Fuze arming techniques for a submunition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619475-B2
Application number	US-201917413141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuze arming system for a submunition, the system comprising:
a first stage, arranged to detect launch of the submunition and a carrier associated with the submunition; and
a second stage, arranged to detect expulsion of the submunition from the carrier and to detect separation of the submunition from the carrier, and to at least partially arm a submunition fuze based on the detection of expulsion of the submunition from the carrier;
wherein the second stage is unable to at least partially arm the submunition fuze without the first stage detecting launch of the submunition and the carrier; and
wherein the second stage is arranged to at least partially arm the submunition fuze based on detecting the expulsion prior to detecting the separation.

2. The fuze arming system of claim 1 , wherein the first stage is arranged to control the supply of electrical power to the second stage, conditional on detecting launch of the submunition and the carrier.

3. The fuze arming system of claim 2 , wherein the first stage is arranged to supply electrical power to the second stage, conditional on detecting launch of the submunition and the carrier.

4. The fuze arming system of claim 3 , wherein the supply of electrical power is triggered or generated by launch of the submunition and the carrier.

5. The fuze arming system of claim 1 , wherein the second stage is arranged to electronically detect the separation of the submunition from the carrier and the expulsion of the submunition from the carrier.

6. The fuze arming system of claim 5 , wherein the second stage is unable to electronically detect the separation and the expulsion without being supplied with electrical power.

7. The fuze arming system of claim 1 , wherein detection of both separation and expulsion is required to at least partially arm the submunition fuze.

8. The fuze arming system of claim 1 , wherein the first stage is arranged to detect launch of the submunition and the carrier based on detecting a property indicative of a speed or acceleration of the submunition and the carrier, and/or detecting a property indicative of a spin rate of the submunition and the carrier.

9. The fuze arming system of claim 8 , wherein the first stage is arranged to detect launch of the submunition and the carrier based on:
detecting a property indicative of a speed or acceleration of the submunition and the carrier, and a property indicative of a spin rate of the submunition and the carrier; and
detecting the property indicative of speed or acceleration before the property indicative of the spin rate.

10. A submunition comprising the fuze arming system of claim 1 .

11. A munition assembly, comprising:
a carrier comprising a cavity; and
the submunition of claim 10 , the submunition being located in the cavity of the carrier and arranged to be controllably expelled from the carrier, wherein the submunition includes a submunition explosive charge and a submunition fuze, the submunition fuze being adapted to trigger the submunition explosive charge;
wherein the munition assembly is adapted to be launched.

12. The munition assembly of claim 11 , wherein the assembly is adapted to be launched into the air from a gun barrel; and the submunition fuze is adapted to trigger the submunition explosive charge under water.

13. A fuze arming method for a submunition, the submunition including a submunition fuze, the method comprising:
detecting launch of the submunition and a carrier associated with the submunition;
detecting expulsion of the submunition from the carrier;
detecting separation of the submunition from the carrier; and
at least partially arming the submunition fuze based on the detection of expulsion of the submunition from the carrier, wherein the submunition fuze is unable to be at least partially armed, without detecting the launch of the submunition and the carrier; and
arranging the second stage to at least partially arm the submunition fuze based on detecting the expulsion prior to detecting the separation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein detecting launch of the submunition and the carrier is based on:
detecting a property indicative of a speed or acceleration of the submunition and the carrier, and a property indicative of a spin rate of the submunition and the carrier; and
detecting the property indicative of speed or acceleration before the property indicative of the spin rate.

15. The fuze arming system of claim 5 , wherein detection of separation is based on detecting a property indicative of the presence or absence of the carrier, and/or detection of expulsion is based on detecting a property indicative of speed or acceleration of the submunition.

16. The munition assembly of claim 12 , wherein the submunition is arranged to, subsequent to the assembly being launched from a gun barrel, be controllably expelled from the carrier and enter a body of water.

17. A fuze arming system for a submunition, the system comprising:
a first stage, arranged to detect launch of the submunition and a carrier associated with the submunition; and
a second stage, arranged to detect both (1) expulsion of the submunition from the carrier and (2) separation of the submunition from the carrier, and to at least partially arm a submunition fuze, wherein detection of expulsion before separation is required to at least partially arm the submunition fuze;
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; and
wherein the first stage is further arranged to control supply of electrical power to the second stage, conditional on detecting launch of the submunition and the carrier.

18. The fuze arming system of claim 17 , wherein the first stage is arranged to detect launch of the submunition and its associated carrier based on:
detecting a property indicative of a speed or acceleration of the submunition and the carrier, and a property indicative of a spin rate of the submunition and the carrier; and
detecting the property indicative of speed or acceleration before the property indicative of the spin rate.

19. The fuze arming system of claim 17 , wherein the second stage is arranged to electronically detect both the expulsion of the submunition from the carrier and the separation of the submunition from the carrier.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Carr Andrew
• Thomson Murray
• Girling Timothy Keith
• Hucker Martyn John

Classifications

• F42C13/08

  operated by variations in magnetic field · CPC title

• F42B12/62

  the submissiles being ejected parallel to the longitudinal axis of the projectile · CPC title

• F42C9/00

  Time fuzes; Combined time and percussion or pressure-actuated fuzes; Fuzes for timed self-destruction of ammunition · CPC title

• F42B30/08

  Ordnance projectiles or missiles, e.g. shells · CPC title

• F42C3/00

  Fuzes actuated by exposure to a liquid, e.g. seawater (F42C5/00 takes precedence; time fuzes F42C9/00) · CPC title