Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Matthew F Chrobak

Paul D Zemany

Jason H Batchelder

Michael J Choiniere

Court E Rossman

Egor V Degtiarev

Peter Dusaitis

Brian J Smith

James F Fung

David P Charette

Ryan Dippel

Maxwell L Affleck

Richie Spitsberg

Samantha Kirsh

Tyler Nickerson

A guidance kit for a projectile and method for suppressing a point-of-interest (POI) at a desired location away from the POI. The guidance kit includes at least one processor in the guidance kit. The guidance kit also includes a guidance protocol operatively in communication with the guidance kit and the at least one processor and having a set of angular offset modes. The guidance protocol of the guidance kit is configured to guide the projectile to at least one location relative to a desired point-of-interest (POI) upon or in response to activation of at least one angular offset mode of the set of angular offset modes.

Guidance kit with variable angular offset for undetected ground suppression and methods thereof

A feed forward guidance kit for a ballistic device that includes at least one optical imaging sensor, a processor that is operatively in communication with the at least one optical imaging sensor, and a feed forward guidance protocol that is stored on a computer readable medium and that is operatively in communication with the processor. When the at least one optical imaging sensor initially intercepts an aircraft at an initial location during combat, the feed forward guidance protocol instructs the processor to proactively calculate an anticipated second position of the aircraft as an orientation of the aircraft changes from an initial orientation to a translated orientation.

Feed forward image based guidance

Techniques are provided for off-axis projectile guidance. λ methodology implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes determining a maximum acceleration capability of the projectile based on flight data, control surface positions, and aerodynamic coefficients. The method also includes estimating a range from the projectile to a target. The method further includes calculating a first flight path to provide an offset radar viewing angle to the target that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the projectile and calculating a second flight path to provide for interception of the target by the projectile. The calculations are based on the maximum acceleration capability and the range from the projectile to the target. The method further includes guiding the projectile on the first flight path for an initial period of time and then guiding the projectile on the second flight path until target interception.

Off-axis projectile guidance

A guided projectile including a precision guidance munition assembly utilizes at least one maneuver envelope to optimally control movement of at least one canard to steer the guided projectile during flight. The maneuver envelopes optimize movements of the at least one canard that effectuate movement in either the range direction or the cross-range direction, or both. The maneuver envelope enables optimal timing such that maneuvering in one direction does not come at the expense of maneuver authority in the other direction.

System for controlling a projectile with maneuver envelopes

A sensor determines the spin rate or rotation frequency of a munition body of a guided projectile relative to precision guidance munition assembly. The spin rate is used to determine launch velocity of the guided projectile early in flight before GPS is operationally active. The launch velocity is used to determine whether a corrective maneuver is needed to change the range of the guided projectile. Logic can control the canards on the canard assembly in response to the determination that a corrective maneuver is needed.

Early velocity measurement for projectiles by detecting spin

The system and method for chromatic correlation interferometry direction finding (CIDF) used to resolve ambiguities. Ambiguities are overcome by correlating over a range of frequencies. In some cases, multiple (i.e., 2 or more) frequencies or a continuous range of frequencies are used to make a more robust correlation manifold. As the complex response manifold is frequency dependent, using a set of two or more manifolds provides a significant reduction of false peaks.

Chromatic correlation interferometry direction finding

A system and method to aid in guidance, navigation and control of a guided projectile including a precision guidance munition assembly is provided. The system and method obtain raw position data during flight of the guided projectile, the raw position data including a plurality of position data points from the guiding sensor for determining positions of the guided projectile, establish a window including a portion of the plurality of position data points, smooth the portion of the plurality of position data points in the window, and determine a reduced noise position estimate of the guided projectile, based, at least in part, on the smoothed portion of the plurality of position data points in the window. The system and method may determine a velocity estimate of the guided projectile and predict an impact point of the guided projectile relative to a target.

Reduced noise estimator

The system and method of a steering a moving object using a control plate-based control actuation system on the moving object. The control plate-based control actuation system having a control plate with at least four fin linkages for connecting at least four fins to the control plate; and three actuators configured to move the control plate to produce movement in two or more of the at least four fins. The system produces roll, pitch, and yaw moments for the moving object using three actuators acting on the control plate and thus moving two or more of the at least four fins all with no loss of performance as compared to systems with four actuators.

Control plate-based control actuation system

A system and method for nulling or suppressing interfering signals directed toward moving platforms based, at least in part, on dynamic motion data of the moveable platform is provided. The system may be an interference nulling system carried by a moveable platform and may include an antenna array including two or more antenna elements that generates at least one initial steerable null radiation pattern, dynamic motion data logic that determines dynamic motion data of the moveable platform; and update logic that updates the at least one initial steerable null radiation pattern based, at least in part, on the dynamic motion data. The at least one updated steerable null radiation pattern is directed toward a direction from which interfering signals are being transmitted from an interfering signal source.

System and method for nulling or suppressing interfering signals in dynamic conditions

Method for controlling a projectile with maneuver envelopes

A narrow band antenna is configured to guide a munition toward a target location during a flight of the munition from a launch location toward the target location. The antenna has a first mode of operation operable during a first portion of the flight at a first bandwidth, and a second mode of operation operable during a second portion of the flight at a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being a harmonic of the first bandwidth, and may be a third harmonic of the first bandwidth. The method includes transmitting a target location information to the munition in the first bandwidth during the first portion of the flight and then transmitting the target location information to the munition in the second bandwidth during the second portion of the flight. The first band may be X-band and the second band may be Ka-band.

Narrow band antenna harmonics for guidance in multiple frequency bands

A method for launching a round from an airborne platform, receiving a plurality of RF signals at the round, determining an amount of time between a first and second received RF signal, where the second signal is a multi-path signal and the first signal is a direct path signal. An altitude of the round is determined based on the delay between the first and second received signal and aligning the round's flight path with an initial velocity vector of the aircraft platform to reduce dispersion. The round can include a plurality of sensors for detecting the RF signals. The second received RF signal may be a multi-path signal having been reflected off of the earth's surface or another object on the earth's surface. The altitude of the round can be determined using the known altitude of the airborne platform, the delay of time between the first and second received signals, and the speed of light.

Utilizing multipath to determine down and reduce dispersion in projectiles

The system and method of swarm navigation using a follow the forward approach. Using on-board sensors and communications links between members of a swarm, numerous targets can be engaged more quickly and precisely. In some cases, a designator is used to help a forward of the swarm navigate to a target using image-based navigation up until terminal guidance is used. A cascade of messages are projected back to a following round so that, each member of a swarm can determine a best target/round match and provide real-time, up-to-date information regarding targets' locations and each round's location, range to target, target selection, and the like.

Swarm navigation using follow the forward approach

An endfire antenna structure is disclosed that is for use on aerodynamic systems. The antenna structure includes a first layer of patterned metal, a second layer of patterned metal, and a stack of material layers that includes the first layer of patterned metal and the second layer of patterned metal. The first layer of patterned metal includes a plurality of parallel slots etched through the metal. The second layer of patterned metal includes a tapered radio frequency (RF) feedline having a narrow end coupled to an input/output (I/O) antenna connection. The second layer of patterned metal is aligned over the first layer of patterned metal such that the tapered RF feedline has a length that extends across the plurality of parallel slots. The stack of material layers is flexible such that the stack of material layers is configured to wrap at least partially around the fuselage of an aerodynamic system.

Endfire antenna structure on an aerodynamic system

The system and method of weapon on-board range and velocity tracking using a synchronized clock and a pulse beacon on a fire control system, or the like, coupled with an on-board rear-facing detector and processor. A round or a UAS may use this system to accurately estimate range with respect to the fire control system, over time, and the round's or UAS's velocity at various times along its flight path. The system provides for smaller miss distances, and the like.

Growing community of inventors

Groton, MA, United States of America

Matthew F Chrobak