초록 ▼

A radar decoy having radar reflectors disposed in the interior of the inflated canopy of a descending parachute as a first set of four corner reflectors, and a second set of corner reflectors disposed on the exterior of the canopy integral with the first set of corner reflectors, to form an octahedr

A radar decoy having radar reflectors disposed in the interior of the inflated canopy of a descending parachute as a first set of four corner reflectors, and a second set of corner reflectors disposed on the exterior of the canopy integral with the first set of corner reflectors, to form an octahedron of eight corner reflectors. The radar decoy is pliable and folded with the parachute for stowage in the interior of a canister. When loaded on a vehicle flying in a trajectory, the canister may open at a point P on the trajectory, to release the parachute, and thereby deploy the radar decoy to become operative.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A radar decoy descending on a parachute having an inflated canopy for retarding descent, the canopy having an interior, an exterior, an apex, and a bottom opening with a diameter and a periphery, to which a first upper end of a plurality of suspension lines is fixedly c

The invention claimed is: 1. A radar decoy descending on a parachute having an inflated canopy for retarding descent, the canopy having an interior, an exterior, an apex, and a bottom opening with a diameter and a periphery, to which a first upper end of a plurality of suspension lines is fixedly connected in spaced apart distribution to retain a hanging load, which is fixedly connected to a second lower end of the plurality of suspension lines, comprising: a radar reflector having an interior portion disposed in the interior of the canopy intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, and a plurality of reflective panels forming the radar reflector, each reflective panel being coupled to the periphery, and at least two reflective panels being coupled the apex. 2. The radar decoy according to claim 1, wherein: at least four trihedral corner reflectors disposed in the interior of the canopy and forming the interior portion are configured as three mutually orthogonal reflective panels coupled to the periphery, and have two reflective triangular panels being also coupled to the apex. 3. The radar reflector according to claim 2, wherein: the two reflective triangular panels disposed in the interior of the canopy extend to conform to and to be coupled to the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, whereby a first and a second substantially semi-circular panel provide a radar reflector with an enhanced radar cross-section. 4. The radar decoy according to claim 1, wherein: the radar reflector has an exterior portion disposed on the exterior of and below the canopy adjacent the bottom opening, and a plurality of reflective panels, each panel having a surface and forming the exterior portion are coupled to the periphery, and two panels are coupled to a central line extending from the apex top to the load. 5. The radar decoy according to claim 4, wherein: the exterior portion is configured to form four trihedral corner reflectors. 6. The radar decoy according to claim 5, wherein: the exterior portion is integral with the interior portion. 7. The radar decoy according to claim 6, wherein: the interior portion and the exterior portion of the radar reflector are configured to form eight trihedral corner reflectors. 8. The radar reflector according to claim 7, wherein: the two reflective triangular panels of the interior portion extend to conform to and to be coupled to the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, whereby a first and a second substantially semi-circular panel provide a radar reflector with an enhanced radar cross-section. 9. The radar decoy according to claim 1, wherein: the load is functionally operative as a decoy and is either one of both operative in association with the radar decoy and independent therefrom. 10. The radar decoy according to claim 1, wherein: the canopy is hemispherical and has a canopy height equal to substantially half the diameter of the bottom opening, a central line is coupled from the apex to the load, the interior portion has three mutually orthogonal reflective panels, each panel having a surface and forming four trihedral radar corner reflectors, wherein: a first panel of isosceles triangular shape has a first panel base side spanning the inlet opening, and has a height equal in length to the canopy height, with a first panel top corner opposite the first panel base side, and two opposite first panel base corners adjacent the first panel base side, the first panel top corner and the two first panel base corners being fixedly coupled to, respectively, the apex and to two diametrically opposite points disposed on the periphery, a second panel, orthogonally intersecting and identical in shape and surface to the first panel, has a second panel base side, which is fixedly coupled by a second panel top corner to the apex, and by each one of two second panel base corners to the periphery, and a third panel of square surface is orthogonally disposed adjacent the first and the second panel base side of respectively, the first and of the second panel, to form four trihedral corner reflectors, with each one corner of the square surface being fixedly coupled to the periphery at the first and at the second panel base corners, whereby the central line is collinear with an intersection axis common to both the first and the second panel. 11. The radar decoy according to claim 10, having an exterior portion with three mutually orthogonal panels, each panel having a surface forming four trihedral radar corner reflectors, wherein: a fourth panel, or first lower triangular panel surface, of shape and surface equal to the first panel and extending away therefrom in mirroring symmetry about the first panel base side, has two first lower base corners each adjacent the first panel base corners, and has in opposite to the first panel top corner, a first panel lower corner fixedly coupled to a lower point on the central line, at a distance from the apex equal to twice the canopy height, and a fifth panel, or second lower triangular panel surface, orthogonal to the fourth panel and identical thereto in shape and in surface, has two second panel lower base corners adjacent the second panel base corners, and has a second panel lower corner which is fixedly coupled to the lower point, whereby the third panel is common to the first, the second, the fourth and the fifth panel to form eight trihedral radar corner reflectors, providing an interior portion and an exterior portion operative as an omnidirectional isometric octahedral radar reflector decoy. 12. The radar decoy according to claim 11, wherein: the surface of each one of the first and the second reflective triangular panels is extended to conform to and to be coupled to the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, whereby a first and a second substantially semi-circular panel provide a radar reflector of enhanced radar cross-section. 13. The radar decoy according to claim 12, wherein: a cluster of radar decoys is formed by attaching together a plurality of parachutes having radar reflectors, the parachutes being coupled together at the second lower end of the suspension lines, whereby an enlarged radar cross-section is achieved by the cluster of parachutes. 14. The radar decoy according to claim 12, wherein: the radar decoy has reflective panels made from pliable, lightweight and thin radar reflective material foldable for containment in a small dimension canister, and operable for stowage and ejection from an airborne vehicle (V), whereby the radar decoy becomes operative after ejection from the airborne vehicle and deployment of the parachute. 15. The radar decoy according to claim 14, wherein: the airborne vehicle is an unmanned airborne vehicle. 16. The radar decoy according to claim 14, wherein: the airborne vehicle is either one of both propelled by a rocket motor and launched by a piece of artillery. 17. A method for providing a radar decoy operable when descending on a parachute having an inflated canopy for retarding descent and having an interior and an exterior, the canopy having an apex, and an inlet with a bottom opening, a diameter, and a periphery to which a first upper end of a plurality of suspension lines is fixedly coupled in spaced apart distribution to retain a hanging load, which is fixedly coupled to at a second lower end of the plurality of suspension lines, the method comprising the steps of: disposing a radar reflector having an interior portion in the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom, and providing a plurality of reflective panels having a surface and forming the radar reflector, each reflective panel being coupled to the periphery, and at least two reflective panels being coupled the apex. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the radar reflector is configured as four trihedral corner reflectors formed by three mutually orthogonal reflective panels coupled to the periphery, and is disposed in the interior of the canopy, and two triangular panels of the radar reflector are coupled to the apex. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: the surface of each one reflective triangular panel extends to conform to the interior of the canopy, and the extended surface is coupled intermediate the apex and the bottom. 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein: at least one exterior portion of the radar reflector is disposed on the exterior of and below the canopy adjacent the bottom opening, and the radar reflector is configured with a plurality of reflective panels coupled at least to the periphery. 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: the exterior portion is configured to form four trihedral corner reflectors. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: the exterior portion is integral with the interior portion. 23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of: the interior portion and the exterior portion of the radar reflector are configured to form eight trihedral corner reflectors. 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein: the two reflective triangular panels of the interior portion extend to conform to and to be coupled to the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, whereby a first and a second substantially semi-circular panel provide a radar reflector with an enhanced radar cross-section. 25. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the load is functionally operative as a decoy and is either one of both operative in association with the radar decoy and independent therefrom. 26. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the canopy is hemispherical and has a canopy height equal to substantially half the diameter of the bottom opening, a central line is coupled from the apex to the load, the interior portion has three mutually orthogonal reflective panels, each panel having a surface and forming four trihedral radar corner reflectors, wherein: a first panel of isosceles triangular shape has a first panel base side spanning the inlet opening, and has a height equal in length to the canopy height, with a first panel top corner opposite the first panel base side, and two opposite first panel base corners adjacent the first panel base side, the first panel top corner and the two first panel base corners being fixedly coupled to, respectively, the apex and to two diametrically opposite points disposed on the periphery, a second panel, orthogonally intersecting and identical in shape and surface to the first panel, has a second panel base side, which is fixedly coupled by a second panel top corner to the apex, and by each one of two second panel base corners to the periphery, and a third panel of square surface is orthogonally disposed adjacent the first and the second panel base side of respectively, the first and of the second panel, to form four trihedral corner reflectors, with each one corner of the square surface being fixedly coupled to the periphery at the first and at the second panel base corners, whereby the central line is collinear with an intersection axis common to both the first and the second panel. 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the radar decoy has an exterior portion with three mutually orthogonal panels, each panel having a surface forming four trihedral radar corner reflectors, wherein: a fourth panel, or first lower triangular panel surface, of shape and surface equal to the first panel and extending away therefrom in mirroring symmetry about the first panel base side, has two first lower base corners each adjacent the first panel base corners, and has in opposite to the first panel top corner, a first panel lower corner fixedly coupled to a lower point on the central line, at a distance from the apex equal to twice the canopy height, and a fifth panel, or second lower triangular panel surface, orthogonal to the fourth panel and identical thereto in shape and in surface, has two second panel lower base corners adjacent the second panel base corners, and has a second panel lower corner which is fixedly coupled to the lower point, whereby the third panel is common to the first, the second, the fourth and the fifth panel to form eight trihedral radar corner reflectors, providing an interior portion and an exterior portion operative as an omnidirectional isometric octahedral radar reflector decoy. 28. The method according to claim 27, wherein: the surface of each one of the first and the second reflective triangular panels is extended to conform to and to be coupled to the interior of the canopy, intermediate the apex and the bottom opening, whereby a first and a second substantially semi-circular panel provide a radar reflector of enhanced radar cross-section. 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: a cluster of radar decoys is formed by attaching together a plurality of parachutes having radar reflectors, the parachutes being coupled together at the second lower end of the suspension lines, whereby an enlarged radar cross-section is achieved by the cluster of parachutes. 30. The method according to claim 28, wherein: the radar decoy has reflective panels made from pliable, lightweight and thin radar reflective material foldable for containment in a small dimension canister, and operable for stowage and ejection from an airborne vehicle (V), whereby the radar decoy becomes operative after ejection from the airborne vehicle and deployment of the parachute. 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein: the airborne vehicle is an unmanned airborne vehicle. 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein: the airborne vehicle is either one of both propelled by a rocket motor and launched by a piece of artillery. 33. The radar decoy, according to claim 32, wherein: one reflective panel is further coupled to the periphery of the canopy by a net.