System for destroying ballistic missiles

Details System for destroying ballistic missiles System for destroying ballistic missiles

1999-07-19

2001-04-03

Gregory, Bernarr E. (Department: 3662)

Aeronautics and astronautics

Missile stabilization or trajectory control

Automatic guidance

C244S003100, C244S003240

Reexamination Certificate

active

06209820

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the general field of intercepting targets having predictable flight trajectory, such as ballistic missiles (BM) that are launched towards a friendly territory.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For convenience of explanation, the description below focuses on BM. The invention is by no means bound by this example and is aimed at intercepting any targets having predictable flight trajectory.
As is well known, interception of ballistic missiles is a difficult task. One of the major factors that hinders the interception mission is that the target BM develops after boost phase a relatively high flight velocity. This naturally results in a very high closing velocity of the intercepting platform (normally an intercepting missile) when approaching the target BM. The very high closing velocity imposes undue operational constraints on the various on-board and ground-based tracking and homing sub-systems that are associated with the intercepting platform, in order to accomplish successful destruction within an instant.
These constraints led to the development of a state-of-the-art on-board and ground based technologies (e.g. the joint U.S.—Israel ARROW system and the U.S. THAAD) in order to meet the operational specification of the intercepting mission.
Whilst the specified systems are a priori designed to perform the interception under given high velocity conditions, this does not mean that they will succeed in accomplishing the mission under ANY closing velocity conditions. Consider, for example, a first scenario in which a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) is launched from a first country to a second country. If the attacked state is protected, say, by the Arrow anti-TBM system, the latter will detect the launched missile by its early warning constituent, and in response to such an early warning, an Arrow missile will be launched so as to intercept the target TBM at a pre-planned interception zone under first closing velocity conditions.
Consider now a second scenario where the specified TBM is launched from a longer range, say from a third state. Naturally, the TBM will reach a higher velocity (as compared to the first scenario) when it approaches the interception zone, and considering that the flight velocity of the intercepting missile does not change as compared to the first scenario, the inevitable consequence is that the interception should now be implemented under second (higher) closing velocity constraints.
The varying closing velocity conditions impose yet another difficulty on systems such as the ARROW or THAAD to accomplish successful interception under any possible scenario. Put differently, the larger the closing velocity, the more strict are the timing constraints posed on the interceptor in order to accomplish successful interception. Likewise, under high closing velocity conditions, the accuracy operational specification of the sensors are increased.
It goes without saying that failure to give adequate answer to even one possible threat scenario, i.e. leakage of the target TBM to the friendly territory, will bring about dire consequence.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art to substantially simplify the complexity of the anti-BM system as compared to systems which operate under high and varying closing-velocity constraint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the understanding that the complexity of successfully intercepting BM is significantly reduced if the actual interception is performed at low closing velocity conditions.
To this end, and as shown in
FIG. 1
, the intercepting missile (
1
) is launched (launch encompasses in the context of the invention also drop or release) towards the BM (
2
) and approaches it in an essentially head-on trajectory (
3
) at a relatively high closing velocity. At a predetermined timing, the intercepting missile is steered to bend its flight trajectory (
4
) until it reaches a so called trajectory matching flight mode (
5
) where the intercepting missile is positioned ahead of the flight trajectory of the on-coming target. It should be noted that trajectory matching does not necessarily imply that the trajectories are in coincidence. Since now both the target and the intercepting missile fly in the same direction and further considering that the intercepting missile is planned to fly at a lower velocity than the target missile (in order for the latter to come close to the intercepting missile and thereby facilitate successful interception), it readily arises that the closing velocity is significantly reduced (as compared to intercepting conditions in hitherto known systems), allowing now for a relatively convenient end-game. In the end-game mode, the target is acquired and tracked by a seeker unit, and at a desired timing the processor that is fitted in the interceptor missile activates appropriate warhead so as to accomplish successful intercept.
Accordingly, the invention provides for a system for intercepting targets having predictable flight trajectory, comprising:
(i) A platform carrying at least one interceptor missile; the interceptor includes seeker unit, propulsion system steering system destruction capability system all communicating with a processor device; said processor device is further coupled to a data link for communicating at least with said platform;
(ii) in response to launching of said intercepting missile, the processor device is capable of controlling said steering system and propulsion system for steering said missile in at least the following flight modes:
(a) approach mode, wherein said intercepting missile closes on said target;
(b) trajectory matching mode wherein the interceptor velocity vector is modified to bring the trajectory of the interceptor to essentially match the predicted trajectory of the target so that the interceptor moves in the same direction as the target in a relatively small closing velocity with respect to the target;
(c) end game mode wherein the interceptor is maneuvered to a distance sufficiently close to the target whereby said target destruction capability can be activated efficiently.
The present invention further provides for an intercepting missile comprising:
(i) seeker unit, propulsion system steering system destruction capability system all communicating with a processor device; said processor device is further coupled to a data link for communicating at least with said platform;
(ii) in response to launching of said intercepting missile, the processor device is capable of controlling said steering system and propulsion system for steering said missile in at least the following flight modes:
(a) approach mode, wherein said intercepting missile closes on said target;
(b) trajectory matching mode wherein the interceptor velocity vector is modified to bring the trajectory of the interceptor to essentially match the predicted trajectory of the target so that the interceptor moves in the same direction as the target in a relatively small closing velocity with respect to the target;
(c) end game mode wherein the interceptor is maneuvered to a distance sufficiently close to the target whereby said target destruction capability can be activated efficiently.
The seeker unit may be any known per se active seeker, passive seeker, or combination thereof. The seeker unit is, obviously, capable of acquiring and possibly tracking targets.
The processor may be any known per se processing system which is realized as a single processor or plurality of processors located solely on-board and/or communicating with external processors of the system through said data link.
As will be explained below, the interceptor may be placed essentially ahead of target (and move slower with respect thereto), or placed essentially behind the target and move faster relative thereto.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3883091 (1975-05-01), Schaefer
patent: 3982713 (1976-09-01), Martin
patent: 4522356 (1985-06-01), Lair et al.
patent: 4925129 (1990-05-01), Salkeld et al.
patent: 5112006 (1992-05-01), Palmer
patent: 5340056 (1994-08-01), Guelman et al.
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