Active protection against beam-riding guided munition
AssigneeElta Systems Ltd.
InventorsJacob Rovinsky, Yoav Tourgeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The presently disclosed subject matter includes an active protection system and a method, dedicated for detecting, locating, and incapacitating beam-riding missiles and in that way protecting an asset from being targeted by the missile. According to some examples following receipt of a threat-indication, the active protection system estimates a location of a beam used for directing a threat (e.g., ATGM) to the target and launches an aerial platform that flies in the opposite direction along the beam until it meets and incapacitates the incoming threat.
Claims32
A system for intercepting a beam-riding threat, comprising:
- a tracking subsystem, a computer processing circuitry and a countermeasure subsystem;
- the tracking subsystem is configured, following receipt of a threat-indication, to track an incoming threat and provide threat track-data to the computer processing circuitry;
- the processing circuitry is configured to determine, based on the threat track-data, an estimated location of a guiding beam used for guiding the incoming threat;
- the system is configured to:
- generate instructions causing the countermeasure subsystem to launch at least one aerial platform, the aerial platform comprises an onboard sensor sensitive for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the guiding beam;
- and provide to the aerial platform the estimated location of the guiding beam, to thereby enable the aerial platform to locate the guiding beam and operate the onboard sensor for flying along the guiding beam towards the incoming threat.
A method of intercepting a beam riding threat, the method comprising:
- following receipt of a threat-indication, tracking an incoming threat and determining threat track-data;
- determining, based on the threat track-data, an estimated location of a guiding beam used for guiding the threat;
- launching at least one aerial platform towards the guiding beam, the aerial platform comprising an onboard sensor sensitive for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the guiding beam;
- and providing to the aerial platform the estimated location of the guiding beam, to thereby enable the aerial platform to locate the guiding beam and fly along the guiding beam towards the incoming threat.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of intercepting a beam-riding threat, the method comprising:
- following receipt of a threat-indication, tracking an incoming threat and determining threat track-data;
- determining, based on the threat track-data, an estimated location of a guiding beam used for guiding the threat;
- launching at least one aerial platform towards the guiding beam, the aerial platform comprising an onboard sensor sensitive for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the guiding beam;
- and providing to the aerial platform the estimated location of the guiding beam, to thereby enable the aerial platform to locate the guiding beam and fly along the guiding beam towards the incoming threat.
An aerial platform configured to incapacitate a beam riding threat;
- the platform comprising a flight control subsystem and an onboard sensor operatively connected to an onboard processing circuitry;
- the aerial platform is configured to:
- receive data indicative of estimated location of a guiding beam used for guiding an incoming threat, to be launched and to fly towards the guiding beam, locate the guiding beam and to fly along the guiding beam towards the incoming threat;
- wherein the onboard sensor is sensitive for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the guiding beam;
- the onboard processing circuitry is configured to:
- process data sensed by the sensor and generate instructions causing the aerial platform to fly along the guiding beam.
A system of locating a firing unit of an incoming beam guided threat, the system comprising:
- a tracking subsystem operatively connected to a computer processing circuitry;
- the tracking subsystem is configured, following receipt of a threat-indication, to track an incoming threat and determine threat track-data;
- the processing circuitry is configured to determine, based on the threat track-data, an estimated location of a guiding beam;
- the system is configured to:
- generate instructions causing launch of at least one aerial platform towards the guiding beam, and provide, to the aerial platform, the estimated location of the guiding beam, to thereby enable the aerial platform to locate the guiding beam and fly along the guiding beam towards the incoming threat;
- wherein the aerial platform comprises an onboard camera operatively connected to an onboard processing circuitry;
- the onboard processing circuitry is configured to:
- process images captured by the onboard camera, and identify, in the images, data indicative of a beam source of the guiding beam;
- determine line of sight (LOS) data indicative of one or more lines of sight extending from the aerial platform to the beam source;
- wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a location of a firing unit, based on the LOS data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.