Despun wing control system for guided projectile maneuvers

A projectile system comprising:

• a projectile having a collar assembly with a plurality of variable sweep wings, each of the plurality of wings canted, at a fixed angle with respect to the central axis of the munition, for generating a lifting force in response to the oncoming airstream, the plurality of variable sweep wings each having a first end portion pivotally mounted to an interior of the collar assembly and configured to rotate to a plurality of positions including a first position, where the wings are oriented having a lengthwise wing axis generally parallel to the central axis of the projectile and no portion of the wings extends outwardly beyond an outer envelope of the collar assembly, a second position, where a second end portion of the wings are positioned outwardly from the sidewall of the collar assembly and where the lengthwise wing axis of the plurality of wings are oriented generally perpendicular to the central axis of the projectile, and a third position, where the wings are oriented having the lengthwise wing axis at an angle with respect to the central axis such that the wings have an acute wing sweep angle, and
• a computer program product for configuring the projectile comprising:
• a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
• operation means for determining a target for the projectile and determine target data including an indication of a target location;
• operation means for determining projectile deployment data including an indication of a deployment position for the projectile;
• operation means for determining, using a predicted ballistic trajectory for the projectile, a flight plan including a set of flight instructions for the projectile that delivers the projectile to the target location;
• and
• operation means for programming the projectile with the set of flight instructions.

A system for guiding a projectile, the system removably attachable to a chassis of a projectile to configure the projectile for guided flight, the system comprising:

• a munitions assembly having a collar pivotally mounted to the control support portion, the collar having a circumferentially and axially extending exterior sidewall with a plurality of fixed aerodynamic surfaces thereon for spinning the collar and the collar having a plurality of variable sweep wings for directional control of the projectile, the plurality of variable sweep wings each having a first end portion pivotally mounted to an interior of the collar configured to rotate between and including a first position, where the wings are oriented having a lengthwise wing axis generally parallel to the central axis of the projectile to a second position, where the second end portion of the wings are rotated outwardly from the sidewall of the collar and where the lengthwise wing axis of the plurality of wings are oriented generally perpendicular to the central axis of the projectile;
• and
• a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes a set of instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
• determine that the projectile has reached a first altitude threshold, and in response, generating instructions to deploy the plurality of variable sweep wings from the first position to the second position;
• and
• determine that the projectile has reached a second altitude threshold, and in response generating instructions to configure the plurality of variable sweep wings from the second position to a third position, between the first and second position, where the longitudinal wing axis has a wing sweep angle with the central axis that is an acute angle.