US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Jimmy R Duke

Walter E Miller, Jr

Robert L Sitton

Dorwin L Kilbourn

Nicholas J Mangus, Jr

George W Starkey

Walter F Fountain

The Nutated Beamrider Guidance Using Laser Designators provides a means of roducing an accurate laser beamrider command guidance link between the launch platform and the missile during its flight through the addition of a simple variable offset nutator mechanism to existing Army laser designators. Such a beamrider guidance enables the missile to determine its position in the guidance field by measuring the angle of arrival of side scatter from the pulsed beam. These measurements result in the production of correctional signals which cause the missile to move closer to the boresight axis for eventual impact on the target.

Nutated beamrider guidance using laser designators

An improved automatic missile tracking and guidance system wherein a laund missile is guided along a line-of-sight maintained by the operator with the target. The position of an infrared source disposed on the missile is detected and guidance signals generated in accordance therewith to control the flight of the missile along the line-of-sight. The infrared source or beacon disposed on the missile comprises an array of semiconductor light emitting diodes. The solid state characteristics of the light emitting diodes provide heretofore unobtainable reliability over existing beacons. The beacon may be used to produce a modulated, high frequency, rectangular waveform, incoherent emission offering performance improvements including virtual immunity to optical countermeasures.

Light emitting diode beacons for command guidance missile track links

An optical tracking link in an automatic command to line-of-sight missile idance system improves the system efficiency and employs a reuseable light source. In tracking a missile during trajectory toward a target, short pulses of collimated light are transmitted from the launch site toward the missle. These light pulses are received by a missile optical receiver for guidance of the missile and are simultaneously reflected by a retrodirective prism on the missile. The reflected energy follows a path parallel to the incident wave and is thus directed back to the launch site. A missile tracker at the launch site responds to the reflective energy, measuring any deviation of the missile from a line-of-sight axis maintained between the launch site and a target. Guidance commands are transmitted toward the missile for maintaining the missile on the line-of-sight trajectory and containing correctional signals in response to any missile deviation. During intervals between return reflections, the missile tracker can be gated off. This greatly reduces background and jamming source reflections and signals, received by the tracker providing effective counter measures hardening of the system.

Range gated retroreflective missile guidance system

An optical tracking link for a command guidance missile system employing l frequency modulation of the optical signal transmitted from the missile beacon. Dual frequency encoding of the missile tracking beacon improves beacon-tracker performance in the presence of countermeasures or false signals. A solid state, missile beacon within the missile housing transmits alternate bursts of optical energy of first and second high frequencies during alternate half cycles of a low frequency modulating signal therefor. The optical, modulated signal is received by an optical tracker at the missile launch site, completing a link between the missile and the launch site. A visual tracker at the launch site provides line-of-sight contact with a target being tracked. A guidance control for the missile responds to output signals from the missile and visual tracker to develop an error signal between the longitudinal, line-of-sight axis and the missile trajectory. Any deviation of the missile from a course of impact with the target causes an error signal to be transmitted to the missile for flight course correction. The solid state beacon includes first and second clocks each having a high frequency output therefrom, which is modulated by a low frequency and coupled through a power driver to a GaAs diode array, which generates an optical signal in response to a square wave input signal. This alternately modulated signal is received by a detector preamplifier of the optical tracker. A diode array in the detector is activated by the impinging optical signal and generates an electrical signal in response to the input wave. This signal is filtered to retrieve the two high frequencies and demodulated to extract the lf modulating wave from each frequency. This low frequency is then combined in a differential amplifier and interfaced with error detection equipment for generating a command guidance signal to the missile for attitude control thereof.

Modulated, dual frequency, optical tracking link for a command guidance

An optical tracking link and encoding technique using solid state missile acons, which easily interfaces with existing missile guidance techniques. Countermeasures hardening is accomplished without sacrifice of performance at maximum range. A solid state, missile beacon within the missile housing transmits a high frequency pulse burst of optical energy during alternate half cycles of a low frequency modulating signal therefor. The optical, modulated signal is received by an optical tracker at the missile launch site, completing an optical link between the missile and the launch site. A visual tracker at the launch site provides line-of-sight contact with a target being tracked. A guidance control for the missile responds to output signals from the missile and visual tracker and develops an error signal between the visual line-of-sight target and the direction of missile travel. Any deviation of the missile from a course of impact with the target causes an error signal to be transmitted to the missile for flight course correction. The solid state beacon includes a clock having a high frequency output thereof modulated at a sub-multiple low frequency thereof and coupled through a power driver to a GaAs, high power diode array, which generates an optical signal in response to a square wave input signal. This pulse burst modulated signal is received by a detector preamplifier of the optical tracker. A diode array in the detector is activated by the impinging optical signal and generates an electrical signal in response to the input wave. This signal is filtered and demodulated to extract the lf modulating wave therefrom. This low frequency is then interfaced with existing error detection equipment for generating a command guidance signal to the missile for error correction.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Jimmy R Duke