Adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) system for interceptor RF target engagement and communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541364-B2
Application number	US-201414494105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 23, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) system comprises a plurality of arrays, each comprising a plurality of radiating elements, each array configured for placement on a forward-facing surface of a different one of a plurality of aerodynamic control surfaces on an interceptor. A plurality of radio frequency (RF) transmissive radome elements, each having an aerodynamic shape complementary to the aerodynamic control surface, are placed over one of the arrays. Control circuitry configures the arrays, independently or in concert, for RF target engagement and communication. Additional arrays may be positioned on side or aft-facing surfaces of the aerodynamic control surfaces for RF communication. The AESA system may be paired with an IR system for dual-mode operation.

First claim

We claim:

1. An interceptor, comprising:
an airframe having a longitudinal axis;

a plurality of dorsal fins positioned about a circumference of the airframe and running parallel to the longitudinal axis, each said dorsal fin having a forward-facing surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
an adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) system comprising a plurality of AESA arrays, each AESA array placed on the forward-facing surface of a different one of said dorsal fins, each said AESA array comprising a plurality of radiating elements configured to emit radio frequency (RF) energy substantially perpendicular to the forward-facing surface and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of RF transmissive radome elements, each radome element placed on the forward-facing surface of a different one of said plurality of dorsal fins over the respective one of said AESA arrays, each said radome element having an aerodynamic shape complementary to a cross-section of said dorsal fin; and
control circuitry to configure the plurality of AESA arrays for RF target engagement.

2. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein said dorsal fins have side-facing surfaces, further comprising:
an additional plurality of AESA arrays, each one of said additional plurality of AESA arrays comprising a plurality of radiating elements placed on the side-facing surface of a different one of said plurality of dorsal fins,
wherein said control circuitry configures the additional plurality of AESA arrays for RF communication.

3. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein said dorsal fins have aft-facing surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, further comprising:
an additional plurality of AESA arrays, each one of said additional plurality of AESA arrays comprising a plurality of radiating elements placed on the aft-facing surface of a different one of said plurality of dorsal fins,
wherein said control circuitry configures the additional plurality of AESA arrays for RF communication.

4. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays with independent beam patterns.

5. The interceptor of claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays to scan the independent beam patterns over different regions of a field-of-regard (FOR) to search for and acquire a target.

6. The interceptor of claim 5 , wherein once the target is acquired, the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays to produce a combined beam pattern to track the target, said combined beam pattern having a greater sensitivity than any one of said individual beam patterns.

7. The interceptor of claim 6 , wherein the interceptor comprises a boresight strap down infrared (IR) seeker having a FOR less than the FOR of the independent beam patterns, wherein at terminal, said control circuitry activates the boresight strap down IR seeker to engage the target.

8. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays to produce a combined beam pattern.

9. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays for RF target engagement and RF communications with a communication station.

10. The interceptor of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry configures at least one said AESA array for RF target engagement and a different at least one said AESA array for RF communications with the communication station for simultaneous RF target engagement and RF communications.

11. The interceptor of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry configures at least one said AESA array for RF target engagement and a different at least one said AESA array for RF communications with the communication station for serial RF target engagement and RF communications.

12. The interceptor of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays for multi-band operations.

13. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the interceptor further comprises a forward looking non-gimbaled IR seeker mounted on the front of the airframe and an axis-symmetric IR transmissive dome mounted over the forward looking non-gimbaled IR seeker, wherein no AESA array is mounted inside the IR transmissive dome.

14. The missile interceptor of claim 1 , wherein each said dorsal fin has a triangular cross-section that defines a triangularly shaped forward-facing surface on which the AESA arrays are placed, each said AESA array comprising a triangular arrangement of said plurality of radiating elements, wherein said radome element has a solid triangular shape.

15. An interceptor comprising:
an airframe having a longitudinal axis;
a plurality of aerodynamic control surfaces positioned about the airframe, each control surface having a forward-facing surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,
an adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) system a plurality of AESA arrays, each AESA array placed on the forward-facing surface of a different one of said plurality of aerodynamic control surfaces, each said AESA array comprising a plurality of radiating elements configured to emit radio frequency (RF) energy substantially perpendicular to the forward-facing surface and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of RF transmissive radome elements, each radome element placed on the forward-facing surface of a different one of said plurality of aerodynamic control surfaces over the respective one of said AESA arrays, each said radome element having an aerodynamic shape complementary to said aerodynamic control surface; and
control circuitry to configure the plurality of AESA arrays for RF target engagement.

16. The interceptor of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry configures the plurality of AESA arrays both independently and in concert for RF target engagement and configures the plurality of AESA arrays for both RF target engagement and RF communications.

17. The interceptor of claim 15 , wherein the interceptor comprises a forward looking non-gimbaled IR seeker mounted on the front of the airframe and an axis-symmetric IR transmissive dome mounted over the IR seeker, wherein no AESA array is mounted inside the IR transmissive dome.

18. A method of radio frequency (RF) target engagement comprising:
positioning adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) arrays on the forward-facing surfaces of a plurality of dorsal fins positioned about and running parallel to a longitudinal axis of an interceptor, each AESA array comprising a plurality of radiating elements configured to emit RF energy substantially perpendicular to the forward-facing surface and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis that together define an AESA system;
placing a plurality of RF transmissive radome elements over different ones of said AESA arrays on the forward-facing surfaces, each said radome element having an aerodynamic shape complementary to a cross-section of the dorsal fin; and
configuring the arrays for RF target engagement.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the AESA arrays are configured both independently and in concert for RF target engagement.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the AESA arrays are configured for both RF target engagement and RF communications.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising mounting a forward looking non-gimbaled IR seeker on the front of the airframe and mounting an axis-s

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Facciano Andrew B
• Krebs Rodney H
• Bielas Michael S
• Tretschok Cody D
• Spangler Michael S
• Mitchell Benjamin

Classifications

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/28

  Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons · CPC title

• F41G7/008

  Combinations of different guidance systems · CPC title

• F41G7/2253

  Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target · CPC title

• H01Q3/24 Primary

  varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching · CPC title