초록 ▼

A submunition having an infrared detector disposed in a nose portion thereof, the detector having a narrow angularly-displaced field of view, and vanes for causing the submunition to rotate at an essentially constant rate while in flight, thus to cause the infrared detector to scan a target area and

A submunition having an infrared detector disposed in a nose portion thereof, the detector having a narrow angularly-displaced field of view, and vanes for causing the submunition to rotate at an essentially constant rate while in flight, thus to cause the infrared detector to scan a target area and to detect the presence of a target having a selected higher temperature than the background infrared radiation. The submunition includes a small explosive charge sheet disposed on its outer surface and concentrated in one area, and firing pulse generation means for firing the charge. When the infrared detector scans past a detectable target within the target area, it produces a detection signal that triggers a firing pulse from the firing pulse generation means, thereby firing the explosive charge to create a lateral impulse or offset of the submunition. Timing means is provided to cause the impulse to be produced in the exact direction to correct the terminal trajectory of the submunition to intercept the detected target, so that the warhead carried by the submunition can cripple or destroy the target. This novel correctable-trajectory submunition is therefore seen to be a low-cost device having high kill probability when air-dropped in clusters, thereby providing very high cost effectiveness.

대표청구항 ▼

A bomblet having a correctible terminal trajectory and being capable of being air-dropped in a cluster together with a multiplicity of said bomblets comprising: a body having a nose portion and a tail portion, said body carrying a warhead, a plurality of vanes hingedly attached to said tail portion

A bomblet having a correctible terminal trajectory and being capable of being air-dropped in a cluster together with a multiplicity of said bomblets comprising: a body having a nose portion and a tail portion, said body carrying a warhead, a plurality of vanes hingedly attached to said tail portion of said body, said vanes being maintained in a closed position prior to being airdropped such that said vanes are disposed longitudinally along the outer surface of said body, said vanes being arranged to change to an open position when airdropped, thereupon said vanes being caused to extend rearwardly from said tail portion, said vanes being continuously maintained in a canted attitude with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said body so as to cause said body to spin from airflow caused by dropping of said body, heat detection means disposed in said nose portion of said body, said heat detection means having a narrow forward field-of-view, said field-of-view having a boresight line slightly displaced from the fore and aft axis of said body, thereby producing a rotating scan axis as a result of the rotation of said body, said field-of-view occuring at body spin rate in an inward spiral pattern on the ground as said bomblet approaches the ground, said heat detection means producing a detection signal when said field-of-view scans across a target having a higher temperature than the ground, firing pulse generation means disposed in said body and connected to said heat detection means for receiving such detection signal for generating an electrical firing pulse in response thereto, and an explosive charge disposed on the outer surface of said body, said charge being connected to said firing pulse means and arranged to fire in response to such electrical firing pulse, said explosive charge producing a lateral impulse in a direction substantially perpendicular to said body upon such firing, to change the terminal trajectory of said bomblet in the direction of the target causing such detection signal.