US 5,703,314 AGranted

Infrared projector countermeasure system

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorDelbert Brent Meeker

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Abstract

A countermeasure system, adapted for use on board an aircraft, for confus an incoming missile as to the location and heading of the aircraft. The countermeasure system generates for each side of the aircraft at least two infrared energy images which are projected onto the aircraft's fuselage and then swept across the aircraft's fuselage to confuse the incoming missile's infrared seeker. Each infrared energy image is generated by at least two lasers operating at different frequencies within the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. A beam combiner combines the beams of infrared energy from each laser forming a single collimated beam of infrared energy having multiple frequencies which is then directed to a beam former. The beam former spreads the collimated beam of infrared energy which it then directs to a scanner. The scanner, which is mounted in a wing tip pod on the aircraft, directs the collimated beam to the fuselage of the aircraft sweeping the beam of infrared energy over the fuselage of the aircraft to confuse the infrared seeker of the incoming missile as to the flight path of the aircraft.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A countermeasure system adapted for use on board an aircraft to confuse an infrared seeker of an incoming missile as to a flight path for said aircraft, said countermeasure system being mounted in a wing tip pod of said aircraft, said countermeasure system comprising:

a plurality of laser beam generating means, each of said laser beam generating means generating a collimated beam of infrared energy having a predetermined frequency, the predetermined frequency of said collimated beam of infrared energy generated by one of said plurality of laser beam generating means being different from the predetermined frequency of said collimated beam of infrared energy generated by another of said plurality of laser beam generating means;
beam combining means disposed from said plurality of laser beam generating means to receive and then combine said collimated beam of infrared energy generated by each of said plurality of laser beam generating means to provide a multiple frequency collimated beam of infrared energy, said beam combining means projecting said multiple frequency collimated beam of infrared energy along a first optical path;
beam forming means spatially disposed from said beam combining means on said first optical path, said beam forming means spreading said multiple frequency collimated beam of infrared energy to a predetermined angle to provide a substantially circular shaped multiple frequency beam of infrared energy, said beam forming means projecting said substantially circular shaped multiple frequency beam of infrared energy along a second optical path;
scanning means spatially disposed from said beam forming means on said second optical path to receive said substantially circular shaped multiple frequency beam of infrared energy, said scanning means projecting said substantially circular shaped multiple beam of infrared energy in a lateral sweeping motion across a fuselage of said aircraft.

1 more element

a first laser for projecting a first collimated beam of infrared energy along a first optical path, said first collimated beam of infrared energy having a first frequency;
a second laser for projecting a second collimated beam of infrared energy along said first optical path, said second collimated beam of infrared energy having a second frequency;
a beam combiner spatially disposed from said first laser and said second laser to receive said first collimated beam of infrared energy and said second collimated beam of infrared energy, said beam combiner combining said first and said second collimated beams of infrared energy to form a third collimated beam of infrared energy having said first and said second frequencies, said beam combiner projecting said third collimated beam of infrared energy along said first optical path;
a beam former spatially disposed from said beam combiner on said first optical path, said beam former spreading said third collimated beam of infrared energy to a predetermined angle to provide a substantially circular shaped beam of infrared energy having said first and said second frequencies, said beam former projecting said substantially circular shaped beam of infrared energy along a second optical path;
and
a scanner spatially disposed from said beam former on said second optical path to receive said substantially circular shaped beam of infrared energy, said scanner projecting said substantially circular shaped beam of infrared energy in a lateral sweeping motion across a fuselage of said aircraft.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.