse of the weapon barrel;
- a sensing device, disposed in or adjacent the weapon barrel, for measuring an exit muzzle velocity (MV) of a fired ammunition projectile;
- a fire control unit, electronically coupled to hand-held binoculars and range finder and to the MV sensing device, having a fire control processor calculating a barrel elevation in dependence a range to the target and a measured muzzle exit velocity (MV) of a projectile fired from the weapon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.