Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Kenneth D Ceola

Michael A Johnson

Scott D Crist

A safety and arming apparatus for arming a fuze of a smart weapon comprise a release sensor and a verification maneuver sensor in cooperative electronic communication with each other, such that when the release sensor senses that the weapon has been released and the verification maneuver sensor detects a predetermined verification maneuver of the weapon in flight, the fuze is armed.

Second environment sensing in smart bombs

The fuze is armed only if muzzle exit is sensed by a magnetic sensor within a predetermined time after setback is sensed and either one or both of a minimum spin rate is sensed by the magnetic sensor and/or a minimum number of turns are counted.

Magnetically sensed second environment safety and arming device

A safety and arming apparatus for arming a fuze of a smooth bore projectile, comprises a setback sensor and a spin rate sensor. The setback sensor is in cooperative electronic communication with the spin rate sensor such that when the setback sensor senses at least one predetermined setback condition and the spin rate sensor detects a predetermined number of spins within a predetermined window of time the fuze is armed.

Smooth bore second environment sensing

The inventive environment sensor apparatus includes an electrostatic sensor carried by the projectile. The electrostatic sensor has first and second electrical conducting areas separated by a dielectric material to form two plates of a capacitor. The first electrical conducting area is conductively connected to a current-to-voltage converter and the second electrical conducting area is conductively connected to the outside projectile body surface. A time changing electric field surrounding the projectile causes a time changing current to flow within the electrostatic sensor, which is converted to a time changing voltage by the current-to-voltage converter. A threshold detector device is conductively connected to an output of the current-to-voltage converter and provides a voltage signal to the safe and arm mechanism when the time changing voltage signal from the current-to-voltage converter exceeds a predetermined level, to indicate that a change has occurred in the sensed muzzle exit environment.

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Apple Valley, MN, United States of America

Kenneth D Ceola