Control system for gun and artillery projectiles

Abstract

A directional control system for ballistic projectiles, including a projectile capable of being fired from a gun, a tracking device within the projectile capable of sensing and identifying a preferred target direction, a moveable mass located within the projectile, an electromagnetic mass-shifting device within the projectile capable of reversibly moving the mass from a first position to a second position whereby the flight path of the projectile is controlled. The directional control system may be used with a projectile which has no externally protruding bodies. The system includes at least one microprocessor programmed to obtain input from the tracking device and to perform calculations to determine movements of the mass. The moveable mass is positioned to shift the momentum vector perpendicular to the central longitudinal spin axis of the projectile when in motion. The mass shifting device preferably includes an electromagnetic driver, which is aligned such that the mass can be moved reversibly from a first position to a second position. The system preferably includes a tracking device including optical fibers for receiving incoming radiation. The system may include a tracking device which is sensitive to radio frequency radiation, and has at least one antenna sensitive to radio frequency radiation. The tracking device may alternatively have at least one infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation, and preferably has a pyroelectric detector pair.