Bae Systems, Inc.

Martyn John Hucker

Michael Dunleavy

Sajad Haq

David William Gough

Clyde Warsop

Andrew Carr

Jason Karl Rew

Graham Andrew Johnson

Julian David Wright

Ian Michael Sturland

Amy Elizabeth Dyke

Murray Thomson

Timothy Keith Girling

Philip Lawrence Webberley

Amir Rezai

Hazel Anne Dyke

Rebecka Eley

Stephen John Atkinson

David Baker

Andrew Julian Press

Mark Edward Roper

Joseph Maurice Davies

Harriet Ann Holden

Benjamin Daniel Worrall

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a fuze arming system for a munition, comprising: an arming circuit arranged to detect a setback event and, in response to the setback event, generate a signal indicating that an arming event has occurred, wherein the arming circuit comprises a sensor configured to produce a graduated output when the setback event occurs, and fuze arming system is arranged to use that graduated output.

Apparatus and method suitable for use with a munition

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a programmable system for a munition, comprising: an electroacoustic transducer, arranged to receive an acoustic signal comprising data, and convert that signal into an electrical signal comprising data; a processor, arranged to receive and process the electrical signal comprising data, and to use that data in programming of the programmable system.

Programmable system and method for a munition

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an object for moving through a fluid, the object comprising: an outer housing, arranged to be exposed to a hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid; a strain gauge, arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure, wherein a first part of the strain gauge is arranged to be in contact with the outer housing, such that the strain gauge is arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure by obtaining an indication of the strain on the housing.

Techniques suitable for use with an object for moving through a fluid, such as a munition or reconnaissance projectile

The present invention relates to the control of weapons, particularly weapons which are controlled via a communications link, possibly at some distance from the weapon's location. The invention is to an apparatus comprising safety-critical and non-safety-critical functional parts wherein at least one of a plurality of safety-critical functional parts is only connected to at least one other of the plurality of safety-critical functional parts.

Weapon control

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a fuze arming system for a submunition, comprising: a first stage, arranged to detect launch of the submunition and its associated carrier; a second stage, arranged to detect expulsion of the submunition from the carrier, and to at least partially arm a submunition fuze based on such detection; wherein the second stage is unable to at least partially arm the submunition fuze without the first stage detecting launch of the submunition and its associated carrier.

Fuze arming techniques for a submunition

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuse system () for a munitions projectile, the system comprising: a first electro-optic transmitter (); a first electro-optic receiver (); the first electro-optic transmitter () being arranged to receive electrical power, and to use that received electrical power to transmit an optical signal () to the first electro-optic receiver (); the first electro-optic receiver () being arranged to receive the optical signal (), and to use that received optical signal () to transmit electrical power to an element () of the fuse system () connected to the first electro-optic receiver ().

Fuze system

A device for monitoring the status of a munition fuze is disclosed. The device includes a visible marker; an indicator strip, capable of actuation, from a first state to a second state; and a power source providing power to the munition initiation system, the visible marker and/or the indicator strip. The visible marker and indicator strip are positioned to be visible to an observer when the fuze has been fitted for use on said munition and activation of the power source causes switching of the visible marker from an off state to an on state and actuation of the indicator strip from a first state to a second state, such that the power source's activation is indicated by the actuation of the indicator strip to its second state. The visible marker remains in an on state only if there is sufficient power to operate the initiation system.

Fuze indication system

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuse system for a projectile for a ranged weapon, the fuse system comprising: a pressure sensor system for sensing an air pressure of an environment in which the fuse system is present; a control system arranged to receive a signal from the pressure sensor system, and to at least initiate arming of the fuse system conditional on the received signal.

Fuse system

There is disclosed an IR illumination device and munitions comprising the same. There is provided an IR illumination munition device for selective activation where upon activation the device emits IR radiation in the range of wavelengths of from 750 nm to 900 nm, the device comprising: an electrical power source; an array of IR light emitting diodes to emit the IR radiation.

Electric IR illumination

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a communication system for communicating between a ranged weapon and a projectile for that ranged weapon, the system comprising: a transmitter associated with the ranged weapon, the transmitter being arranged to encode data to be transmitted to the projectile on an electromagnetic carrier wave, and to transmit that electromagnetic carrier wave to the projectile; a receiver associated with the projectile, the receiver being arranged to receive the electromagnetic carrier wave, and to decode data encoded in the electromagnetic carrier wave to retrieve that data, the data being usable in the activation of a fuse of the projectile.

Activating a fuse

Fuse system for a projectile for a ranged weapon, the fuse system comprising: a plurality of magnetic field sensors, each sensor being arranged to provide a signal that changes in response to a relative change in position and/or orientation between the system and the Earth's magnetic field, and wherein each sensor has a different alignment in terms of magnetic field sensitivity, and a controller arranged to receive one or more signals from the plurality of magnetic field sensors, and to activate a fuse of the projectile depending on the received one or more signals.

Fuse system for projectile

A carbon fiber element comprising a carbon fiber to which a coating is applied that reduces its thermal coefficient of resistivity (TCR) can be included in a fiber reinforced structural component to improve sensing of strain therein by reducing errors arising from temperature variations. A method thereof includes providing, embedded within the structural component, at least one carbon fiber extending across a principle plane of the structural component, the carbon fiber being uniformly coated along its entire length with an electrically conductive material, the coating having a resistance that is equal to the carbon fiber and a TCR that is equal but opposite to the carbon fiber. The strain in the structural component is then determined by measuring changes in the electrical resistance of the carbon fiber element.

Strain sensing in composite materials

According to the invention there is provided a component including a rechargeable battery and a method of producing same. The component uses one of an acid and an alkaline chemistry and the battery has an anode structure, a cathode structure, and a separator structure which separates the anode from the cathode and contains an electrolyte. The anode structure and the cathode structure are each formed from a composite material which includes electrically conductive fibres and electrochemically active material in a binder matrix including less than 50% w/w of an elastomer binder and the battery is formed to be structurally inseparable from the rest of the component.

Component including a rechargeable battery

The invention relates to improved structural health monitoring, particularly to structural health monitoring of fiber reinforced polymer composites, more particularly at bonded joints and methods thereof. There is provided a method of structural health monitoring a composite structure (), wherein said structure () comprises at least one non-reinforcing thermal element (), such as electrically conductive fibers, comprising the steps of applying a stimulus to cause heating of said thermal element (), removing the stimulus, and measuring the electrical resistance of said element () as a function of time, to provide a thermal decay profile () indicating whether damage has occurred in the composite structure ().

Structural health monitoring

According to the invention there is provided a component including a supercapacitor and a method of producing same. The component comprises a first () and second () electrode and a separator structure () which separates the two electrodes and contains a liquid or gel electrolyte. The first and second electrode structures are each formed from a composite material () which includes electrically conductive fibers and electrochemically active material in a binder matrix and the supercapacitor is formed to be structurally inseparable from the rest of the component. Further, the component forms a structural capacitor. The obtained structural capacitor could be used in aircraft structure to save weight.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Martyn John Hucker