Method and apparatus for efficiently targeting multiple re-entry vehicles with multiple kill vehicles
US8371201B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 18, 2005 |
| Grant date | Feb 12, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 18, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF42B12/58
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for increasing the effectiveness of destroying selected objects in a target cloud by prioritizing the objects detected in a large aperture IR detector aboard a carrier vehicle and sequentially illuminating the detected targets with coded laser radiation, followed by the launching of multiple miniature kill vehicles from the carrier vehicle, with each kill vehicle assigned to a differently-coded object in the target cloud due to the reflection back of the coded returns, thus to permit directing of individual miniature kill vehicles to a specific object in the target cloud prior to a handoff to an IR heat seeker in the miniature kill vehicle, actuated to guide the kill vehicle for a final kill.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.