Lightweight tuneable insulated chaff material

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus and method for disrupting radar systems. The apparatus comprises a chamber (110) for attachment to a vehicle, a radar countermeasure material (130) in the chamber, the radar countermeasure material comprising a plurality of hollow fibres, wherein the inner surface of at least some of the hollow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance, and a release means (140) for dispensing the radar countermeasure material out of the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for disrupting a target radar system, comprising: a chamber (110, 310, 320) for attachment to a vehicle; a radar countermeasure material (130) in the chamber, the radar countermeasure material comprising a plurality of hollow fibres made of an insulating material, wherein the inner surface (220) of the hollow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance (225) and wherein the outer surface of the plurality of hollow fibres is non-conductive; wherein said outer surface (210) of said hollow fibre has no coating, and said conductive substance coating (225) has no overcoating; and a release means (140) for dispensing the radar countermeasure material out of the chamber.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substance is a metal or metal alloy.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conductive substance is selected from aluminium, silver, nickel, copper, zinc, gold, iron, tin, chromium, indium, gallium or any combination thereof.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substance is a conducting non-metal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the conductive substance is selected from graphite or graphene.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the hollow fibres corresponds to radio frequency wavelengths used by the target radar system and wherein the length corresponds to half of the target radar signal's wavelength.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the hollow fibres corresponds to radio frequency wavelengths used by the target radar system and wherein the length corresponds to a multiple of the target radar signal's wavelength.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber holds a range of lengths of radar countermeasure material.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radar countermeasure material is stored in one or more cartridges in the chamber.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each cartridge holds a range of lengths of radar countermeasure material.

11. A method for disrupting radar systems, comprising the steps of: providing a radar countermeasure material; and dispensing said radar countermeasure material (130), wherein the radar countermeasure material comprises a plurality of hollow fibres made of an insulating material, wherein the inner surface (220) of the hollow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance (225) and wherein the outer surface of the plurality of hollow fibres is non-conductive; wherein production of said plurality of hollow fibres comprises a step of applying said inner surface conductive substance coating (225) to said inner surface (220) of said plurality of hollow fibres; and wherein said outer surface (210) of said hollow fibre has no coating, and said conductive substance coating (225) has no overcoating.

12. An aircraft (300) comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the hollow fibres is about 10 microns.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an internal diameter of the hollow fibres is 5 to 9 microns.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface coating conductive substance (225) has a controlled thickness and is applied in the production of the hollow fibres.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface coating conductive substance (225) has a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to 5000 nm.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow fibres comprise silicate glass fibre, and the inner surface conductive substance (225) comprises exposed aluminium deposited by electroless metal deposition.

18. A system (100) for disrupting a target radar system, comprising: a chamber (110, 310, 320) for attachment to a vehicle; a radar countermeasure material (130) in the chamber; said radar countermeasure material comprising: a plurality of hollow fibres made of an insulating material; wherein an internal diameter (240) of the hollow fibre is greater than about 50% of an outer diameter (230) of the hollow fibre; wherein the inner surface (220) of the hollow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance (225) and wherein the outer surface of the plurality of hollow fibres is non-conductive; wherein the conductive substance inner coating (225) is exposed and electroplated on the inner surface; wherein a thickness of the conductive substance (225) is about 100 nm and has a controlled thickness; wherein said outer surface (210) of said hollow fibre has no coating, and said conductive substance coating (225) has no overcoating; and a release means (140) for dispensing the radar countermeasure material out of the chamber, whereby the target radar is disrupted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for disrupting radar systems;

(2) FIG. 2a shows a sectional view of a hollow fibre countermeasure material;

(3) FIG. 2b shows a plan view of a hollow fibre countermeasure material; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows an example aircraft comprising the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Chaff is a radar countermeasure material designed to provide false readings on radar systems. Chaff material typically comprises a mass of small, thin pieces of conductive material such as aluminium foil, strips or wire, which are loaded onto aircraft and dispersed into the air during flight. As the chaff material is conductive, incoming radar signals are reflected by the chaff material rather than (or as well as) the aircraft, thereby generating false radar echoes and making it difficult for the radar system to distinguish the aircraft from the chaff.

(6) Typically, many thousands of chaff members are dispersed into the air during release, providing a clear tactical advantage in avoiding detection by the aircraft. Upon dispersal however, the chaff material can become trapped within the aircraft, thereby posing a risk of causing an electrical short-circuit in electronic systems due to the conductive nature. Furthermore, metallic chaff material is heavy, reducing the time of chaff in the air and making it more difficult to carry. In addition, a build-up of electrostatic charge between individual chaff members can cause chaff members to stick together, making dispersal more difficult.

(7) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 100 for disrupting radar systems. The apparatus 100 comprises a chamber 110 for attachment to a vehicle (for example an aircraft) via an attachment means 120. The apparatus 100 further comprises countermeasure material 130 in the chamber 110 wherein the countermeasure material 130 comprises a plurality of hollow fibres, wherein the inner surface of at least some of the hollow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance. A release means 140 is provided for dispensing the countermeasure material 130 out of the chamber 110.

(8) The attachment means 120 may releasably couple the chamber 110 to the vehicle, or alternatively may be integrated into the structure of the vehicle itself. Although the chamber 110 is shown as rectangular in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that other shaped configurations of the chamber 110 are possible, such as cylindrical. The chamber 110 may be arranged to hold significant numbers of hollow fibre material (hundreds of thousands of individual hollow fibres). The chamber 110 may alternatively hold a plurality of individual cartridges containing the countermeasure material 130. FIG. 1 is not intended to restrict the countermeasure material 130 as being stored in a regular pattern as this is for illustration only, and furthermore FIG. 1 is not intended to indicate scale or quantity.

(9) The release means 140 is for dispensing the countermeasure material 130 out of the chamber 110, such as an operable chamber opening. The release means 140 may comprise any suitable mechanical or electrically controlled release mechanism. The release means 140 may be manually activated, such as upon input from the pilot, or may be automatically activated, such as upon detection of radar signals, achieving a predetermined vehicle velocity or height, or upon determining a location of the vehicle within a particular region.

(10) The chamber 110 may further comprise an ejection means 150 for ejecting the countermeasure material 130 out of the chamber 110, such as via mechanical or pyrotechnical methods. For example, methods may include dispersing the chaff material 130 via an actuator, a burst charge, a gas propellant, or any other suitable dispersion means.

(11) FIGS. 2a and 2b show a sectional and plan view respectively of a piece of the hollow fibre countermeasure material 130. The hollow fibres are made from a lightweight non-conductive or insulating material, such as dielectric insulator such as a glass, ceramic or plastic. Using a non-conductive (e.g. electrically non-conductive) material prevents the risk of electrostatic charge building up between members and therefore reduces clumping, and mitigates the short-circuit risk mentioned above. The outer surface 210 of the hollow fibre may also be at least partly coated with an antistatic coating to reduce clumping and therefore improve dispersion upon release from the chamber 110.

(12) The inner surface 220 of the hollow fibre is at least partly coated with a conductive substance 225. For example, all of the inner surface, or greater than about 50% (for example greater than about 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99%) of the inner surface 220, may be coated with the conductive substance 225.

(13) The inner surface coating may be applied through any suitable method, such as through the electroless metal deposition method described in earlier patent publication WO 2010/097620. Preferably the inner surface coating, the conductive substance 225, is electroplated. The conductive substance 225 may comprise any suitable material capable of reflecting microwave energy. For example, the conductive material 225 may be a metal, such as aluminium, silver, nickel, copper, zinc, gold, or iron, tin, chromium, indium, gallium, or a metal alloy thereof. Alternatively, the conductive substance 225 may be a conducting non-metal, such as graphite or graphene. By coating the inner surface 220 with a conductive material 225, such as a metal, the material reflects incoming radar waves and therefore assists in the disruption of radar systems as described above. However, by coating only the inner surfaces of otherwise non-conductive hollow fibre members, issues with material weight and clumping are avoided. Furthermore, as the outer surface 210 is still non-conductive, issues with causing short circuits are avoided.

(14) The length 250 of the hollow fibres 130 may also be tuned to provide maximum radar interference. For example, the hollow fibres may be cut to a length 250 corresponding to radio frequency wavelengths of interest. The hollow fibres may be cut to a length 250 corresponding to half of a radar signal's wavelength, thereby causing the conductive material of the hollow fibre to resonate when hit by a radar signal and re-reradiate the signal. The hollow fibres may also be cut to a length 250 corresponding to a multiple of the wavelength of interest. The chamber 110 may comprise hollow fibres tuned to multiple lengths in order to overcome multiple frequencies. Alternatively, the chamber 110 may hold individual cartridges each containing a range of lengths of hollow fibre. Examples include hollow fibres having lengths of about 5-50 mm, for example about 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm and/or 50 mm, although other lengths may be utilised. For high frequency radar systems, the fibres may have very short lengths of about 100-1000 microns e.g. about 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and/or 1000 microns. The hollow fibres may have a nominal outer diameter 230 of less than about 40 microns, for example about 2-30 microns, about 3-20 microns, about 5-15 microns, preferably about 10 microns, although other nominal outer diameters are envisaged. The hollow fibres may have a nominal internal diameter 240 of less than about 39 microns, for example about 1-38 microns, 3-10 microns, about 4-9 microns, preferably about 5-9 microns, although other internal diameters are envisaged. The nominal internal diameter 240 may be greater than about 50% of the nominal outer diameter 230, for example greater than about 60, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 or 95%. The inner surface coating 220 may have a thickness of at least about 100 nm (for example at least about 200 nm, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500 nm, 1000 nm, 2000 nm, 5000 nm) Alternatively, the inner surface coating 220 may have a thickness of less than about 100 nm, less than about 50 nm, less than about 10 nm, less than about 1 nm, or less than about 0.5 nm. Preferably the inner surface coating has a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to 5000 nm. Preferably the inner surface coating is intentionally applied in the production of the hollow fibres. As such, it is preferable that the inner coating has a controlled thickness.

(15) FIG. 3 illustrates an example aircraft 300 comprising a plurality of chambers 310, 320 as described above. The chambers 310 and 320 are located on the wingtips of the aircraft 300, however other locations may be envisaged such as on the fuselage or tail of the aircraft 300. The chambers 310, 320 may also be attached to armament equipment on the aircraft 300. The chambers 310, 320 may be located externally or internally to the aircraft 300. The aircraft 300 may comprise one or more chambers containing the countermeasure material.

(16) There is provided a method of disrupting radar systems using the apparatus disclosed above and as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b. The method comprises dispensing countermeasure material from a chamber attached to a vehicle, wherein the countermeasure material comprises a plurality of hollow fibres and the inner surface of at least some of the follow fibres is at least partly coated with a conductive substance.

(17) The countermeasure material described herein provides significant weight advantages over known countermeasure material/chaff. It is considered that the countermeasure material described herein (for example aluminium internally coated silicate glass fibre) could be up to an order of magnitude lighter than its aluminium foil equivalent (for example, it is envisaged that 1 kg of the countermeasure material described herein may provide the same/similar volume coverage (and thus the same/similar effectiveness in radar detection avoidance) as up to 10 kg of conventional aluminium foil chaff.

(18) Although the present invention has been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the accompanying claims. Additionally, although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments, one skilled in the art would recognize that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in accordance with the invention. In the claims, the term ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps.

(19) Furthermore, the order of features in the claims does not imply any specific order in which the features must be performed and in particular the order of individual steps in a method claim does not imply that the steps must be performed in this order. Rather, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. Thus, references to ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘first’, ‘second’, etc. do not preclude a plurality. In the claims, the term ‘comprising’ or “including” does not exclude the presence of other elements.