A spherically constrained optical seeker assembly includes a spherical lens having an outer surface, an optical sensor assembly associated with the spherical lens, and a gimbal assembly. The optical sensor assembly is coupled to the gimbal assembly. The gimbal assembly is configured to move the optical sensor assembly to at least one desired position on the outer surface of the spherical lens. A method of manipulating the optical sensor assembly includes positioning the optical sensor assembly with respect to the spherical lens and moving the optical sensor assembly to at least one desired position with respect to the outer surface of the spherical lens by the gimbal assembly.

Test systems coupled to a device under test (DUT) with different segments or stages and related methods are provided. Exemplary test systems include logic that executes concurrent determinations or tests for multiple DUT segments or stages. Exemplary test systems can include logic that concurrently executes various tests associated with different DUT segments including determinations or testing for a specified DUT test environment, determinations or tests of when data will be made available to various DUT segments, and various determinations or tests that may be completed before data is made available to specified DUT segments. At least one embodiment of a first stage concurrent determination test system determines first stage tests do not require a specified target and high pressure gas conditions for DUT testing and at least one embodiment of a second stage concurrent test system does require a specified target and high pressure gas conditions for DUT testing.

A forebody flow control system and more particularly an aircraft or missile flow control system for enhanced maneuverability and stabilization at high angles of attack. The present invention further relates to a method of operating the flow control system. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a missile or aircraft comprising an afterbody and a forebody; at least one deployable flow effector on the missile or aircraft forebody; at least one sensors each having a signal associated therewith, the at least one sensor being used for determining or estimating flow separation or side forces on the missile forebody; and a closed loop control system; wherein the closed loop control system is used for activating and deactivating the at least one deployable flow effector based on at least in part the signal of the at least one sensor.

The present invention relates to a missile or aircraft with a hierarchical, modular, closed-loop flow control system and more particularly to aircraft or missile with a flow control system for enhanced aerodynamic control, maneuverability and stabilization and methods of operating the flow control system. Various embodiments of the flow control system of the present invention involve flow sensors, active flow control device or activatable flow effectors and/or logic devices with closed loop control architecture. The sensors are used to estimate or determine flow conditions on surfaces of a missile or aircraft. The active flow control device or activatable flow effectors of these various embodiments create on-demand flow disturbances, preferably micro-disturbances, at different points along various aerodynamic surfaces of the missile or aircraft to achieve a desired stabilization or maneuverability effect. The logic devices are embedded with a hierarchical control structure allowing for rapid, real-time control at the flow surface.

The disclosure presents at least one example of a missile system, method, and/or computer program product. The missile system may, for example, include a radar, an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, a missile launcher, and a control station. The missile system may, for example, be configured to handle various situations such as when only ADS-B data relating to an airborne entity is available, only radar data relating to the airborne entity is available or both ADS-B data and radar data relating to the airborne entity are available. The missile system, may, for example, be a surface to air missile system.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a dual-mode seeker for a guided missile equipped with seeker/designation handoff capabilities. The dual-mode seeker has Semi-Active Laser (SAL) and Image InfraRed (IIR) modes of operation. SAL-mode operation includes detecting laser pulses reflected by a target designated by a remote Laser Target Designator (LTD) and determining target direction using the detected laser pulses. SAL-mode operation also includes determining the Pulse Repetition Interval (PRI) of the detected laser pulses, and predicting timing of future pulses generated by the LTD. IIR-mode operation includes capturing Short-Wavelength InfraRed (SWIR) images of a scene containing the designated target and determining target location using one or more image features associated with the designated target. After the target direction can be determined using the IIR-mode of operation, an illuminator projects a signal onto the designated target so as to communicate to a remote operator that LTD target designation can be suspended.

An adaptive navigation system for airborne, ground and dismount applications. The system performs adaptive fusion of all sensed signals, information sources, and databases that may be available on a single or multiple cooperative platforms to provide optimal Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) state. To reduce error building over time, the system incorporates the concept of geo-registration fusion into the ANAGDA filter. The architecture of the ANAGDA filter consists of user/application configurable functionalities in hierarchical layers. The sensing layer senses the environment and contains the required databases such as surveyed landmarks, and Digital Terrain Elevation Data/Digital Elevation Model (DTED/DEM). The processing layer has a Smart Sensor Resource Manager which is a performance-based sensor/feature selection module. The measurement abstraction layer isolates the filter from hardware specifics. The fusion layer performs the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data integration with sensor measurements, and feature fusion.

A method of targeting a missile. A plurality of images of a target, taken from a plurality of viewpoints, are received. Features in the images characteristic of the target are identified. Data representing the characteristic features are provided to the missile to enable the missile to identify, using the characteristic features, the target in images of the environment of the missile obtained from an imager included in the missile.

The illustrative embodiments provide for a method a training system. The training system includes a physical sensor system connected to a physical vehicle. The physical sensor system is configured to obtain real atmospheric obscuration data of a real atmospheric obscuration. The training system also includes a data processing system comprising a processor and a tangible memory. The data processing system is configured to receive the real atmospheric obscuration data, and determine based on the real atmospheric obscuration data whether a target is visible to the physical vehicle in a simulation training environment generated by the data processing system. The simulation training environment at least including a virtual representation of the physical vehicle and a virtual representation of the real atmospheric obscuration.

Methods, systems, and devices solving Euler's rotational rigid body equation of motion, formed within two non-inertial frames of reference, that determine the vector inconstant variables of angular acceleration, velocity, and trajectory using a single piezoresistive accelerometer sensor, an ?C coupling algorithm and 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd running integrals to in-flight acquire rotational inconstants in high-density Terramedia Terraflight and determine a Penetrator's loading profiles and method to parse vector Terraflight for rotational Pitch and Yaw enabling precision trajectory tracking utilizing three axial facing piezoresistive accelerometers, a differencing algorithm and 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd running integrals enabling Penetrator flight control and precision guidance.