Methods and apparatuses for active protection from aerial threats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178331-A1
Application number	US-201514922711-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2012
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments include active protection systems and methods for an aerial platform. An onboard system includes one or more radar modules, detects aerial vehicles within a threat range of the aerial platform, and determines if any of the plurality of aerial vehicles are an aerial threat. The onboard system also determines an intercept vector to the aerial threat, communicates the intercept vector to an eject vehicle, and causes the eject vehicle to be ejected from the aerial platform to intercept the aerial threat. The eject vehicle includes a rocket motor to accelerate the eject vehicle along an intercept vector, alignment thrusters to rotate a longitudinal axis of the eject vehicle to substantially align with the intercept vector, and divert thrusters to divert the eject vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intercept vector. The eject vehicle activates at least one of the alignment thrusters responsive to the intercept vector.

First claim

1 - 6 . (canceled)

7 . An active protection system for use with multiple aerial platforms, one or more sensor modules, one or more eject vehicle dispensers, and one or more eject vehicles, comprising:
a control system configured to:
determine if any of a plurality of aerial vehicles detected by the one or more sensor modules are aerial threats;
cause multiple eject vehicles to be launched from their dispenser of the one or more of the dispensers located on a platform to…

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Sharpin David
• Kolanek Jim
• Cvetnic Mark A
• Hutchings Mike
• Tennison James
• Nelson Kent Carl
• Hunsberger Harold Kregg
• Baseghi Behshad

Classifications

• F41G7/303

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F41H11/02 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F42B15/105

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F42B10/66

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F42B10/661

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic