Abstract: A narrow band antenna is configured to guide a munition toward a target location during a flight of the munition from a launch location toward the target location. The antenna has a first mode of operation operable during a first portion of the flight at a first bandwidth, and a second mode of operation operable during a second portion of the flight at a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being a harmonic of the first bandwidth, and may be a third harmonic of the first bandwidth. The method includes transmitting a target location information to the munition in the first bandwidth during the first portion of the flight and then transmitting the target location information to the munition in the second bandwidth during the second portion of the flight. The first band may be X-band and the second band may be Ka-band.

Abstract: The system and method of a steering a moving object using a control plate-based control actuation system on the moving object. The control plate-based control actuation system having a control plate with at least four fin linkages for connecting at least four fins to the control plate; and three actuators configured to move the control plate to produce movement in two or more of the at least four fins. The system produces roll, pitch, and yaw moments for the moving object using three actuators acting on the control plate and thus moving two or more of the at least four fins all with no loss of performance as compared to systems with four actuators.

Abstract: A method for launching a round from an airborne platform, receiving a plurality of RF signals at the round, determining an amount of time between a first and second received RF signal, where the second signal is a multi-path signal and the first signal is a direct path signal. An altitude of the round is determined based on the delay between the first and second received signal and aligning the round's flight path with an initial velocity vector of the aircraft platform to reduce dispersion. The round can include a plurality of sensors for detecting the RF signals. The second received RF signal may be a multi-path signal having been reflected off of the earth's surface or another object on the earth's surface. The altitude of the round can be determined using the known altitude of the airborne platform, the delay of time between the first and second received signals, and the speed of light.

Abstract: The system and method of spin stabilizing a guided munition where a motor provides necessary de-spinning torque. The despun PGK portion of a guided projectile is already at high rate of spin relative to the projectile body and the motor is operated to maintain that rate.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing retractable control fins on an underwater vehicle. The retractable control fins can be extended away from a main hull portion of the underwater vehicle and retracted inwards to a stowage region within the hull portion to protect the fins from damage and reduce an overall outer diameter (e.g., in the case of a cylindrical body) of the underwater vehicle. In some embodiments, the control fins are folded inwards to reduce the vehicle diameter. In other embodiments, the control fins are pulled inwards using a rotating structure designed to slide the control fins through an opening and into an inner portion of the hull to reduce the vehicle diameter. The retraction of the fins through the various retraction mechanisms reduces the envelope diameter of the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: The system and method of using an ultra-short pulse mid and long wave infrared laser. The system is seeded with a 2 ?m laser source having a pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The beam is stretched, to increase the pulse duration, and the beam is amplified, to increase an energy level of the laser beam. Both mid wave IR and long wave IR seed beams are first generated, and then amplified via one or more optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification stages. A compressor may be used to compress one or more of the output beams to achieve high peak power and controllable pulse duration in the output beams. The output beams may then be used to create atmospheric or material effects at km range.

Abstract: A platform with an auto-router takes into account non-navigation data, such as IR image sensor data or other non-navigation data to develop a route for a platform. The non-navigation data may be obtained from existing non-navigation sensors carried by the platform. The non-navigation data is fed to an auto-router that takes into account the non-navigation data to generate or dynamically alter a route for the platform.

Abstract: Techniques and architectures for simultaneous readout and integration of image data from pixels while increasing their sensitivity and reducing required data rates for moving information off of the chip using pixels configured to conduct Analog-to-Digital Conversions (ADCs) of image data, wherein each pixel operates in a rolling Integrate While Read (IWR) mode using SRAM in place of traditional latches for in-pixel storage.

Abstract: The system and method of using an ultra-short pulse mid and long wave infrared laser. The system is seeded with a 2 ?m laser source having a pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The beam is stretched, to increase the pulse duration, and the beam is amplified, to increase an energy level of the laser beam. Both mid wave IR and long wave IR seed beams are first generated, and then amplified via one or more optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification stages. A compressor may be used to compress one or more of the output beams to achieve high peak power and controllable pulse duration in the output beams. The output beams may then be used to create atmospheric or material effects at km range.

Abstract: A mechanical thermal battery initiator for a round where the initiator has a firing pin positioned to strike a primer of a thermal battery upon activation. After installation of the initiator/battery assembly in a round, the end user need not perform any further tasks until firing the munition. At launch, any safety device installed to prevent unintended activation is removed or switched to an active state. When launched, the initiator is subjected to centripetal force and acceleration causing a setback ring to release ball bearings and a spring force from a firing pin spring to push a firing pin into contact with a primer to initiate power on the round.

Abstract: A monocone antenna with an impedance matching section that may allow a reduction in physical size of the cone while maintaining similar performance as a standard monocone antenna. Alternatively, the present disclosure may provide a monocone antenna with an impedance matching section that may allow operation at a lower frequency while maintaining the same physical size as a standard monocone antenna. Further, the present disclosure may provide a monocone antenna with an impedance matching section that may allow a reduction in physical size and operation at a lower frequency relative to a standard monocone antenna.

Abstract: An artifact-suppressing neural network (NN) kernel comprising at least one neural network, implemented in replacement of a DSP, provides comparable or better performance under non-edge conditions, and superior performance under edge conditions, due to the ease of updating the NN kernel training without enlarging its computational footprint or latency to address a new edge condition. In embodiments, the NN kernel can be implemented in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which can be configured as a direct DSP replacement. In various embodiments, the NN kernel training can be updated in near real time when a new edge condition is encountered in the field. The NN kernel can include DCC lower layers and dense upper layers. Initial NN kernel training can require fewer examples. Example embodiments include a noise suppression NN kernel and a modem NN kernel.

Abstract: A level shifting circuit, the circuit comprising a VL input; an I/O VL; a VCC input; an I/O VCC; a first pull-up resistor disposed between the VL input and I/O VL; a second pull-up resistor disposed between the VCC input and I/O VCC; a first pull-up assist circuit comprising a first pull-up assist p-channel MOSFET having a source/body, drain, and gate, the source/body and drain being connected to VL and I/O VL; a second pull-up assist circuit comprising a second pull-up assist p-channel MOSFET having a source/body, drain, and gate, the source/body and drain being connected to VCC and I/O VCC, respectively; a pass-gate n-channel MOSFET in operative communication with I/O VL, I/O VCC, and VL, the pass-gate being configured to reduce the voltage level of a signal driven from I/O VCC to the voltage level of I/O VL; and a one-shot circuit configured to detect a I/O VL or I/O VCC transition from a low state to a high state, to produce a pulse in response thereto, and to communicate that pulse to the gates of the fi

Abstract: Techniques are provided for tomographic imaging with sub-beam resolution and spectral enhancement. A system implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a target structure comprising one or more selected materials nanopatterned on a first surface of the target structure in a selected arrangement. The system also includes a primary particle beam source to provide a particle beam incident on an area of the first surface of the target structure, the area encompassing one or more of the nanopatterned materials, such that the materials generate characteristic X-rays in response to the primary beam. The system further includes a spectral energy detector (SED) to perform individual photon counting and spectral analysis of the characteristic X-rays and estimate attenuation properties of the imaged sample. The sample is positioned both adjacent to a second surface of the target structure, opposite the first surface, and between the target structure and the SED.

Abstract: A wing deployment initiator initiates penetration of frangible cover seals by missile guidance wings during wing deployment. The initiator includes a central, rotatable hub extending above a baseplate. Lobes extending from the hub prevent rotation of associated flippers by torsion springs. Locking and deployment tabs extend from the flippers into corresponding notches in proximal ends of the wings. The locking tabs prevent deployment of the wings until the central hub is rotated, whereupon the flippers are released, causing the deployment tabs to transfer deployment energy from the torsion springs to the wings. The hub can be rotated by an electrical actuator such as a solenoid or motor, or the lobes can be rotationally offset so that feedback pressure from the flippers applies a torque to the hub, and missile electronics can cause a wing control surface to inhibit and then enable hub rotation via a rocker link.

Abstract: A system for automatic prediction and generation of a Q-Code based on a text description provided in a NOTAM is provided. The present system may be utilized at a top level to generate a Q-Code from a text description or at a mid-level in the flight planning process to verify and/or confirm a human-generated Q-Code based on the text description in a NOTAM. Further, the present disclosure may allow for higher accuracy in the generation of Q-Codes thereby reducing the number of incorrect suboptimal and/or rejected flight plans produced by automatic flight planning systems.

Abstract: An endfire antenna structure is disclosed that is for use on aerodynamic systems. The antenna structure includes a first layer of patterned metal, a second layer of patterned metal, and a stack of material layers that includes the first layer of patterned metal and the second layer of patterned metal. The first layer of patterned metal includes a plurality of parallel slots etched through the metal. The second layer of patterned metal includes a tapered radio frequency (RF) feedline having a narrow end coupled to an input/output (I/O) antenna connection. The second layer of patterned metal is aligned over the first layer of patterned metal such that the tapered RF feedline has a length that extends across the plurality of parallel slots. The stack of material layers is flexible such that the stack of material layers is configured to wrap at least partially around the fuselage of an aerodynamic system.

Abstract: A slot antenna includes a substrate having a first side and a second side, a first conductive layer on the first side of the substrate, and a second conductive layer on the second side of the substrate. A first aperture is in the first conductive layer, a second aperture is in the first conductive layer, a first slotline is in the first conductive layer and in communication with the first aperture, and a second slotline is in the first conductive layer and in communication with the second aperture. A third aperture can be in the second conductive layer. A plurality of vias can be in the substrate and surrounding at least a portion of a region including the first aperture, the second aperture, the first slotline, and the second slotline, each of the vias extending through the substrate from the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer.

Abstract: The system and method for super resolution processing at long standoff distances in real-time. The system collects a series of image frames and estimated the sift, rotation, and zoom parameters between each of the image frames. A matrix is generated and then an inversion is applied to the matrix to produce a super resolution image of an area of interest while mitigating the effect of any “bad” pixels on image quality. In some cases, the area of interest in user-defined and in some cases image chips are provided by tracking software. A fast steering mirror can be used to steer and/or dither the focal plane array.

Abstract: A method of detecting abnormal or malicious activity in a point-to-point or packet-switched data communication network includes tapping a link in the network to obtain a data stream transmitted from a node of the network in parallel with transmission of the data stream through the network. The tap is non-invasive because it does not interfere with the normal traversal of the data stream across the network. This is useful for certain applications, such as mission-critical systems, where it is desirable to monitor the network and inspect the data without adversely impacting or otherwise interfering with the normal operation of the system. The method further includes decoding a communication protocol encoded in the data stream to obtain payload data from the data stream, analyzing the payload data to detect abnormal or malicious activity, and notifying a host of the network of the detected abnormal or malicious activity in the payload data.