Propulsionless hypersonic dual role munition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12228382-B2
Application number	US-202217727924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A propulsionless munition configured to be launched from a hypersonic aerial includes a munition body that is free of any propulsion system for producing thrust. The munition body includes a forward section including a radome assembly and an aft section including a control system. The radome assembly includes a nose radome and a frangible radome cover disposed over the nose radome for shielding the nose radome from high temperatures resulting from aerodynamic heating at hypersonic speeds. The frangible radome cover is detachable from the nose radome upon detection by the control system of a predetermined threshold comprising at least one of a predetermined speed, a predetermined altitude, and a predetermined temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propulsionless munition configured to be launched from a hypersonic aerial vehicle, comprising:
a munition body that is free of any propulsion system for producing thrust, the munition body comprising a forward section including a radome assembly, and an aft section comprising a control system; and
wherein the radome assembly comprises:
a nose radome; and
a frangible radome cover disposed over the nose radome, wherein the frangible radome cover is detachable from the nose radome upon detection by the control system of a predetermined threshold comprising at least one of a predetermined altitude or a predetermined temperature.

2. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , wherein the munition is configured to be launched from an airborne hypersonic aerial vehicle so that the airborne hypersonic aerial vehicle carrying the munition imparts a hypersonic initial speed to the munition, such that the munition does not require a propulsion system.

3. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , wherein upon launch from the hypersonic aerial vehicle the control system monitors a temperature of the munition and causes the frangible radome cover to detach from the munition upon detecting a temperature less than the predetermined temperature.

4. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , wherein the frangible radome cover has a shape corresponding to the nose radome and is detachable by a detonation cord that is activated by the control system upon detection by the control system of the predetermined threshold.

5. The propulsionless munition of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of movable fins and a targeting system communicatively coupled to the control system such that once the control system causes the frangible radome cover to be detached, the control system uses the targeting system to guide the munition via control of the plurality of moveable fins towards a target.

6. The propulsionless munition of claim 4 , wherein the frangible radome cover comprises an outer layer of a ceramic material and an inner layer of a metallic material, wherein the outer layer is configured to erode away from the inner layer, and wherein the inner layer is configured to be detached by the detonation cord.

7. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold further comprises a predetermined speed, the munition further comprising a sensor for monitoring a temperature on an outer surface of the munition that is indicative of a speed of the munition, wherein the control system determines, based on the sensed temperature, when the munition has decelerated to less than the predetermined speed at which to cause the frangible radome cover to be detached from the munition.

8. The propulsionless munition of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined speed at which the control system is configured to cause the frangible radome cover to detach is a speed not more than 75 percent of an initial speed of the munition after ejection from the hypersonic aerial vehicle.

9. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , wherein upon launch from the hypersonic aerial vehicle the control system monitors an altitude of the munition and causes the frangible radome cover to detach from the munition upon detecting an altitude less than the predetermined altitude.

10. The propulsionless munition of claim 1 , further comprising a deployable tailcone assembly for deployment from the aft section upon launch of the munition, wherein the deployable tailcone assembly reduces aerodynamic drag caused by airflow over a blunt aft end of the munition.

11. The propulsionless munition of claim 10 , wherein the deployable tailcone assembly comprises:
a tailcone housing connected to the munition body and defining a cavity;
a deployable tailcone attached to the tail housing and positioned within the cavity in a stored configuration; and
a pressure vessel positioned within the tailcone housing and configured to deploy the tailcone to a deployed configuration upon receiving a signal from the control system indicative of a predetermined parameter.

12. The propulsionless munition of claim 11 , wherein the tailcone comprises a tailcone diameter in the deployed configuration that is smaller than a body diameter of the munition body.

13. A method of launching a propulsionless munition from a hypersonic aerial vehicle, comprising:
ejecting the munition from the aerial vehicle, wherein the munition includes a munition body that is free of any propulsion system for producing thrust such that the munition body is incapable of producing active propulsion for imparting thrust to the munition;
sensing at least one of a temperature or an altitude of the munition body after ejection from the aerial vehicle; and
releasing a frangible radome cover that is disposed over a nose radome and positioned in a forward section of the munition body upon detection by a control system that at least one of the sensed temperature or altitude has reached a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing step comprises:
sensing a temperature on an outer surface of the munition, wherein the temperature is indicative of a speed of the munition; and
determining, based on the sensed temperature, when the munition has decelerated to less than a predetermined speed at which to cause the frangible radome cover to be detached from the munition.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing step further comprises:
sensing the speed; and
determining, based on the sensed speed, when the munition has decelerated to less than a predetermined speed at which to cause the frangible radome cover to be detached from the munition.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deploying a tailcone assembly from an aft end of the munition after ejecting the munition, wherein the tailcone assembly reduces aerodynamic drag caused by airflow over a blunt aft end of the munition.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein deploying the tailcone assembly comprises sensing an amount of time after ejection of the munition and deploying the tailcone assembly after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from ejection of the munition.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is measured from a discontinuation of an electrical connection between the aerial vehicle and the munition.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
activating an avionics system after the frangible radome cover is released;
acquiring a target using the avionics system; and
controlling a plurality of moveable fins attached to the munition body using a control system to direct the munition to the target without using any additional thrust.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein ejecting the munition comprises opening a bay door and ejecting the munition in an aftward direction.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Foster John K
• Binkholder Ryan
• Jakubowski Jr Thaddeus

Classifications

• B64D1/06

  Bomb releasing; Bomb doors · CPC title

• B64C30/00

  Supersonic type aircraft · CPC title

• F42B10/64

  of fins · CPC title

• F42B10/46 Primary

  Streamlined nose cones; Windshields; Radomes {(F42B12/105 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B64C1/36

  adapted to receive antennas or radomes · CPC title