Method and apparatus for aiming artillery with GPS NAVSTAR
US4741245A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 3, 1986 |
| Grant date | May 3, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF41G3/04
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for aiming artillery by incorporating the GPS NAVSTAR system directly into a mobile artillery unit such as a howitzer. A firts GPS ground station is incorporated into a howitzer. A second GPS ground station is located at a distance from the first station. A Receiver Processor Unit at the first GPS ground station receives the position of both first and second ground stations, as well as any other GPS ground stations that are in range, and determines an external reference direction and a reference angle for the second GPS station with respect to the reference direction. An azimuth transfer mechanism is aligned with the second GPS station at the reference angle so that the howitzer shares a common alignment with all guns in an artillery battery and the entire artillery battery may be aimed at a single target. Preferably the second GPS station also comprises a howitzer so that the artillery battery disperses in tactically preferred groups of two howitzers each.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.