Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Radar ew – Ecm
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-25
2004-01-27
Gregory, Bernarr E. (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Radar ew
Ecm
C342S005000, C342S007000, C342S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06683555
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to deployable countermeasures, and more particularly, to a system for the deployment and retrieval of a towed decoy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As will be appreciated, aerial towed objects are used for a variety of purposes, including decoys, testing, and scientific investigations. In one embodiment, the decoys are used to draw various types of guided weapons away from an aircraft that the weapons are intended to destroy. These towed targets and decoys typically contain various types of electronic circuits to create an apparent target to a weapon in order to attract the weapon to the decoy rather than the aircraft. One such active electronic device is a traveling wave tube amplifier equipped transponder to which high voltages must be applied to power its traveling wave tube. Additionally, other controls for the traveling wave tube or other electronics in the towed object are transmitted in one embodiment along a fiber-optic transmission line, which is both fragile and frangible.
In the past, it has been the practice to pre-deploy the decoys such that when an aircraft arrives at a hostile area, the decoys will already be in place and capable of performing their intended countermeasure function. Typically, these decoys are deployed in a relatively slow manner, often taking several minutes for the decoy to arrive at a predetermined distance behind the aircraft.
When missions can last, for instance, for as much as six hours, there are aircraft range considerations involved in predeployment, as well as potential restrictions placed on aircraft with a decoy in tow.
Thus, in combat situations, when an aircraft is entering into hostile territory, one or more decoys are towed behind the aircraft until such time as the aircraft leaves the hostile territory. Thereafter, the decoy is cut loose from the aircraft and sacrificed.
There are obviously two problems associated with such a system. First, flying around with a decoy could limit the range of the aircraft as well as possibly requiring limits on the, types of tactical maneuvers that the aircraft can perform. Secondly, sacrificing the towed decoy at the end of the mission is both expensive and results in inordinate delays in reprocurement.
In general, it would be desirable to only deploy the decoy round when a threat has been sensed and to be able to retrieve the decoy round for redeployment during the same combat mission as additional threats are detected.
By way of further background, the typical manner of deployment is such that when a decoy has fulfilled its function, it is simply cut loose. For this purpose, the fiber optic wires and the high tension line are severed, with the severing taking place after the high voltage has been removed and after all usable signals along the fiber optic cable have been terminated.
The practice of cutting loose decoys after use and using them as an expendable commodity causes the above-noted problems. As a result it becomes important to be able to recover the towed decoy itself, mainly because of the cost of the towed vehicle, as well as the fact that replacing towed vehicles often is difficult due to the long lead times for the manufacture and provision of such decoys.
For instance, typically a towed counter-measure decoy may cost as much as $50,000 per decoy round. As many as eight decoys per sortie or mission can be deployed and as such, assuming 400 sorties per month, then the total expense of deploying expendable decoys is quite large, making the cost for the protection of the aircraft that employs these decoys excessive. Moreover, in a wartime setting, the decoy cannot be manufactured quickly enough. So bad is the situation that it may be necessary to scrounge used decoys from the battlefield where they fall.
It will be appreciated that prior to the subject invention, the only type of retrievable devices from aircraft were the sonobuoys that were dropped from helicopters on a line and then winched back up into the helicopter itself. Another type of towed device was an air speed head that was used to measure a variety of parameters behind an airplane. These types of devices were winched back into a pod on the aircraft in a conventional manner. In the above examples of winched-in sonobuoys or towed instruments, the instruments were never used in any kind of airborne counter-measure environment. Thus they were not carried in such a manner that they could be rapidly deployed in a battlefield scenario. Certain types of countermeasures were tested using 5-6 foot long test pods. However, the apparatus proved too large and cumbersome for tactical employment.
Note that the above airborne-winch systems are incompatible with deployment of towed decoys and current volume constraints on tactical aircraft, both due to size and due to problems with slowly winching out a drogue or towed vehicle of any kind. Further, sonobuoys and pod-mounted countermeasures typically were carried in an equipment pod the size of the MK-84 aerial bomb or the ALQ164-type electronics counter-measures pod. What will be appreciated is that these pods are exceptionally large and preclude, for instance, the carrying of armaments in the position where a pod is located. Thus, the payload of any attack aircraft would be severely limited if one were to use such unwieldy winching systems along with housings that are many times the size of a normal decoy round.
There is therefore a need for a compact launching and retrieval system for decoy rounds with an improved and miniaturized winching mechanism that would permit both rapid deployment of the decoy while at the same time being able to reel in the decoy and permitting it to dock so that it can be redeployed.
By way of further background, the types of decoys involved have included devices which counter-measure infrared guided and radar guided missiles that pose the primary threats to military aircraft engaged in a combat environment. Note that these missiles use their radar guidance systems to get within striking distance of the aircraft, thereby substantially increasing the probability that the IR system on the missile will be able to lock onto the target.
Current military aircraft are particularly vulnerable to attack from IR-guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. Statistical data of aircraft losses in hostile actions since 1980 show that the majority of these losses have been the result of IR-guided missile attacks. As a result, the ability to deploy, recover and redeploy decoys that can counter-measure the IR guidance systems on these missiles is of great value to protect aircraft during combat situations. As mentioned above, the IR-guided system initially utilizes radar guidance and then switches over to IR guidance as they come into closer proximity to the target. If one can counter-measure the radar system, then the IR portion can never lock onto the particular infrared target. To do this, the missile is deflected away by generating a signal that causes the radar guidance system in the missile to think that the target is actually elsewhere than it actually is.
In the past the ALE-50 Towed Decoy system currently in the inventory of the US Armed Forces includes a decoy round in a canister and a reel payout mechanism. When the decoy has served its purpose, it is cut loose and the ALE-50 decoy is lost.
Moreover, the same scenario is true for the more modern ALE-55, or in fact, any type of expendable towed vehicle.
As will be appreciated, there are a number of US patents that in general cover towed vehicle deployment, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,836,535; 5,603,470; 5,605,306; 5,570,854; 5,501,411; 5,333,814; 5,094,405; 5,102,063; 5,136,295; 4,808,999; 4,978,086; 5,029,773, 5,020,742; 3,987,746 and 5,014,997, all incorporated by reference herein.
In summary, prior art decoys were predeployed and towed for the entire duration of the mission after which they were cut free after exiting hostile territory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to change the entire tactical strategy in which decoys are deployed, in the subject system, decoys are
Carlson Mark A.
Jordan James J.
Russotti John
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
Gregory Bernarr E.
Long Daniel J.
Tendler Robert K.
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