Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Laurence E Kline

Harvey C Nathanson

John H Murphy

Harry V Winsor

An array of individual and autonomous modules are deployed in a region to be surveilled. Each module, contained in an air dropable bomblet, includes a GPS system for determining the exact location of the deployed module. The module also includes an rf receiver and transmitter, as well as an atomic clock circuit for providing highly precise time and clocking signals, with operation of the module circuitry being governed by a control computer. The computers of the modules are individually programmed such that the modules of the array collectively operate as a distributed phased array antenna system, but without any hardwired interconnection between the modules. In another embodiment a single receiver is utilized and the apparatus operates on the frequency set of the GPS system.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Laurence E Kline