# US 11,440,656 B2 · Countermeasure deployment system facilitating neutralization of target aerial vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,656 B2 - Document ID: US11440656B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/151,307 - Filed: 2018-10-03 - Published: 2020-04-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-03 - Assignees: Sarcos Corp. - Applicants: Sarcos Corp. - Inventors: Fraser M. Smith; Marc X. Olivier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440656B2 ## CPC - F41H 11/02: Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile {or anti-torpedo} defence installations or systems (cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; {informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00}) - B64D 1/08: the articles being load-carrying devices - B64D 1/16: Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting (jettisoning fuel B64D37/26) - B64U 20/50: Foldable or collapsible UAVs (with frangible components B64U20/30) - B64U 70/30: for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net - B64U 70/50: Launching from storage containers, e.g. from submarine missile tubes - F41H 13/0006: {Ballistically deployed systems for restraining persons or animals, e.g. ballistically deployed nets} - G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target} - G05D 1/101: {specially adapted for aircraft} - G05D 1/12: Target-seeking control - B64U 10/14: with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters - B64U 2101/16: for controlling, capturing or immobilising other vehicles - B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] - F41H 13/0087: {the high-energy beam being a bright light, e.g. for dazzling or blinding purposes (F41H13/0056 takes precedence)} - F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A system for neutralizing target aerial vehicles comprises a projectile launching mechanism that launches a projectile that supports a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having an aerial vehicle countermeasure. The counter-attack UAV can be folded in the projectile, and operable to unfold when separated from the projectile. The system comprises an aerial vehicle detection system comprising a detection sensor that detects a target aerial vehicle. Upon detection, the projectile launching mechanisms launches the projectile, and the counter-attack UAV is thereafter separated from the projectile to operate in flight to neutralize the detected target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle countermeasure. The projectile launching mechanism can comprise a movable platform comprising a plurality of projectiles and counter-attack UAVs, and can comprise a detection sensor to detect target aerial vehicles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: a projectile launching mechanism; a projectile launchable by the projectile launching mechanism; and an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle while in flight, and operable, in response to the detection, to provide command data to at least one of the launching mechanism or a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to facilitate neutralization of the target aerial vehicle, the counter-attack UAV supported by and separable from the projectile, and comprising an aerial vehicle countermeasure, wherein the projectile is formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber that contains the counter-attack UAV, wherein, based on the command data, the projectile launching mechanism is operable to launch the projectile, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section are separable from one another to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle in response to the command data, and wherein upon release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile, the counter-attack UAV is operable to neutralize the target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle countermeasure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the counter-attack UAV is configured in a folded position within the projectile for aerial transport of the counter-attack UAV to a pre-determined location, and wherein the counter-attack UAV is operable to move to an unfolded position upon separation from the projectile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the particular geolocation at which the counter-attack UAV is released from the projectile comprises an aerial position relative to the target aerial vehicle, such that the counter-attack UAV is undetectable by a sensor of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the command data comprises at least one of intercept data, aerial vehicle capture countermeasure deployment command data, target aerial vehicle detection data, counter-attack UAV control data, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises an on-board aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor supported by the counter-attack UAV, and wherein the at least one detection sensor is configured to detect a position of the target aerial vehicle, and wherein a flight control system of the counter-attack UAV is operable to control autonomous flight of the counter-attack UAV based on the detected position of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises an on-platform aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor supported by the projectile launching mechanism, and wherein the at least one detection sensor is operable to detect the target aerial vehicle, and wherein the on-platform aerial vehicle detection system is configured to provide command data to the counter-attack UAV to facilitate interception and neutralization of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises a ground-based aerial vehicle detection system associated with a ground-based structure, the ground-based external aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor operable to detect the target aerial vehicle, and wherein the ground-based external vehicle detection system is operable to provide command data to at least one of the projectile launching mechanism or the counter-attack UAV to facilitate interception and neutralization of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the counter-attack UAV comprises a flight body and plurality of rotor assemblies each folded about the flight body, wherein the plurality of rotor assemblies are configured to unfold from the flight body upon the counter-attack UAV separating from the projectile. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the inner chamber contains the counter-attack UAV in a folded position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the projectile further comprises a housing release mechanism configured to at least partially separate the first housing section from the second housing section to expose the inner chamber, thereby facilitating separation and release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the housing release mechanism comprises a tether extending between the projectile and the projectile launching mechanism, wherein after launching the projectile, the tether facilitates separation of the first housing section from the second housing section to facilitate separation and release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle countermeasure is configured to disrupt operation of the target aerial vehicle, and comprises at least one of a flexible entangling element, a net, a fluid, pellets, an electrical discharge device, or an illumination device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the counter-attack UAV further comprises a countermeasure launching device operable to launch the aerial vehicle countermeasure toward the target aerial vehicle to impact and neutralize the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the aerial vehicle countermeasure comprises a net launchable by the countermeasure launching device to capture and neutralize the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the projectile launching mechanism is configured to launch a plurality of projectiles, each projectile supporting a counter-attack UAV configured in a folded position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the target aerial vehicle comprises a sensor defining a field of view, and wherein the projectile is configured to release the counter-attack UAV from a stealth position that is not within the field of view of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 17 A system for detecting and neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: a projectile launching mechanism; a projectile launchable from the projectile launching mechanism to a pre-determined location, wherein the projectile is formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber operable to support a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and separable from the projectile, and comprising an aerial vehicle countermeasure; an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle while in flight, and, upon the detection, operable to provide command data to at least one of the launching mechanism or the counter-attack UAV to facilitate neutralization of the target aerial vehicle, wherein, based on the command data, the projectile launching mechanism is operable to launch the projectile to the pre-determined location, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section separate from one another to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle in response to the command data, and wherein upon release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile, the counter-attack UAV is operable to neutralize the target aerial vehicle via the aerial vehicle countermeasure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the counter-attack UAV is configured in a folded position within the projectile during aerial transport of the counter-attack UAV, and wherein the counter-attack UAV is operable to move to an unfolded position upon separation from the projectile. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the projectile comprises a housing release mechanism operable to separate the first and second housing sections from one another, thereby releasing the counter-attack UAV at the particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle comprises an aerial position not within a field of view of a sensor of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the command data comprises at least one of intercept data, aerial vehicle capture countermeasure deployment command data, target aerial vehicle detection data, counter-attack UAV control data, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises an on-board aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor supported by the counter-attack UAV, wherein a flight control system of the counter-attack UAV is operable to control autonomous flight of the counter-attack UAV based on the detected position of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises an on-platform aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor supported by the projectile launching mechanism and operable to detect the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises a ground-based external aerial vehicle detection system associated with a ground-based structure, the ground-based external aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor, and operable to provide command data to at least one of the projectile launching mechanism or the counter-attack UAV to facilitate interception and neutralization of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the counter-attack UAV comprises a flight body and a plurality of rotor assemblies each folded about the flight body, wherein the plurality of rotor assemblies are configured to unfold from the flight body upon the counter-attack UAV separating from the projectile. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the platform comprises a movable vehicle having at least one mobility mechanism such that the movable vehicle is portable about a ground surface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the counter-attack UAV comprises a countermeasure launching device, wherein the counter-attack UAV is configured to operate the countermeasure launching device to launch the aerial vehicle countermeasure toward the target aerial vehicle to impact and neutralize the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the aerial vehicle countermeasure comprises a projectile comprising a liquid projectile comprising a liquid charge, and comprising a non-rigid flight integrity component comprising an additive combined with the liquid charge to inhibit substantial break-up of the liquid charge during flight, the liquid projectile configured to fluidly disperse upon a predetermined event. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The system of claim 28, wherein the predetermined event comprises the liquid projectile impacting the target aerial vehicle, wherein the dispersed liquid charge is configured to interrupt operation of at least one critical operational device of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The system of claim 28, wherein the liquid projectile further comprises at least one direct-impact device configured to impact and neutralize the target aerial vehicle, wherein the at least one direct-impact device comprises plastic or polymer pellets, metallic pellets, composite pellets, a filament element, or a tagging agent. ### Claim 31 A method for neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: detecting a target aerial vehicle while in flight and generating command data based on the detection of the target aerial vehicle; launching a projectile from a projectile launching mechanism in response to the generated command data, the projectile supporting a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the projectile is formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber that contains the counter-attack UAV; separating the first housing section from the second housing section to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber of the projectile at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle based on the generated command data; and operating the counter-attack UAV to neutralize the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising unfolding rotor assemblies of the counter-attack UAV upon separation from the projectile. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein separating the counter-attack UAV from the projectile further comprises operating a housing release mechanism to release the counter-attack UAV at a pre-determined location relative to a detected position of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising transmitting the command data from an aerial vehicle detection system to the counter-attack UAV. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein detecting the target aerial vehicle comprises operating at least one detection sensor of the counter-attack UAV after separation from the projectile. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein operating the counter-attack UAV to neutralize the target aerial vehicle comprises launching an aerial vehicle countermeasure from the counter-attack UAV toward the target aerial vehicle to neutralize the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein detecting the target aerial vehicle comprises autonomously tracking a dynamic position of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising moving the projectile launching mechanism along a ground surface to a ground-based location via a mobility mechanism of the projectile launching mechanism. ### Claim 39 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein detecting the aerial vehicle further comprises at least one of determining a known altitude or predicting a predicted altitude of the target aerial vehicle, and wherein separating the first housing section from the second housing section at the particular geolocation further comprises separating the first housing section from the second housing section to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber of the projectile at an altitude that is greater than the known altitude or the predicted altitude of the target aerial vehicle based on the command data, whereby the counter-attack UAV is undetectable by a sensor of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein operating the counter-attack UAV to neutralize the target aerial vehicle comprises operating an aerial vehicle countermeasure configured to disrupt operation of the target aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle countermeasure comprising at least one of a flexible entangling element, a net, a fluid, pellets, an electrical discharge device, or an illumination device. ### Claim 41 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system is operable to track a flight path of the target aerial vehicle, and wherein, based on the command data, the projectile launching mechanism is operable to control at least one of the timing of the launch of the projectile or the velocity of the projectile based on the tracked flight path. ### Claim 42 (depends on 3) They system of claim 3, wherein the particular geolocation at which the counter-attack UAV is released from the projectile comprises an altitude that is greater than a known or predicted altitude of the target aerial vehicle. ### Claim 43 A system for neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: a projectile formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber operable to support a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the counter-attack UAV being separable from the projectile and comprising an aerial vehicle countermeasure, wherein at least one of the projectile or the counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle is operable to receive command data from an aerial vehicle detection system upon detection of a target aerial vehicle while in flight, the aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect the target aerial vehicle, wherein, based on the command data, the projectile is operable to be launched by a projectile launching mechanism, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section are separable from one another to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle in response to the command data, and wherein upon release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile, the counter-attack UAV is operable to neutralize the target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle countermeasure. ### Claim 44 A system for neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle while in flight; and at least one transceiver operable to electronically communicate with at least one of a projectile launching mechanism, a projectile launchable by the projectile launching mechanism, or a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supported by and separable from the projectile and comprising an aerial vehicle countermeasure, wherein the aerial vehicle detection system is operable, in response to the detection, to provide command data to at least one of the launching mechanism or the counter-attack UAV to facilitate neutralization of the target aerial vehicle, wherein the projectile is formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber that contains the counter-attack UAV, wherein, based on the command data, the projectile launching mechanism is operable to launch the projectile, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section are separable from one another to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle in response to the command data, and wherein upon release of the counter-attack UAV from the projectile, the counter-attack UAV is operable to neutralize the target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle countermeasure. ### Claim 45 A system for neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, comprising: a projectile launching mechanism; a projectile launchable by the projectile launching mechanism, the projectile being formed from at least a first housing section and a second housing section releasably coupled to each other and defining an inner chamber operable to support a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) therein; and an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle while in flight, and operable, in response to the detection, to provide command data to at least one of the launching mechanism, the projectile, or the counter-attack UAV to facilitate neutralization of the target aerial vehicle, wherein, based on the command data, the projectile launching mechanism is operable to launch the projectile, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section are separable from one another to release the counter-attack UAV from the inner chamber at a particular geolocation relative to the target aerial vehicle in response to the command data to neutralize the target aerial vehicle.