초록 ▼

A missile includes a radar system that has a radome through which a main antenna sends and receives signals. The radome includes a radome body and a radome tip include different transmissive materials, with for example the radome body primarily made of a lossy optically nontransparent material, and

A missile includes a radar system that has a radome through which a main antenna sends and receives signals. The radome includes a radome body and a radome tip include different transmissive materials, with for example the radome body primarily made of a lossy optically nontransparent material, and the radome tip primarily made of a lossless (permittivity with low imaginary part) glass material that may also be optically transparent. A laser may be used in conjunction with the radome to send and receive encoded signals. The laser may be located behind (aft of) the main antenna, and one or more optical fibers may extend into and/or along the radome to guide laser signals to the radome tip. The laser may be used to emit encoded signals so as to allow multiple radar systems operating in the same area at the same time to discriminate between different targets.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A missile radar system comprising: a main antenna; anda radome enclosing the main antenna;wherein the radome includes a radome body and a radome wedge;wherein the radome body has a wide end and a narrow end, with the main antenna at the wide end, and the radome wedge at the narrow end;wherein the

1. A missile radar system comprising: a main antenna; anda radome enclosing the main antenna;wherein the radome includes a radome body and a radome wedge;wherein the radome body has a wide end and a narrow end, with the main antenna at the wide end, and the radome wedge at the narrow end;wherein the radome wedge and the radome body include different materials that are substantially transparent to radar signals emitted by the main antenna; andwherein the radome wedge and the radome body are formed as a single unitary piece of material. 2. The missile radar system of claim 1, wherein there is a material gradient in a boundary region around a boundary between the radome wedge and the radome body. 3. A missile radar system comprising: a main antenna; anda radome enclosing the main antenna;wherein the radome includes a radome body and a radome wedge;wherein the radome body has a wide end and a narrow end, with the main antenna at the wide end, and the radome wedge at the narrow end;wherein the radome wedge and the radome body include different materials that are substantially transparent to radar signals emitted by the main antenna;wherein the radome body includes a lossy dielectric material; andwherein the radome wedge includes lossless material. 4. The missile radar system of claim 3, wherein the radome wedge and the radome body are separate pieces that are attached together. 5. The missile radar system of claim 3, wherein the radome wedge is a nonmetallic radome wedge. 6. The missile radar system of claim 3, wherein the radome wedge and the radome body are formed as a single unitary piece of material. 7. The missile radar system of claim 6, wherein there is a material gradient in a boundary region around a boundary between the radome wedge and the radome body. 8. A missile radar system comprising: a main antenna; anda radome enclosing the main antenna;wherein the radome includes a radome body and a radome wedge;wherein the radome body has a wide end and a narrow end, with the main antenna at the wide end, and the radome wedge at the narrow end;wherein the radome wedge and the radome body include different materials that are substantially transparent to radar signals emitted by the main antenna; andwherein the radome wedge is optically transparent. 9. The missile radar system of claim 8, further comprising: an optical emitter that emits light through the radome wedge; anda seeker that receives reflections from the light emitted by the optical emitter. 10. The missile radar system of claim 9, wherein the optical emitter includes: a laser; andone or more optical fibers that transport the light from the laser to within the radome wedge. 11. The missile radar system of claim 9, further comprising a lens between the seeker and the radome wedge. 12. The missile radar system of claim 11, further comprising a filter between the seeker and the radome wedge. 13. The missile radar system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the filter and the lens is coupled to the radome by a nonmetallic structure. 14. The missile radar system of claim 8, wherein the radome wedge and the radome body are formed as a single unitary piece of material. 15. The missile radar system of claim 14, wherein there is a material gradient in a boundary region around a boundary between the radome wedge and the radome body. 16. The missile radar system of claim 8, wherein the radome wedge and the radome body are separate pieces that are attached together. 17. The missile radar system of claim 8, wherein the radome wedge is a nonmetallic radome wedge. 18. A missile radar system comprising: a main antenna;a radome enclosing the main antenna; andone or more optical fibers that run from aft of the main antenna to within the radome wedge;wherein the radome includes a radome body and a radome wedge;wherein the radome body has a wide end and a narrow end, with the main antenna at the wide end, and the radome wedge at the narrow end; andwherein the radome wedge and the radome body include different materials that are substantially transparent to radar signals emitted by the main antenna. 19. The missile radar system of claim 18, wherein the one or more optical fibers run along an inner surface of the radome body. 20. The missile radar system of claim 18, wherein the one or more optical fibers are at least partially embedded in the radome body. 21. A missile optical system comprising: a radome having an optically transmissive front radome wedge;a seeker within the radome that sends and receives optical signals on an optical path that passes through the optically transmissive front radome wedge; andone or more lenses in the optical path, between the seeker and the optically transmissive front radome wedge. 22. A method of missile target guidance, the method comprising: receiving a reflected signal from an intended target of a missile, wherein the reflected signal is received at a seeker of a missile, after passing through an optically-transparent radome wedge of the missile;examining the reflected signal for the presence of signals not including signal encoding associated with signals sent by the missile; andif the reflected signal includes encoding not associated with signals sent by the missile, rejecting and not using for navigation purposes the signals not including encoding not associated with signals sent by the missile. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving the reflected signal includes receiving a reflected laser signal from a laser used to illuminate the intended target. 24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the missile illuminating the intended target with a laser signal encoded with the signal encoding associated with signals sent by the missile;wherein the illuminating includes transmitting the laser signal through the optically-transparent radome wedge. 25. A method of improving performance of an antenna, the method comprising: providing a radome with a lossless, optically transparent radome wedge and a lossy dielectric radome body; andplacing the antenna within the radome.