Embodiments include engagement management systems and methods for managing engagement with aerial threats. Such systems include radar modules and detect aerial threats within a threat range of a base location. The systems also track intercept vehicles and control flight paths and detonation capabilities of the intercept vehicles. The systems are capable of communication between multiple engagement management systems and coordinated control of multiple intercept vehicles.

A closed, self-contained ballistic apogee detection module for use in a projectile, such as a rocket, mortar round, or artillery round, fuses data from multiple built-in sensors, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope, and processes the data using a microprocessor through a custom quaternion extended Kalman filter to provide accurate state and orientation information about the projectile so as to accurately predict apogee. The module outputs a signal indicating apogee detection or prediction which they projectile uses to initiate fuze arming, targeting control, airbody transformation, maneuvering, flow effector deployment or activation, payload exposure or deployment, and/or other mission activity. Because the system and method of the invention does not rely on external environmental data to detect apogee, it need not use a pressure sensor and can be completely sealed in and closed without requiring access to air from outside the projectile for barometric readings.

An inverted F antenna for use in a projectile includes a ground plane and a radiating element oriented orthogonal to the ground plane and centered on the ground plane. The radiating element includes a ground stub trace having a relatively thick width, a meandering trace with a vertical orientation and a relatively high ground clearance and a feed trace having a tapered head.

The subject disclosure relates to a simulation system having an aircraft, a local wireless transceiver, and a simulation computer. The aircraft may include an onboard wireless transceiver and a flight controller operatively coupled with an onboard sensor payload to perceive a physical environment and to generate position and pose data. The simulation computer may be configured to communicate wirelessly with the aircraft via the local wireless transceiver. In operation, the simulation computer may be configured to generate one or more virtual reality sensor inputs and to receive the position and pose data from the aircraft. The simulation computer can be configured to transmit the one or more virtual reality sensor inputs to the flight controller of the aircraft.

Embodiments include engagement management systems and methods for managing engagement with aerial threats. Such systems include radar modules and detect aerial threats within a threat range of a base location. The systems also track intercept vehicles and control flight paths and detonation capabilities of the intercept vehicles. The systems are capable of communication between multiple engagement management systems and coordinated control of multiple intercept vehicles.

The system and method for a digital light processing (DLP) guidance system having a digital light processing (DLP) mirror array at the laser source. A receiver tracks location of the air-borne object using a retro reflector on a pulse-to-pulse basis. The DLP mirror array tracks the air-borne object with a non-scanning beam and immediately provides a correction update to the controller using a pulse repetition interval (PRI) varying code. The system can be packaged in a small format, at a lower cost, and with a higher reliability.

The system and method for a digital light processing (DLP) guidance system having a digital light processing (DLP) mirror array at the laser source. A receiver tracks location of the air-borne object using a retro reflector on a pulse-to-pulse basis. The DLP mirror array tracks the air-borne object with a non-scanning beam and immediately provides a correction update to the controller using a pulse repetition interval (PRI) varying code. The system can be packaged in a small format, at a lower cost, and with a higher reliability.

A projectile is disclosed, having: a longitudinal axis, a steering assembly, a shell body, an attitude control system, a despin module, an electromagnetic receiver and/or emitter system, and a controller. The attitude control system includes a ram air inlet in selective open fluid communication with an exhaust assembly, which includes a plurality of exhaust outlets to selectively generate each of a plurality of thrust jets from a ram air inflow provided by the ram air inlet, each thrust jet being selectively controllable via the controller. The despin module is configured for selectively de-spinning the steering assembly with respect to the shell body about the longitudinal axis. The electromagnetic receiver and/or emitter system is configured for receiving and/or emitting electromagnetic energy, and for cooperating with the controller for operating the exhaust assembly to thereby selectively provide steering control moments. Systems and methods for steering the projectile are also disclosed.

A computer implemented method is provided for in-flight trajectory steering a vehicle by an optimal path to a destination. This includes incorporating physical constants; setting initial angle of attack (AoA) and initial AoA rate; incrementing flight AoA; measuring operation parameters; establishing a flight trajectory; calculating an optimal trajectory; comparing flight trajectories; and commanding flight control. The physical constants include gravity and atmospheric conditions. The flight AoA increments from the initial AoA and any prior increments. The operation parameters of the vehicle include pressure, velocity and flight path angle. The flight trajectory denotes the vehicle's path to its destination based on the operation parameters using the physical constants. The optimal trajectory is based on with altitude and velocity of the vehicle. The flight trajectory is compared to the optimal trajectory as a steering correction by altering the flight AoA. The vehicle's flight control executes the steering correction at the flight AoA.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system of the first preferred embodiments is a video guided munition including: a body; at least two fin segments attached to the body near the rear of the body; at least two actuators attached to at least one of the fins and the body, where the actuators are adapted to move at least one of A) a control surface on at least one of the fins and B) the fins, where the movement creates aerodynamic forces adapted to control the direction of the flight of the munition; a video camera mounted at least one of I) to the body and II) to another component mounted to the body; a video transmitter in electrical communication with the video camera and adapted to transmit video from the video camera; a control receiver designed to receive electromagnetic control signals, where the control receiver is in electrical communication with the at least two actuators, where the control receiver is adapted to provide control signals to the at least two actuators; a control transmitter, where the control transmitter is adapted to transmit electromagnetic control signals to the control receiver; control inputs mounted on the control transmitter and designed to allow a user to provide control inputs to the control transmitter; a video display; a video receiver in electrical communication with the video display, wherein the video receiver is designed to receive the video transmitted by the video transmitter, wherein the video display shows video transmitted by the video transmitter to the user; wherein the user reacts to the transmitted video on the video display to provide control inputs to guide the video guided munition to a desired target point; at least one of an explosive warhead and a non-lethal weapons payload; a launch system comprising at least one of 1) an elastic launcher, 2) a spring launcher, 3) a compressed gas launcher, and 4) an adapter that allows the munition to be launched by a firearm. The system of the preferred embodiments is preferably designed to provide a low cost, guided weapon that is compact enough that a single soldier can carry multiple munitions, that does not require a significant launcher to be carried, that is inexpensive enough to equip a large fraction of the troops on the battle field, that can achieve hits at 200 meters to 800 meters in range, that can hit targets that are not in line of sight, and that has the power and guidance effectiveness to get hits after only several rounds are expended at most while again being inexpensive enough that this is acceptableno such system or any system with a capability remotely like this exists in the prior art. The system of the preferred embodiments may, however, be used for