Abstract: An impulse radar guidance system and method for use with a spinning projectile. The system and method tracks the flight of the spinning projectile using an all-weather radar or tracker. A linearly polarized asymmetric waveform is transmitted at the projectile that comprises a series of repeating pulses having a relatively strong, short, positive electric field pulse followed by a relatively weak, long, negative electric-field baseline. The projectile contains a dipole antenna having a switching diode disposed between respective halves thereof.

Abstract: A control system for a rolling missile that has a seeker head including an optical system and a heat detector assembly. The optical system including a primary reflector, a secondary reflector, a reticle/lens assembly, and a fiber optics assembly operatively associated with the reticle/lens assembly. The fiber optics assembly is constructed so as to translate images appearing near the optical axis of the optical system to a radially displaced point on the reticle/lens assembly to provide a more efficient chopping of the image by the reticle/lens assembly thus providing continuous pulses to the heat sensitive detector assembly.

Abstract: A system and method of finding a detection threshold that separates real scene objects seen through an optical system from sensor fixed artifacts. The inventive system continuously scans the sensor so that objects in the scene move in an inverse sense relative to the scanning motion while fixed frame artifacts remain fixed in focal plane coordinate system. The difference in temporal behavior is used to discriminate against fixed frame artifacts. The inventive system finds a detection threshold that maximizes the portion of a target that may be segmented while avoiding setting the threshold so low that it merges spatially adjacent artifacts in with the target.

Abstract: A steerable optical arrangement. The inventive arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In accordance with the inventive teachings, the first prism and/or the second prism have at least one surface contoured to correct for optical aberration. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle &phgr; and nod the beam at an angle &thgr;. At least two surfaces at least one prism is contoured to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symmetric aberration.

Abstract: A bistatic passive radar system having a display; a first directional antenna for determining the angle between the reference azimuth of the bistatic passive radar system and the line of sight to a host transmitter; an omnidirectional antenna for receiving reflected radar pulses from targets at any bearing; and a second directional antenna for determining the angle B between the line of sight to the host transmitter and a second line which extends from the bistatic passive radar system to a selected target. The angle of the second directional antenna is indicated by a B cursor on the display. The system includes a bistatic range correction circuit that utilizes an empirical determination of the distance D between the bistatic passive radar system and the host transmitter for determining the correct range for display of a selected target.

Abstract: A powder coating method includes applying an antistatic material to the surface of an electrically nonconducting substrate. The antistatic material is preferably a fatty amine salt and is applied by spraying. A flow of electrostatically charged powder particles is directed toward the substrate to form a powder coating on the substrate, and the powder coating is thereafter cured.

Abstract: A radar processing system is disclosed with an improved cluster target resolution capability. The invention provides a system and method for processing radar returns and generating first and second contiguous range/doppler cells. Within the cells, first and second dichotomous angle measurements corresponding to radar returns in the first and second contiguous range/doppler cells are derived. An adaptive threshold is then applied to the angle measurements to determine whether the first and second measurements correspond to first and second targets in the first and second range/doppler cells respectively.

Abstract: A system using a scanning mirror for scanning the field of view of an optical objective. The scanning mirror is mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the major plane of the mirror and for pivotal oscillation about an axis lying substantially within the major plane of the mirror. The combined effect of rotation and pivotal movement is to scan the field of view of an optical objective. The scanning angle and other significant characteristics of the scan pattern may be changed as desired by means external to the system, producing, for example, a rosette, spiral, or circular scanned pattern with or without dimensional changes in the total scanned field of view. Such a scanning system may be embodied in seeker systems used for the guidance of radiation-seeking missiles operating in single or multiple regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Abstract: A missile includes a fuselage with a roll axis and a nod axis perpendicular to the roll axis, and a conformal window mounted to a forward-facing end of the fuselage. There is a sensor system with a field of regard through the window and a line of sight, and a sensor system pointing mechanism affixed to the airframe and upon which the sensor system is supported. The sensor system pointing mechanism includes a gimbal structure having a first degree of rotational freedom about the roll axis and a second degree of rotational freedom about the nod axis, and a linear translational mechanism connected to the sensor system. The linear translational mechanism is operable to translate the sensor system away from the window with increasing angular deviation of the line of sight of the sensor system from the roll axis. Preferably, the translational mechanism is a slider-crank mechanism.

Abstract: A missile guidance system with a fixed body missile seeker having an adjustable look angle. The missile seeker has a fixed camera whose look angle is adjustable to keep a moving target within the field of view of the camera. The target is tracked by a tracker to generate target angle and line of sight rate signals. The target angle signal is input to pointing angle adjustment apparatus which adjusts the look angle of the camera. The pointing angle adjustment apparatus may comprise a stepper motor that controls the angular position of a gimbal on which the camera is mounted. Alternatively, the pointing angle adjustment apparatus may comprise one or more stepper motors that control an adjustable zoom lens or a plurality of optical wedges, respectively. A body angular rate output signal of a body-fixed inertial measurement system is summed with the line of sight rate signals from the tracker to determine the inertial line of sight rate of the moving target.

Abstract: An efficient receiver system (80) adapted for use with a pulsed radar system. The receiver system (80) includes a first circuit (82) for receiving a first signal and providing a second signal in response thereto. A second circuit (96) compares the second signal to a predetermined sequence (98) and provides a compare signal in response thereto. A third circuit (104) stores information pertaining to the second signal in response to the compare signal. A fourth circuit (92) generates receiver system instructions based on the stored information. In a specific embodiment, the second signal is a digital signal and the sequence is a digital sequence. The pulsed radar system includes a circuit for receiving and collecting data during a first dwell and for processing the data during a subsequent dwell. An inter-dwell time interval exists between the first dwell and the second dwell. The first, second, third, and/or fourth circuits (82, 96, 104, and/or 92) operate during the inter-dwell period.

Abstract: Disclosed is a common aperture dual polarization antenna array (30). This common aperture dual polarization antenna array (30) includes an antenna aperture (36) and a plurality of centered slot arrays (32) positioned within the antenna aperture (36). A plurality of notch dipole arrays (34) are positioned within the antenna aperture (36) and positioned substantially orthogonal to the plurality of centered slot arrays (32). A first feed guide (46) is coupled to the plurality of centered slot arrays (32) and a second feed guide (56) is coupled to the plurality of notch dipole arrays (34).

Abstract: A Cassegrain antenna system includes a flat dielectric plate radome having a thickness of one-half wavelength at a frequency of operation. The plate has an electrically conductive grid disposed on an inside surface thereof to permit perpendicularly polarized energy rays to pass there-through. A parabolic twist reflector is spaced from the radome, and includes a dielectric substrate having a thickness equivalent to one-quarter wavelength at a frequency of operation and having formed on an interior surface thereof an array of conductive strips oriented by 45 degrees relative to the incident ray polarization. A conductive ground layer is formed on an exterior surface of the substrate, wherein radiation reflected by the ground layer and passing through the dielectric substrate is shifted by 180 degrees in phase and is rotated in polarization when combined with energy reflected from the conductive strip array by 90 degrees relative to radiation incident on the twist reflector.

Abstract: A self destruct mechanism for an airborne projectile is provided. The projectile includes a navigation system which provides an absolute global position of the projectile. The position is compared with positions stored in memory. If the position of the projectile is determined to be acceptable, operation of the projectile continues. If the position of the projectile is unacceptable, an electronic control system initiates a self-destruct signal for the projectile.

Abstract: An optically-aided, inertially guided missile. The inventive missile includes a receiver for accepting guidance commands from a source located on an independent frame of reference relative to the missile and providing a first signal in response thereto. A filter is mounted on the missile for processing the first signal and providing a second signal in response thereto. The filter outputs commands to a navigation system which provides missile guidance commands in a conventional manner. In the illustrative implementation, the filter is a Kalman filter configured to eliminate the effects of gunner jitter and optical guidance system noise thereby significantly improving missile terminal performance at long ranges. In the illustrative implementation, the navigation system includes an inertial sensor assembly. The navigation system outputs a signal representative of missile-to-target cross track position and velocity in response to outputs from the sensor assembly and the filter.

Abstract: A neural network controller for a pulsed rocket motor tactical missile. The missile includes a fuselage or body, with a propulsion system. The pulsed propulsion system has a need for a logical control of the application of propulsion energy throughout the missile's flight. The controller is trained to provide optimal initiation of individual rocket motor thrust pulses based on tactical information available at various points/times in the missile's flight. The controller training is through use of training cases, in which the network learns to output a specific target value(s) when specific values are input. When trained with a large sample of training cases selected from the multidimensional population of interest, the neural network effectively learns the correlations between inputs and outputs and can predict input/output relationships not previously seen in any training case.

Abstract: A high-power wideband transformer (40). The transformer (40) includes a first input terminal (42) connected in parallel to one or more conductor paths (50 and 52) and to a first output conductor (48). A second input terminal (44) is connected in parallel to the one or more conductor paths (50 and 52) and to a second output conductor (54). An inductive device (56, 60, 64, 58, 62, and 66) effects electrical coupling between the one or more conductor paths (50 and 52) and the first output conductor (48) and between the one or more conductor paths (50 and 52) and the second output conductor (54) sufficient to implement a desired transformer ratio from input of the transformer (40) to output of the transformer (40) via approximately colinear wires (56, 60, and 64). In a first illustrative embodiment, the co-linear wires (56, 60, and 64) are parallel wires placed sufficiently close to effect the electrical coupling. The transformer 40 effects a nine-to-one transformer ratio.

Abstract: A dome assembly (50) adapted for use with a missile (32) having a longitudinal axis (42) parallel to a thrust vector thereof. The inventive dome (50) includes a crystal (30, 50) having a crystallographic structure that includes a plurality of planes (12, 14, 16), one of said planes (14) being more susceptible to failure than one or more of the other planes (12, 16). A surface around a missile sensor provides a place for mounting the crystal (30, 50) so that said plane susceptible to failure (14) faces approximately opposite to that of a positive velocity vector (34) of said missile (32). In a more specific embodiment, the crystal (30, 50) is a sapphire crystal (30, 50) having a crystallographic structure that includes positive n-planes (12), positive r-planes (14), and a c-plane (16). By design at nominal conditions, an r-plane (14) is approximately bisected by a plane formed by the normal of the c-plane (16) and a wind flow vector (36) parallel to a thrust vector of said missile (32).

Abstract: A rosette or co-rotating vector scanning seeker detector array providing improved data rate and scanned field coverage. Several discrete detector elements are formed in an array on the detector surface in a coplanar arrangement, each of the detector elements providing target information when the scan sweeps across it. The array may be in the form of circular spots arranged around a central circular detector element. In an alternative embodiment, the central detector element is omitted and the peripheral detector elements are arranged sufficiently close together to preclude the likelihood of a target path passing between adjacent detector elements without being detected. Detector elements in a single array may be of different sizes and shapes.

Abstract: Carbon fiber material and carbon fiber material that is saturated with hydrocarbon solid-liquid phase change material may be used as thermal management materials for providing a thermally conductive interface between a heat source and its housing. Such carbon fiber material may also be used for mechanical isolation of the heat source from its housing. Carbon fibers used in the carbon fiber material may be unidirectionally oriented to provide for low friction, thus optimizing critically controlled friction tolerances. Additionally the carbon fiber material saturated with hydrocarbon solid-liquid phase change material may be used to transfer heat into the an inherently nonconductive medium.