An unmanned aerial system (UAS) includes a body and a lift and propulsion system coupled to the body. The UAS includes a weapon coupled to the body. The weapon has an aiming axis oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body. The UAS includes a control system operatively coupled to the lift and propulsion system and the weapon. The control system is configured to determine a roll angle and a flight path such that the aiming axis is directed at a target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle. The control system is further configured to control the lift and propulsion system such that the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

Methods and apparatus for pointing logic in aircraft are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus to aim an aiming device carried by an aircraft includes at least one memory, machine readable instructions, and processor circuitry. The processor is to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to determine a position of a target, determine an orientation of the aircraft, determine aiming points based on the orientation and a movement range of the aiming device, and determine a movement of at least one of the aircraft or the aiming device based on the aiming points and the position to orient the aiming device toward the target.

An aircraft control device calculates trajectories of multiple aircraft that is member of a flight by use of a method such as Direct Collocation with Nonlinear Programming (DCNLP), in which an optimal solution is obtained by discretizing continuous variables. Nodes indicating the trajectory are calculated and set by substituting a discretized control variable of the aircraft into an aircraft equation of motion, or by use of other methods. Instead of calculating the trajectory of the aircraft as a continuous problem, discretisation reduces the calculation amount and time required for the trajectory calculation. The aircraft control device then determines, from among trajectories satisfying constraints corresponding to the role of the aircraft, an optimal trajectory based on an evaluation value obtained by an objective function corresponding to the role. Accordingly, the aircraft control device can calculate a more optimal trajectory corresponding to the role of the aircraft in a shorter time.

Disclosed is a method for delivering a load on-board an aircraft to a target. The method comprises: acquiring a position of the target; acquiring parameter values relating to aircraft maneuverability; acquiring load properties; acquiring parameter values relating to environmental conditions; using the acquired information, determining a position and a velocity value; performing, by the aircraft, the procedure; and, at a point in the procedure that the aircraft has the determined position and its travelling at a velocity equal to the determined velocity value, releasing the load. The determined position and velocity value are such that, were the aircraft to release the load while having the determined position and velocity, the load would travel to be within a predetermined distance of the target. The procedure is such that the aircraft would have the determined position and velocity at some time-step.

A munitions dispenser employs a plurality of launch tubes mounted in an array as a segmented dispenser assembly. Each tube in the array is configured to carry a selected munition releasably coupled in a cylindrical bore of the tube for substantially vertical release through a lower aperture. A frame, mountable to an air vehicle, carries the array of launch tubes. A skin covers the array of launch tubes with the skin and frame with the array configured for nested engagement of multiple segmented assemblies.

An unmanned aerial vehicle weapon system and method of operation which includes an unmanned aerial vehicle having navigational and weapon aiming cameras, remote controlled flight controls and a rifle type of weapon mounted in the wing transversely to the axis of the fuselage where the aerial vehicle is directed to a general target area and controlled to fly in a circular trajectory above and around a specific target within the target area until acquiring the target with the aiming camera and adjusting the bank angle of the vehicle to direct the weapon to the specific target.

A flying vehicle is disclosed with a plurality of projectile systems that each contains a projectile for projecting at another flying device. The flying vehicle can include a control system, a flight system in communication with the control system for enabling the flying vehicle to fly, a first projectile system in communication with the control system and a second projectile system in communication with the control system. The control system determines, based on a characteristic of a target flying vehicle, whether to implement a first mode utilizing the first projectile system or a second mode utilizing the second projectile system to capture the target flying vehicle.

A munitions dispenser employs a plurality of launch tubes mounted in an array as a segmented dispenser assembly. Each tube in the array is configured to carry a selected munition releasably coupled in a cylindrical bore of the tube for substantially vertical release through a lower aperture. A frame, mountable to an air vehicle, carries the array of launch tubes. A skin covers the array of launch tubes with the skin and frame with the array configured for nested engagement of multiple segmented assemblies.

Described are systems and methods for drone interdiction. A target aircraft is detected based on data from one or more of one or more radars, a fixed camera image from one or more fixed cameras, and an interceptor aircraft image from a camera mounted to an interceptor aircraft. An interception location is generated describing where the interceptor aircraft and the target aircraft are expected to meet. The interceptor aircraft is directed to the interception location to immobilize the target aircraft.

Methods and apparatus for pointing logic in aircraft are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus to aim an aiming device carried by an aircraft includes at least one memory, machine readable instructions, and processor circuitry. The processor is to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to determine a position of a target, determine an orientation of the aircraft, determine aiming points based on the orientation and a movement range of the aiming device, and determine a movement of at least one of the aircraft or the aiming device based on the aiming points and the position to orient the aiming device toward the target.