Abstract: A coating material (10) for coating an article is described. The coating material (10) comprises a surface (100) having an optical interference coating (110) thereon. The coating material (10) improves protection of the article from incident electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined wavelength. The coating material (10) may retroreflect at least some of the incident electromagnetic radiation, for example towards a source (e.g. a laser) thereof. An article having a coating provided by such a coating material and methods of providing such coating materials are also described.

Abstract: An object detection system comprises a polarizer configured to polarize an incoming image scene, a motor controller configured to control a spin rate of the polarizer, a lens configured to collect scene data from the polarized image scene, a first integrated circuit configured to measure the collected scene data at two different and orthogonal polarizations, a second integrated circuit configured to determine a degree of polarization (DoP) and an angle of polarization (AoP) for each image frame pair and to generate pre-processed data, and a processor configured to match the pre-processed data to target criteria. The first integrated circuit can be a DROIC imager and the second integrated circuit can be a FPGA. The AoP and DoP can be determined at a pixel level. The second integrated circuit is configured to apply spatial filtering having a DoP greater than 70% or where AoP is unique to immediate surroundings of AoP.

Abstract: The present invention provides a structure at least partially transparent to radio frequency signals, the structure being formed of a tessellated polyhedral material comprising a plurality of polyhedral cells. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing the same.

Abstract: Apparatus (100) for use in space, the apparatus (100) comprising: a feedstock storage module (108) for storing a feedstock; a heating module (110) coupled to the feedstock storage module (108) and configured to heat the feedstock; an extrusion nozzle (112) coupled to the heating module (110) and configured to extrude heated feedstock from the apparatus (110); and one or more thrusters (118) configured to provide a propulsive force to the apparatus (100).

Abstract: A method and a system for inductively programming a fuze including at least one target coil arranged in a projectile by a fuze setter including at least one setter coil, the method including i) conveying at least one of a projectile or a fuze setter by an actuator to bring the at least one target coil and the at least one setter coil in an inductive coupling position, ii) programming the fuze by transferring predetermined fuzing data from the at least one setter coil to the at least one target coil, iii) optionally transferring fuzing data from the at least one target coil to the at least one setter coil to confirm correct programming of the fuze has been performed, and iv) retracting at least one of the fuze setter or projectile from the inductive coupling position when the transfer of fuzing data has been completed.

Abstract: The invention comprises of a UAV designed to limit visually contrast and audibility in flight for covert surveillance operations, a method of configuring the UAVs structure to further reduce its visual signature to take account for the atmospheric and terrestrial environment it will operate in and a method of conducting a covert surveillance operation to actively minimise the UAVs visual & auditory signature from the viewpoint of an individual under surveillance. Both passive and active illumination are used to reduce the visual signature of the UAV. The UAV is actively camouflaged using lighting techniques that utilises the limitations of the human visual system and the optical effects of light interacting with the terrain, atmosphere and aircraft. The visual camouflage is directional. The audible signature of the UAV is reduced through the design of the propulsion system and the mode in which the UAV is operated.

Abstract: An assembly comprising a horizontal GPS patch antenna element and a vertical IFF antenna element providing simultaneous high performance IFF communication and GPS reception with minimal IFF to GPS interference. The IFF element can be a monopole element. A second monopole co-linear with the IFF element can provide simultaneous UHF communication. In embodiments, the assembly is a blade that can replace an existing IFF blade on an aircraft or other asset. Separate IFF and GPS connectors can be provided, or a single connecter can be shared using an integral diplexer. Embodiments include a GPS preamplifier integral with the blade. In other embodiments, the IFF element is an annular slot transponder that is centered on the GPS patch element. System embodiments include bandpass filters and/or GPS blanking to further protect the GPS receiver from IFF transmissions.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for determining AOA of one or more radar pulses received at a vehicle and originating from a source. The techniques are particularly well-suited to provide pilots with a more accurate determination of the azimuth angle to the radar source, although ground-based and water-based vehicles may benefit as well. Some embodiments discussed herein determine a true estimation of both azimuth and elevation angles, with reference to an aircraft's body-centered coordinate system, to the radar source. These parameters can also be used to determine a more accurate position on the ground for the radar source.

Abstract: A method for modifying a portion of a substrate after production is described herein. The method can include diagnosing a circuit operation error causing a malfunction, identifying a first contact on the substrate, and connecting, electrically, the first contact to a second contact with at least one trace. The trace is done with a focused ion beam. The method can include diagnosing an error on an operative area of a post-manufacture circuit board causing a malfunction; introducing a metal precursor into a focused ion beam chamber; ionizing the metal precursor by contacting it with a gallium ion beam into a conductive metal and a further ion; depositing a first portion of a conductive metal onto a substrate to form a first trace; and forming the first trace between the operative area and a non-operative area thereby connecting the operative area and the non-operative area.

Abstract: An inflatable mast couplable to an underwater vehicle includes a flexible material defining an interior volume, a head structure, and a spring coupled to at least one of the flexible material and the head structure. The flexible material is designed to be filled with air to form an inflated mast structure that extends away from the underwater vehicle. The head structure is disposed at a distal end of the inflated mast structure and in some cases has a rigid shape that forms a panel having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of the underwater vehicle, when the mast structure is deflated and stowed. The spring is designed to provide a tensile force on at least one of the flexible material and the head structure when the flexible material is inflated to form the mast structure. A system includes the inflatable mast and a pump.

Abstract: A combined spatial and time multiplexer device is disclosed. The device organizes and selects any signal(s), including past data, from amongst a plurality of time division multiplexed (TDM) data streams. The data streams are collected by memory devices that are configured to separately store the multiplexed signals such that different time portions of the signals from each data stream are stored in different addressable sections. This allows for the current time data and past time data for a given signal to be selected and outputted by the device. According to an embodiment, each of the memory devices receives an address select signal and selects a signal group based on the address select signal. The device also includes a multiplexer that selects one of the signal groups from amongst the memory devices to output as the requested signal group.

Abstract: A battery cell module includes a housing having a stack of a plurality of battery cells. The stack includes a plurality of battery cells sequentially stacked within the housing. Each of the battery cells has first and second opposed faces. The stack further includes a plurality of heat sink plates sequentially interleaved between the plurality of battery cells. Each of the plurality of heat sink plates has a body extending in a first plane surrounded by an outer edge. The body has a plurality of mounting tabs arranged to support a respective battery cell in the sequential stack within the housing such that the plurality of battery cells are maintained in alignment within the housing. A method includes sequentially interleaving battery cells and heat sink plates within a housing, where mounting tabs in the heart sink plates maintain the battery cells in alignment within the housing.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) filter includes a signal conditioning circuit and a bandstop filter. The signal conditioning circuit receives a broadband RF signal that includes both a jamming signal at a jamming frequency and a signal of interest and generates a plurality of clock signals. Each of the plurality of clock signals has a substantially same frequency as the jamming frequency, but a different phase shift. The bandstop filter receives the RF signal and the plurality of clock signals. The bandstop filter attenuates signals within a bandstop centered at the frequency of the plurality of clock signals. A self-tuning N-path filter is provided.

Abstract: The system and method for dynamic mode forming for a global positioning/global navigation system. The system having a controlled reception pattern antenna (CRPA) mounted on a platform; an antenna electronics subsystem configured for dynamically maximizing gain in the controlled reception pattern antenna; and a global positioning/global navigation receiver subsystem configured for null processing, wherein a state of the platform is used to modify a reference mode and a plurality of auxiliary modes for the controlled reception pattern antenna in real-time based on an apriori look up table (LUT) to dynamically maximize a gain of the controlled reception pattern antenna.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for determining a range to an object in a fluid. The system includes a polarized light source directed to the object in the fluid, a first imaging sensor, a second imaging sensor, and at least one processor. The at least one processor characterizes a depolarization rate of the fluid and determines the range to the object. The method includes generating polarized light via a polarized light source, polarizing an imager relative to the polarized light, transmitting the polarized light from the polarized light source into the fluid, receiving reflected light from the object, characterizing a depolarization rate of the fluid, based, at least in part, on the reflected light, and determining the range to the object, based, at least in part, on the depolarization rate of the fluid.

Abstract: A self-localizing autonomous underwater vehicle swarm that is operable to accurately localize each individual unit within the swarm while only requiring a single node at a known location to do so. The methods described herein can localize all members of a swarm with minimal, if any, effect on the size, weight, power, and cost of a system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cast explosive composition. There is provided a precure castable explosive composition comprising an explosive material, a polymerisable binder, said cross linking reagent comprising at least two reactive groups each of which is protected by a labile blocking group.

Abstract: A method for providing access to a database for product life cycle support (PLCS database), the method comprising receiving from a client apparatus an input data item including heading data identifying the input data item; correlating said heading data with a data field used in the PLCS database amongst all data fields used in the PLCS database thereby identifying a correlated entry in the PLCS database to be associated with the input data item; searching the PLCS database using said correlated entry; retrieving one or more data elements from the PLCS database according to said search; outputting to the client apparatus a return data item which includes said heading data identifying the return data item and which includes said retrieved data elements(s).

Abstract: An optical module for an independent line of sight is capable of being arranged on a sight unit. The optical module contains at least a first mirror and at least a movably arranged second mirror. A method for converting an existing weapon station into a weapon station with an independent line of sight, a sight unit arranged with an optical module, and a weapon station embodied with a sight unit, wherein an optical module is arranged on the sight unit, are also provided.

Abstract: A shearography system uses a Geometric phase or Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase element to shear an image. A PB phase element provides a non-dynamical phase change used for wavefront control and results in uniform half-wave of retardation. Geometric phase may also be utilized to capture snapshot phase-resolved wavefront measurements and shearograms via a focal plane array with micro-patterned linear polarizers of different orientations. Wavefront shape control arises when the local orientation of the retarding media is spatially varied. One or more PB phase elements can be flipped or rotated to perform multiple tasks depending on its orientation. Two PB elements can be used in succession in order to provide a variable purely spatial shift between interfering wavefronts. The spatial offset of the light exiting the second element can be adjusted simply by changing the spacing between the two geometric phase surfaces. In shearography, this corresponds to an adjustable shear length.