METHOD FOR STEERING A MISSILE TOWARDS A FLYING TARGET

Abstract

A method steers a missile towards a flying target. In order to permit precise flight to the target even under poor visibility conditions owing to the weather, a radar which is remote from the missile detects the target and transmits data relating to a first location area of the target to the missile. The missile determines, from the data of its own missile radar, a second location area of the target, processes both location areas to form a target area and flies to the target area.

Claims

1. A method for steering a missile towards a flying target, which comprises the steps of: detecting, via a remote radar being remote from the missile, the flying target and transmitting data relating to a first location area of the flying target to the missile; determining, via the missile, from data of its own missile radar, a second location area of the flying target; processing both the first and second location areas to form a target area; and flying the missile to the target area.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises combining position-resolved location probabilities of the flying target in the first and second location areas in the missile to form a superordinate, position-resolved location probability.

3. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises: measuring, via the missile radar, a distance from the flying target; and linking the position-resolved location probability of the first location area to a location probability resulting from a distance measurement.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the missile has at least three forward-oriented radar sensors, and the forward-oriented radar sensors each monitor just one spatial segment of at least three spatial segments lying one next to another.

5. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises: determining the spatial segment with a highest segment probability of the flying target being disposed in the spatial segment from signals; and using a segment probability during a determination of the position-resolved location probability of the flying target in the target area.

6. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises using the missile radar as a direction-sensitive proximity sensor for controlling direction-dependent firing of a charge of the missile within a predetermined distance of the missile from the flying target.

7. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises determining the spatial segment in which the flying target is disposed as the missile flies past the flying target, and firing of a explosive charge is controlled at least largely into the spatial segment.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein directional control of a flight of the missile takes place in an alignment phase by means of the data of only the remote radar, in a subsequent middle phase only by linking the data of the remote radar and that of the missile radar, and in a subsequent final phase by linking the data of the missile radar and of an image-resolving IR homing system of the missile.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the missile with an infrared (IR) homing system having two-dimensional resolution, and the missile flies at least largely under radar control to the target area before the flying target can be sighted optically in the IR homing system, and after optical detection of the flying target by the IR homing system the missile flies at least largely under optical control to the flying target.

10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the missile with an infrared (IR) homing system having two-dimensional resolution, and a position of the second location area of the flying target, which is determined by the missile radar, is used to control a viewing direction of the IR homing system relative to a missile axis.

11. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the missile with an infrared (IR) homing system having two-dimensional resolution, and the missile is steered to the flying target with data of the IR homing system by proportional navigation, and a distance and/or approach speed of the missile to the flying target, which are determined by the missile radar, are used as parameters for controlling a flight of the missile.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises using the parameter as an agility parameter of a surface control system.

13. A missile, comprising: a missile radar; an infrared (IR) homing system with two-dimensional resolution; control surfaces for controlling a steered flight of the missile; and a control unit for generating steering signals from data received from said missile radar and said IR homing system for actuating said control surfaces with said control signals.

14. The missile according to claim 13, further comprising at least three forward-oriented radar sensors each defining a scanning region lying in each case in just one spatial segment of at least three spatial segments lying one next to one another.

15. The missile according to claim 14, further comprising: a missile head; a missile body; and a transition cone, said forward-oriented radar sensors are disposed in a region of said transition cone between said missile head and said missile body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a missile in the form of a guided missile with a homing head, an effective part and a rocket engine, according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 is an illustration showing the flying missile which is aligned by a ground radar with a target concealed by a cloud;

[0034] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the missile in an approach flight to the target whose position is estimated from two location areas; and

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the missile as it flies past the target during the triggering of an charge of the effective part, oriented towards the target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a missile 2 in the form of a guided missile for ground-based air defence. The missile 2 is equipped with a rocket motor 4, an effective part 6 which contains an explosive charge, and a homing head 8 which has an IR homing system 10 for detecting a target which is luminous in the infrared spectral range, with two-dimensional resolution in the front spatial area in front of the missile 2. In order to steer the missile 2 towards the target, the missile 2 contains control surfaces 12 on control vanes 14 which are arranged in the rear of the missile 2 and are actuated by a control unit 16. A missile radar 20 is arranged in a transition area 18 between the homing head 8 and the body part which is embodied in a thicker fashion radially with respect thereto and lies behind the homing head 8. This system which is arranged in the conical transition area 18 contains four radar sensors 22 which each detect a spatial segment 24 by a sensor. The spatial segments 24 are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1 and each have an azimuthal extent of 90° and are arranged adjoining one another, adjacently symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the missile 2 or axis of the missile. Their elevation angle is from 110° relative to the axis of the missile up to −3° in the forward direction, with the result that the spatial segments 24 overlap by approximately 6° in the forward direction.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a flying target 26 (indicated only by a cross) for example a rocket which has an explosive head and is to be engaged with by the missile 2. For this purpose, the target 26 is detected as such by a radar 28 which is remote from the missile 2. The radar 28 is a ground radar 28 in this exemplary embodiment but can also be an air-based radar of an aircraft. The target is detected by the ground radar 28 and classified as an object to be engaged with. For the purpose of engagement, the missile 2 is started from a platform which can be a ground-based platform or a flying platform. After the target 26 has been detected by the ground radar 28, alignment data are sent to the missile 2 from the ground radar 28. The data contains information relating to a first location area 30 within which the ground radar 28 has made out the target 26. The detection of the target 26 by the ground radar 28 is extremely precise in terms of the distance from the ground radar 28 to the target 26, but the determination of angles by the ground radar 28 takes place significantly less precisely. The location area 30 therefore has the shape of a pressed-flat rotational ellipsoid, which is illustrated in simplified form in FIG. 2 by an ellipse. The extent of the rotational ellipsoid is significantly larger perpendicularly with respect to the direction of the ground radar 28 than in the direction of the ground radar 28.

[0038] The steering of the missile 2 towards the target 26 takes place in three chronologically successive phases. In the first alignment phase, target coordinates of the target 26 are generated exclusively from the alignment data of the ground radar 28. Expressed in simplified terms, the flight of the missile 2 is controlled exclusively on the basis of the alignment data of the ground radar 28. In the subsequent middle phase, alignment data of the ground radar 28 are fused with data of the missile radar 20. In this middle phase or radar fusion phase, the flight of the missile 2 is controlled on the basis of fusion data which are acquired from the processing of the data of the ground radar 28 and of the missile radar 20. In the third and last phase, the final phase, the flight control is performed at least largely on the basis of the data of the IR homing system 10 of the missile 2. It is possible to dispense with the use of the alignment data of the ground radar 28, and the radar data of the missile radar 20 is used merely to assist, for example for the distance measurement for controlling the agility. The determination of direction to the target expediently takes place exclusively by means of the missile's own homing system 10.

[0039] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the sight of the missile 2 of the target 26 is blocked by a cloud 32. In the first alignment phase, the missile 2 firstly flies exclusively with alignment data of the ground radar 28 in the direction of the location area 30. The location of the target 26 within the location area 30 is still unclear. Therefore, the missile 2 aims for a preliminary target point 34 which, expressed in simple terms, can lie at the geometric center point of the location area 30. In FIG. 2, this flight route is indicated by a line of narrow dashes.

[0040] If the missile 2 were to fly through the cloud 32 on this flight route, the missile 2 would acquire sight of the actual target 26 just before the theoretical target point 34. The optical distance 36 to the target 26 is relatively short in this case and is indicated by a dot-dashed line. Although the infrared homing system 10 would detect the target 26, and the missile 2 would attempt to swerve in towards the target 26 on the basis of the data of the homing system 10, as a result of the short optical distance 36 which is below a minimum lock-on range, that is to say a minimum distance at which the target must be picked up optically in order to achieve a high hit rate, the hit rate or probability of a hit will be very low. The missile 2 will fly past the target 26.

[0041] In order to avoid such incorrect control, the missile 2 is equipped with a missile radar 20. During the alignment phase, the missile radar 20 actively emits radiation and finally detects the target 26. The detection takes place exclusively by means of distance detection, with the result that the distance r of the missile 2 from the target 26 is determined. On the basis of this distance r, a second location area 38, in which there is a high probability of the target 26 being located solely on the basis of the data of the missile radar 20, is obtained. The location area 38 is in the shape of a spherical cup, the radial thickness of which depends on the distance-measuring accuracy of the missile radar 20. In order to simplify the illustration, this location area 38 is illustrated in FIG. 2 by a dotted circular section.

[0042] From the comparison of the two location areas 30, 38 it becomes clear that the probability of the target 26 being located at the theoretical target point 34 which is determined on the basis of the data of the ground radar 28 is set low. This is because this target point 38 lies significantly further away than the distance measurement of the missile radar 20 has indicated. Therefore, the data of the ground radar 28 is combined with the data of the missile radar 20 and processed to form a target area 40. This can be done by transferring the data of the two radars 20, 28 to an algorithm for estimating the location probability of the target 26, for example to a Kalman filter as input data and by calculating the location probability of the target 26 therefrom. In this respect, the position-resolved probabilities of the target 26 being located in the two location areas 30, 38 are combined in the missile 2 to form a superordinate, position-resolved location probability of the target area 40. In particular, the position-resolved probability of the target 26 being located in the first location area 30, which probability is supplied by the ground radar 28, is linked to the location probability of the target 26 in the second location area 38, which results from the distance measurement.

[0043] The location areas 30, 38 can be bounded or unbounded entities and each contain a location probability distribution of the target 26 in space. The conceptualization of the areas 30, 38, 40 is merely for the sake of better illustration. An area can be a spatial entity in which the location probability of the target 26 in the space is above a limiting value. This entity can be but does not have to be specifically formed in the missile 2.

[0044] At the start of the middle phase or radar fusion phase, the flight of the missile 2 is therefore corrected, with the result that it flies towards the target area 40. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 by the line of long dashes. The precise target point which is aimed at within the target area 40 can be the geometric center point or some other point with a larger location probability, for example with the maximum location probability corresponding to the current state estimation.

[0045] During the middle phase, the missile 2 flies towards the target area 40 in a manner controlled by the data which have been fused by the two radars 20, 28. In the illustration in FIG. 2, the missile 2 leaves the cloud 32 just before reaching the target area 40 and obtains unimpeded sight of the target 26. The optical distance 42 or the target concealment distance from which the target 26 becomes optically visible to the missile's own homing system 10 is also very short here, and not significantly longer than the optical distance 36. However, the flight direction correction which is to be performed is significantly smaller, with the result that the minimum lock-on range is shorter than before. The optical distance 42 is longer than the minimum lock-on range, and the missile 2 can, during its flight, swerve in towards the target 26 and directly hit it.

[0046] During the middle phase, the missile-internal homing system 10 does not yet lock on to the target 26, and the target 26 has therefore not yet been detected by the homing system 10. However, the approximate position of the target 26 in the target area 40 is known. This position and/or the extent of the target area 40 are used to control the orientation of the homing system 10. Therefore, a search space of the homing system 10, which is scanned by it, can be limited, for example, to the target area 40 or to some other area which is determined as a function of the geometry of the target area 40, for example which extends beyond the target area 40 in a predefined fashion.

[0047] During the final phase, the data of the internal homing system 10 is used for the direction control of the missile 2, with the result that after the homing system 10 has locked on to the target 26 the final phase of the target approach flight begins. In this final phase, the data of the missile-internal homing system 10 is used to steer the missile 2 to the destination 26. The distance from the destination and/or the approach speed of the missile 2 to the target 26 which are determined by the missile radar 20 can be used as an additional parameter of the flight control.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a location area 30 which has been determined from data of a remotely arranged radar and of a location area 38 which has been determined from data of the missile radar 20 of the missile 2. The following description is limited essentially to the differences with respect to the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 2, to which reference is made in relation to features and functions which remain the same. In order to avoid having to repeat what has already been described, all the features of a preceding exemplary embodiment are generally adopted in the respective following exemplary embodiment, without being described again, unless features are described as differences with respect to one or more preceding exemplary embodiments.

[0049] In order to simplify the illustration, the location area 30 in FIG. 3 is illustrated in turn as an ellipse, and the location area 38 as a circular arc-shaped segment. It is apparent that the location area 38 penetrates or intersects the location area 30 in a plurality of target areas 44. In the illustration in FIG. 3, this is illustrated in the form that the location area 38 is concealed in the inner area between the two target areas 44 by the location area 30. This is shown by a dotted illustration of the location area 38. However, in the outer area of the location area 30 the location area 38 lies in front of the location area 30, which is illustrated by continuous lines. The arrangement in front of or behind can be understood in terms of the view of the missile 2.

[0050] Given a theoretically virtual spherical cap shape of the location area 38 and a circular face of the location area 30, the target areas 44 are combined in a circular shape in a target area. Depending on the radial thickness of the two location areas 30, 38, this target area 44 is geometrically more complex, wherein the complexity increases further as a result of the different probabilities of location at the center or in the peripheral areas of the location areas 30, 38. The illustration from FIG. 3 is therefore to be understood only as a schematic illustration which makes it clear that data fusion of data of the missile radar 20 and of the ground radar 28 can also give rise to a large and complex target area 44. An extremely accurate approach of the target 26 can be impeded by this.

[0051] In order nevertheless to achieve a precise approach flight to the target, the missile radar 20 is equipped with the multiplicity of radar sensors 22. In the illustration in FIG. 3, it is clear that the lower target area 44 would be detected by the lower radar sensor 22—if that is where the target 26 were located—and the upper target area 44 would be detected by the upper radar sensor 22. However, since target detection occurs only by one of the radar sensors 22, it is clear which spatial segment 24 the target 26 is located in. Even if the spatial segments 24 overlap, the location of the target 26 can be determined unambiguously since the overlapping areas of the spatial segments 24 are expediently considerably smaller than the spatial segments 24 themselves. In this respect, the spatial segment 24 is determined having the highest probability of the target 26 being located in this spatial segment 24, this is abbreviated as the segment probability. This segment probability is used during the determination of the position-resolved probability of the target 26 being located in the target area 40.

[0052] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the target 26 lies in the upper target area 44, with the result that on the basis of the data of the missile radar 20 the target area 44 can be limited to the upper target area 44. The missile 2 can then be steered to this target area 44 in the middle phase. When the cloud 32 is exited, the optical distance 42 or the target concealment distance from the missile 2 to the target 26 is shorter than the minimum lock-on range 46, with the result that the target 26 can be hit. Therefore, after the detection of the target 26 by the missile-internal homing system 26 in the transition from the middle phase into the final phase, the missile 2 swerves in from the theoretical target point 48 of the target area 44 onto the actual target 26 and then flies specifically towards the target 26.

[0053] In the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a movement of the target 26 itself is not taken into account. However, this is not critical since both the ground radar 28 and the missile radar 20 continuously supply target data, with the result that the location areas 30, 38 or the target area 40, 44 can always be calculated in an updated fashion, for example by state estimation. In accordance with this calculation or data fusion, the target 26 is continuously tracked in its movement by the missile 2.

[0054] Given particularly poor visibility conditions, it may be the case that the steering towards the target 26 has to take place without a final phase, since the on-board homing system 10 cannot detect the target 26 because of poor visibility. If the target 26 is located, for example, in a cloud, the sight of the target 26 may be permanently blocked. A target approach flight can then take place without the involvement of the infrared homing system 10.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows such an exemplary embodiment in which the missile 2 flies towards the target 26 without optical sight. The approach flight is, of course, not as precise as when the homing system 10 is used, with the result that a flypast takes place, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The missile 2 flies past the target 26 at a very short distance 50. From the detection of the target 26 by one of the radar sensors 22 it is clear which spatial segment 24 the target 26 is located in. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the target 26 is located in the spatial segment 24 (illustrated above) of the radar sensor 22 which is oriented upwards in FIG. 4. In this respect, the current distance of the missile 2 from the target 26, and the spatial segment 24 in which the target 26 is located relative to the axis of the missile 2, are always known. The distance from the target is then constantly monitored. The distance decreases continuously and reaches its minimum at the moment of the flypast. At the moment when the distance increases again, it is clear that the missile 2 has flown past the target 26. If the minimum distance 50 of the missile 2 from the target 26 is less than a predefined maximum engagement distance, the effective part 6 of the missile 2 is fired in the flypast and a splitter charge is ejected by the missile 2 in order to engage with the target 26. In this respect, the missile radar 20 is used as a direction-sensitive approach sensor for controlling direction-dependent firing of the charge of the missile 2.

[0056] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the effective area 52 into which the charge of the effective part 6 is largely ejected, is illustrated by two thickly dashed lines. In a simple embodiment, the charge could be ejected in a belt shape around the missile 2, with the result that all-round engagement with the target 26 takes place. More effective engagement can be achieved if the effective part 6 is triggered in a directional fashion. The directional triggering is expediently possible into a multiplicity of sectors which can correspond, in particular in their azimuthal extent, to the spatial segments 24. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the effective part 6 is triggered only into the upper sector in accordance with the upper spatial segment 24 in which the target 26 is located during the flypast. As a result of this directional engagement, a relatively large engagement distance can be achieved.

[0057] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0058] 2 Missile [0059] 4 Rocket motor [0060] 6 Effective part [0061] 8 Homing head [0062] 10 Homing system [0063] 12 Control surface [0064] 14 Control vane [0065] 16 Control unit [0066] 18 Transition area [0067] 20 Missile radar [0068] 22 Radar sensor [0069] 24 Spatial segment [0070] 26 Target [0071] 28 Remote radar, ground radar [0072] 30 Location area [0073] 32 Cloud [0074] 34 Target point [0075] 36 Optical distance [0076] 38 Location area [0077] 40 Target area [0078] 42 Optical distance [0079] 44 Target area [0080] 46 Minimum lock-on range [0081] 48 Target point [0082] 50 Distance [0083] 52 Effective area [0084] r Distance