Patent · US Expired

Autonomous off-board defensive aids system

US6542109B2 · kind B2 · utility

20Cited by
13References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 6, 2001
Grant dateApr 1, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 6, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/537
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

There is provided an autonomous off-board defensive aids system (100) for use with a host craft (102), for example, with combat aircraft or submarines. More particularly, the host craft (102) deploys a plurality of controllable off-board units (104, 106) to counter an offensive threat or to engage in autonomous offensive actions. The controllable off-board units (104, 106) implement active stealth facilities: each off-board unit (104, 106) having a receiver unit for detecting impinging detection pulses, for example radar or sonar pulses, and a transmitter unit for generating an artificial detection pulse profile, for example “spoofing” or masking the presence of the host craft. The controllable off-board units are of two types: tethered (104) and free moving (106). The off-board units (104, 106) can have conventional propulsion apparatus, for instance, propellers, rockets or jets. Off-board units (104, 106) each have control apparatus which allows the off-board units (104, 106) to co-operate. General commands are conveyed to the control apparatus by control cabling provided in the tether cable (108).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.