A miniature lightweight high-maneuverability missile (10) has a missile body (12) with three sets of at least two aerodynamic control surfaces (14, 16, 18) for independent control of roll, pitch and yaw of the missile. Each set of control surfaces (14, 16, 18) is independently controlled by a corres
A miniature lightweight high-maneuverability missile (10) has a missile body (12) with three sets of at least two aerodynamic control surfaces (14, 16, 18) for independent control of roll, pitch and yaw of the missile. Each set of control surfaces (14, 16, 18) is independently controlled by a corresponding actuator (20) deployed within the missile body (12). Other preferred features include selection of an elevation angle of incidence at a target, and switching between explosive and kinetic modes of operation.
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1. A target-seeking missile comprising: (a) a missile body;(b) a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces associated with said missile body, said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces including a plurality of control surfaces for controlling roll, pitch and yaw of the missile;(c) a set of at least three actuat
1. A target-seeking missile comprising: (a) a missile body;(b) a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces associated with said missile body, said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces including a plurality of control surfaces for controlling roll, pitch and yaw of the missile;(c) a set of at least three actuators associated with said control surfaces for controlling said control surfaces;(d) a seeker arrangement associated with said missile body, said seeker arrangement including an imaging sensor mounted on a gimbal mechanism;(e) a rocket motor associated with said missile body and configured for propelling the missile up to a maximum subsonic speed; and(f) a control system including at least one processor, said control system associated with said seeker arrangement and with said set of actuators, said control system controlling said actuators so as to navigate the missile to a target, wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces and said actuators are configured such that a maximum lateral deflection of the missile flight path achieves a radius of curvature of said flight path smaller than 200 meters. 2. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said gimbal mechanism has a range of deflection extending in at least one sense to an angle of at least 80 degrees deflection relative to a boresight direction of said missile. 3. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said gimbal mechanism has a range of deflection which is asymmetric relative to a boresight direction of said missile body, said asymmetric range of deflection extending in one direction to at least about 120 degrees off-boresight. 4. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said rocket motor is configured for accelerating the missile to a maximum speed of at least 100 meters per second. 5. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said rocket motor is configured for accelerating the missile to a maximum speed of between 130 and 180 meters per second. 6. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein the missile has a mass of no more than two-and-a-half kilograms. 7. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces includes three sets of at least two control surfaces, each of said sets being independently controlled by one of said actuators for controlling a corresponding one of roll, pitch and yaw of the missile. 8. The target-seeking missile of claim 7, wherein said at least two control surfaces of each set of control surfaces are mechanically linked so as to actuated together by one of said plurality of actuators. 9. The target-seeking missile of claim 7, wherein said at least two control surfaces of each set of control surfaces are deployed symmetrically about a central axis of said missile body. 10. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said maximum lateral deflection of the missile flight path generates a lateral acceleration of at least 12 G at a speed of 180 meters per second. 11. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, further comprising a warhead deployed within said missile body. 12. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, further comprising an inertial navigation system associated with said processor. 13. The target-seeking missile of claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to navigate the missile after launch according to an inertially defined flight path. 14. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communications link associated with said processor for transmitting images from said imaging sensor to a remote location. 15. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces are configured such that, during descent through air, a terminal velocity of the missile is subsonic. 16. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces include a plurality of folding aerodynamic surfaces assuming a folded state for deployment within a canister and configured to open after launch to a deployed state. 17. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said control system is configured for navigating the missile along a flight path so as to reach the surface target at an incident elevation angle of greater than 75 degrees. 18. The target-seeking missile of claim 1, wherein said control system is configured to switch between a plurality of modes for navigating the missile to a given surface target along any one of a plurality of flight-path types. 19. The target-seeking missile of claim 18, wherein a first of said flight-path types is configured to achieve a higher maximum altitude than a second of said flight-path types. 20. The target-seeking missile of claim 18, wherein each of said plurality of flight-path types is configured to achieve a corresponding desired incident elevation angle at the surface target. 21. A missile system comprising: (a) a target-seeking missile including a control system having a programmable data storage device for storing a software component of said control system;(b) a first launcher for launching said target-seeking missile, said first launcher including a first version of said software component for configuring said control system to navigate said target-seeking missile according to a first set of navigation rules, and a data connection for uploading said first version of said software component into said programmable data storage device; and(c) a second launcher for launching said target-seeking missile, said second launcher including a second version of said software component for configuring said control system to navigate said target-seeking missile according to a second set of navigation rules, and a data connection for uploading said second version of said software component into said programmable data storage device, such that said control system navigates said target-seeking missile according to said first set of navigation rules if launched from said first launcher and according to said second set of navigation rules if launched from said second launcher. 22. The missile system of claim 21, wherein said first launcher is a hand-held launcher, and wherein said first set of navigation rules are configured for surface-to-surface flight paths. 23. The missile system of claim 21, wherein said second launcher is configured for mounting on an airborne platform, and said second set of navigation rules are configured for air-to-surface flight paths. 24. The missile system of claim 21, wherein said target-seeking missile comprises: (a) a missile body;(b) a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces associated with said missile body, said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces including a plurality of control surfaces for controlling roll, pitch and yaw of the missile;(c) a set of at least three actuators associated with said control surfaces for controlling said control surfaces;(d) a seeker arrangement associated with said missile body, said seeker arrangement including an imaging sensor mounted on a gimbal mechanism; and(e) a rocket motor associated with said missile body and configured for propelling the missile, wherein said control system further comprises at least one processor, said control system being associated with said seeker arrangement and with said set of actuators, said control system controlling said actuators so as to navigate the missile to a target. 25. The missile system of claim 24, wherein said first launcher is a hand-held launcher, and wherein said first set of navigation rules are configured for surface-to-surface flight paths. 26. The missile system of claim 24, wherein said second launcher is configured for mounting on an airborne platform, and said second set of navigation rules are configured for air-to-surface flight paths. 27. The missile system of claim 26, wherein said second set of navigation rules generate flight paths with a cruise portion which is within 20 degrees of horizontal and a terminal portion with an angle of descent greater than 75 degrees. 28. A target-seeking missile comprising: (a) a missile body;(b) a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces associated with said missile body, said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces including three sets of at least two control surfaces for controlling roll, pitch and yaw of the missile;(c) a set of actuators associated with said three sets of control surfaces for independently controlling each of said sets of control surfaces;(d) a seeker arrangement associated with said missile body, said seeker arrangement including an imaging sensor mounted on a gimbal mechanism;(e) a rocket motor associated with said missile body and configured for propelling the missile up to a maximum subsonic speed; and(f) a control system including at least one processor, said control system associated with said seeker arrangement and with said set of actuators, said control system controlling said actuators so as to navigate the missile to a target, wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces and said actuators are configured such that a maximum lateral deflection of the missile flight path achieves a radius of curvature of said flight path smaller than 200 meters. 29. A missile system comprising: (a) a target-seeking missile comprising: (i) a missile body;(ii) a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces associated with said missile body, said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces including a plurality of control surfaces for controlling roll, pitch and yaw of the missile;(iii) a set of at least three actuators associated with said control surfaces for controlling said control surfaces;(iv) a seeker arrangement associated with said missile body, said seeker arrangement including an imaging sensor mounted on a gimbal mechanism;(v) a rocket motor associated with said missile body and configured for propelling the missile up to a maximum subsonic speed; and(vi) a control system including at least one processor, said control system associated with said seeker arrangement and with said set of actuators, said control system controlling said actuators so as to navigate the missile to a target,wherein said plurality of aerodynamic surfaces and said actuators are configured such that a maximum lateral deflection of the missile flight path achieves a radius of curvature of said flight path smaller than 200 meters; and(b) a launcher for receiving and launching the missile. 30. The missile system of claim 29, wherein said launcher is a hand-held launcher. 31. The missile system of claim 30, wherein said launcher defines a launching direction of the missile, said control system being configured to select one of a plurality of flight-path types as a function of at least an elevation angle at which said launching direction is held prior to launching of the missile. 32. The missile system of claim 30, wherein said launcher is configured to eject said missile prior to operation of said rocket motor with a momentum no greater than 20 kg·m/s. 33. The missile system of claim 30, wherein said launcher includes an ejector mechanism for ejecting said missile without releasing a rearward flame. 34. The missile system of claim 30, wherein said missile and said launcher further include components of a wireless communications link, and wherein said launcher includes a display for displaying images from said imaging sensor transmitted via said wireless communications link, and wherein said launcher further includes a user input device for updating a currently tracked target within said images for transmission via said wireless communications link as a target update input to said missile. 35. The missile system of claim 30, further comprising a controller subsystem separate from said launcher, said controller subsystem including a display for displaying images output from said imaging sensor and a user input device for updating a currently tracked target within said images. 36. The missile system of claim 35, wherein said controller subsystem and said missile include components of a wireless communications link, transmission of said images from said missile to said controller subsystem and transmission of said user input from said controller subsystem to said missile being performed via said wireless communications link. 37. The missile system of claim 35, wherein said controller subsystem includes a mobile computer, and wherein said user input device includes a click-to-select pointing device. 38. The missile system of claim 29, wherein said launcher is configured for mounting on an airborne platform. 39. The missile system of claim 38, wherein said launcher includes: (a) a canister for at least partially containing the missile before launch; and(b) a canister displacement mechanism selectively operable to displace said canister relative to the airborne platform through a motion including a component of rotation so as to facilitate locking on with said seeker arrangement to a target. 40. The missile system of claim 39, wherein said motion includes a component of rotation about an axis substantially parallel to a central axis of said missile body. 41. The missile system of claim 39, wherein said motion includes a component of rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to a central axis of said missile body.
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