Upon loss of a valid track of a remotely-sensed command guided vehicle, a delta actuator command including an orthogonal component orthogonal to the straight-line path is generated as a next sample of a time-based alternating signal. The time-based delta actuator command is added to the nominal actuator command, which is held upon loss of valid track, to maneuver the vehicle in first and second orthogonal directions back and forth across the straight-line path to increase an area of vehicle motion relative to the tracker's FOV. This increases the likelihood of recapture of the vehicle given vehicle motion after track is broken. The penalty is a reduction in energy efficiency. In certain embodiments, this is accomplished without modification to guidance system hardware or the existing tracking valid or invalid guidance algorithms.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining a course-correction signal for a spin-stabilized projectile based on a time sequence of images of a scene aligned with and obtained by a forward-looking imager coupled to the projectile. As the projectile rotates, the aligned scenes captured in the images obtained by the forward-looking imager are rotated. The rotation angle of each of the captured scenes corresponds to the spin angle of the projectile at the time of image exposure. Objects in the captured scenes will circle about a rotation center of the time-sequence images. The distances from a rotation center to the objects in the captured scenes, as well as the rotation angles of the captured scenes can be used to generate a course-correction signal so that the projectile can be guided to a target selected from the objects in the captured scene.

A device, system, and method for shaping the trajectory of a projectile employing a Gravity bias, Gbias. The system includes a seeker, a guidance filter, a pitch rate filter, an actuator, pitch/yaw/roll coupled aerodynamics, and lateral rate sensors. It receives roll orientation input to a guidance and control autopilot; it applies Additional Gbias to that produced by the null rate command to the lateral control loops of the guidance and control autopilot device. The lateral rate command is equal to the desired Additional Gbias divided by an estimate of the projectile velocity. The Additional Gbias is translated to a rate command and incorporated into guidance loop commands to boost an Inherent Gbias to shape the trajectory of the projectile to the target.

An ordnance munition is included in an intelligent ordnance projectile delivery system and equipped with targeting and guidance systems that allow the ordnance munition to collaborate with other devices to intelligently select targets and/or to guide the ordnance munition to its selected target. The ordnance munition may be configured to generate first location information based on its determined approximate location, send the generated first location information to a wireless transceiver in proximity to the first ordnance munition, and receive location information from the wireless transceiver in response. The ordnance munition may determine its more precise location based on the received location information, and generating second location information based on the more precise location. The ordnance munition may change or adjust its flight path or trajectory based on the generated second location information.

An ordnance munition is included in an intelligent ordnance projectile delivery system and equipped with targeting and guidance systems that allow the ordnance munition to collaborate with other devices to intelligently select targets and/or to guide the ordnance munition to its selected target. The ordnance munition may determine its approximate current location, form a communication group with a wireless transceiver that is in close proximity, and send the approximate current location to the wireless transceiver and/or other devices in the communication group. In response, the ordnance munition may receive location information from the wireless transceiver and/or other devices that are in the communication group. The ordnance munition may determine its more precise location based on the information received from the wireless transceiver, and alter its flight path based in the updated and more precise location.

Upon loss of a valid track of a remotely-sensed command guided vehicle, a delta actuator command including an orthogonal component orthogonal to the straight-line path is generated as a next sample of a time-based alternating signal. The time-based delta actuator command is added to the nominal actuator command, which is held upon loss of valid track, to maneuver the vehicle in first and second orthogonal directions back and forth across the straight-line path to increase an area of vehicle motion relative to the tracker's FOV. This increases the likelihood of recapture of the vehicle given vehicle motion after track is broken. The penalty is a reduction in energy efficiency. In certain embodiments, this is accomplished without modification to guidance system hardware or the existing tracking valid or invalid guidance algorithms.

A rescue system includes a wearable article, such as a wristband, which includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a radio frequency (RF) beacon, and a power supply. One or more RFID readers (collectively, an RF network) are located on a vessel, the RFID readers being configured to communicate with the RFID tag. Should the RF network detect a passenger overboard event, a modular rocket system is deployed. The modular rocket system comprises a guidance module, the guidance module including a guidance system for guiding the modular rocket system toward a target. A flight control module is removably attached to the guidance module, said flight control module including a plurality of airfoils. A flotation module is removably attached to the flight control module, said flotation module including a flotation device. A rocket motor module removably attached to the flotation module, said rocket motor module including a rocket motor configured to propel the modular rocket system.

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.

The present invention relates to electro-optic guided missile systems and, in particular, it concerns systems and methods providing enhanced navigation capabilities based on ego-motion processing of seeker images. The missile system comprising: a missile; a seeker located at a nose portion of said missile, said seeker comprising an electro-optic imaging sensor; and a control arrangement for steering the missile along a flight path to a target, characterized in that the missile system further comprises: a navigation subsystem receiving images from said imaging sensor, said navigation subsystem being configured to: co-process a plurality of said images from said imaging sensor to derive ego-motion of said missile relative to a region viewed by said imaging sensor; derive from said ego-motion a calculated target direction from said missile to a target.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for intercepting a moving target by a plurality of interceptors that individually have insufficient capability to achieve intercept. An electronic processor can receive information corresponding to a state of the moving target at a first time. The electronic processor can determine a plurality of hypotheses for the future maneuvers of the moving target. The hypotheses can be based in part on the state of the moving target at the first time and the location of any defended assets. The electronic processor can assign a respective target maneuver hypothesis or set of hypotheses to each of a plurality of interceptors. The electronic processor can assign firing times and/or initial guidance commands to each interceptor. The electronic processor can control each interceptor to maneuver such that the moving target is intercepted, based on the respective target maneuver hypotheses.