General Dynamics Corp., Pomona Division

John W Helbron

Allen C Hagelberg

Clark E Allardt

Walter A Lobitz

Gary L Letterman

George F Zimmerman

Robert O Thornburg

An undersea weapon comprising a warhead, a rocket motor, detection, homing and control systems and a hydropulse underwater propulsion system in an integral unit. The weapon is launched at a previously detected target, such as a submarine, on a ballistic trajectory through the air by means of the rocket motor. The weapon enters the water near the submarine, which is thereafter detected by an on-board system incorporating active and/or passive detection. The thus-determined submarine direction is utilized by the control system to guide the weapon toward the submarine under water. A hydropulse motor utilizes the empty rocket motor as the propulsion chamber and provides the underwater propulsion to propel the weapon through the water toward the submarine, where the warhead then detonates on contact with the submarine. Alternatively, the weapon may be air dropped near a previously detected target, in which case there need be no propellant in the rocket motor. The hydropulse motor operates by repeatedly filling the chamber with water and expelling the water at high velocity through a converging nozzle in succeeding pulse stages. During the intervals between pulses, the detection system monitors the submarine free of noise from the on-board propulsion motor.

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Upland, CA, United States of America

John W Helbron