Ordnance – Waging war
Reexamination Certificate
1992-04-20
2001-12-04
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Ordnance
Waging war
C102S335000, C102S346000, C089S001510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324955
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to decoys or countermeasure devices for negating or confusing seeker or tracker devices of homing missiles so that they loose lock on the target, at least temporarily.
Anti-aircraft missiles have electro-optical seeker devices for homing in on the infrared or other wavelength radiation emitted from an aircraft engine tailpipe. Conventional flares are often used in attempting to decoy the seeker devices so that they lose their lock on the target, the aircraft being flown out of line of sight with the missile under the cover of the decoy flare. In conventional pyrotechnic flares, a mixture of chemicals contained in a cartridge is ignited after expelling the flare from the aircraft, forming an infrared source for decoying a hostile infrared seeking missile. The duration of such flares is from milliseconds to seconds in length. Such devices are quite well known and understood, and missile designers have developed means for enabling current missiles to ignore most of the existing flare countermeasures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved countermeasure device for negating infrared or multi-color electro-optical seeker systems.
According to the present invention, a countermeasure device is provided, which comprises an explosive charge and a container surrounding the charge for containing a noble gas. When the charge is detonated in the confined atmosphere of a monatomic gas such as argon or xenon, the propagation of the resultant shock wave through the gas causes adiabatic heating and compression of the gas. This heats the gas to very high temperatures and causes it to generate an intense flash of light containing virtually all wavelengths, effectively blinding the optical seeker system of any missile tracking a target from which the device is dispensed. The device produces light at an intensity several orders of magnitude greater than that of a conventional flare. The device produces a short pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration of the order of tens of microseconds, in a broad band of wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared. This will at least temporarily blind the seeker, causing it to loose lock on the targeted aircraft heat source.
The decoy countermeasure is designed to fit into standard aircraft flare dispensers, in other words the shape and dimensions of the device are equivalent to those of standard decoy flares. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container comprises an expandable balloon surrounding the charge and an enclosed supply of noble gas under pressure is also enclosed in the container. The gas supply is released into the balloon prior to detonation of the charge, so that the gas will expand the balloon and surround the charge. Reflective strips of material such as Mylar may be held on the outside of the balloon prior to inflation. As the balloon inflates, the strips will be dispersed into a cloud around the device. After detonation, light will be transmitted towards the target both directly from the heated gas and indirectly by reflection from the strips.
The countermeasure device of this invention produces light from an explosively driven light source, rather than by burning chemicals as in conventional flares, and will be more effective than conventional flares due to the broad band of wavelengths covered, the high intensity, and the relatively short duration of the pulse, giving insufficient time for the seeker itself to institute any countermeasures against the decoy device.
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Heflin, W.A., The United States Air Force Dictionary, “flare”, 1957, p. 208.*
Schleher, D.C, Introduction to Electronic Warfare, “3.4 Expendable Electronic Countermeasures”, 1986, pp. 178-183.*
Skolnik, M.I., Introduction to Radar Systems, “12.10. ECM and ECCM”, 1962, pp. 559-565.
Almasy Emery S.
Andersson Norman H.
Alkov Leonard A.
Jordan Charles T.
Lenzen, Jr. Glenn H.
Raufer Colin M.
Raytheon Company
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