US 5,061,930 AGranted

Multi-mode missile seeker system

AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.

InventorsHarvey C. Nathanson, Thomas E. Underwood

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Abstract

A broad band multimode seeker system for a missile includes a wide band phased array transmitter/receiver unit incorporating a wafer scale phased array device with a bandwidth of about 2 GHz to 35 GHz. A multimode intermediate frequency unit selectively generates radar and jamming waveforms and measures parameters of reflected radar and external emissions of RF energy. A guidance processor manages the front end assets for selective active or semiactive radar searching and tracking, and simultaneous searching for, tracking of, homing on, and applying a selection of electronic countermeasures to, multiple defensive radars. Confirmation of an assigned target is made through correlation of received RF signals with libraries of expected defensive system parameters and high resolution target profiles and preloaded target geographical coordinates.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A multi-mode seeker system for a missile comprising:

a wide band phased array transmitter/receiver unit having an electronically agile aperture through which RF energy over a wide band of frequencies and in directions over a wide angle in both azimuth and elevation is transmitted and received;
a multi-mode intermediate frequency unit selectively generating radar and electronic countermeasure RF energy waveforms for transmission by said wide band phased array transmitter/receiver unit, and selectively detecting and measuring parameters of reflected radar and external emissions of RF energy received by said wide band phased array transmitter/receiver unit;
and
a guidance processor responsive to the measured parameters controlling selection of said radar and electronic countermeasure RF energy waveforms generated by said intermediate frequency unit and for controlling the direction in which the wide band phased array transmitter/receiver unit transmits and receives RF energy.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.