Abstract: Nonlethal cartridges adapted to be chambered in a firearm having a barrel that includes rifling are provided. In one example, the cartridge includes a cartridge case and a sabot that is telescopically coupled to the cartridge case and that has a sabot mouth. A projectile includes a polymer base projectile portion disposed in the sabot mouth. A polymer front shell projectile portion is coupled to the polymer base projectile portion and has an outer surface that includes a circular locking rib feature that forms an interference fit with the sabot mouth. The polymer base projectile portion is configured to engage the rifling of the barrel to impart spin stabilization to the nonlethal projectile when propelled from the sabot in response to the expansion of a propellant gas.

Abstract: A composite track shoe and an endless track suitable for a tracked vehicle is described herein. The composite track shoes has a shoe body with a first bearing block extending from a first lateral edge and a second bearing block extending from a second lateral edge. The shoe body also has a center guide extending from a first face thereof the shoe body. A track pad is detachably secured to the track shoe and extends from a second face of the shoe body opposite the first face. An endless track is formed by interlinking the first bearing block on a first track shoe with the second bearing block a second track shoe positioned adjacent to the first track shoe. A pin extends through the first bearing block of the first track shoe and the second bearing block of the second track shoe for pivotally coupling them together.

Abstract: Spotter ammunition projectiles adapted to be fired from a firearm, methods for making spotter ammunition projectiles, and spotter ammunition cartridges including spotter ammunition projectiles are provided. In one example, a spotter ammunition projectile includes a projectile body section extending in a distal direction to a body distal end portion. A projectile ogive is coupled to the body distal end portion and has an outer ogive surface that tapers in the distal direction towards a shoulder. The projectile ogive includes a post that is disposed adjacent to the shoulder and that extends therefrom in the distal direction. An ogive nose cap is disposed adjacent to the shoulder and covers the post. The post and the ogive nose cap are cooperatively configured to define a cavity therebetween. A pyrotechnic spotter composition is disposed in the cavity.

Abstract: An action timer start switch, a breech block with an integral action timer start switch and a system for measuring internal ballistic data in a test weapon system are described herein. The action timer start switch includes a through-hammer adjustable contact having a first contact element and a contact switch supported on the breech block having a second contact element. The first contact element is adjustable for contacting the second contact element when the hammer is a position to generating a primer strike. The first contact element may be set by simply positioning the breech block in the in-battery position with the hammer in the ignition position and moving the adjustable contact relative to the contact switch through the breech of the universal receiver.

Abstract: A wireless slip ring, system and method for transmission of data across a rotatable junction can be provided to permit transmission of data from a fixed element to a rotating element across a rotary interface. The wireless slip ring can provide high bandwidth multi-channel data transmission, for example each channel can have a bandwidth greater than 1 gigabit per second. Each channel may include a plurality of input/output data streams that can be serialized by a digital electronic circuit for transmission across the slip ring and then deserialized into its respective data streams. The wireless slip ring can form an annular chamber to act as a wave guide for the wireless signal for providing a continuous conductive covering around the annular chamber to act as a faraday shield to contain radio frequency emissions and prevent external jamming.

Abstract: A method is provided for use in a cooperative broadcast multi-hop network that employs broadcast flood routing and multi-hop transmission using a direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) waveform. DSSS signals are received from other nodes on different channels. ASSW is performed to detect and remove interference signals received on the different channels. MDFT analysis banks each receive a beam in the spectral domain that can be channelized to generate a channelized beam that comprises multiple spectral channels. An adaptive interference mitigation space-frequency whitener module can then be applied to remove interference and generate interference-mitigated spatial-spectral domain channels. MDFT synthesis banks can each perform a MDFT synthesis operation on one of the spatial-spectral domain channels. A multi-user RAKE receiver can then combine the interference mitigated time-domain channelized signals to generate a subset (1 . . .

Abstract: A method and system of communicating between a plurality of nodes are provided. The plurality of nodes are part of a cooperative broadcast multi-hop network that employs broadcast flood routing and multi-hop transmission using a direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) waveform.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a data signal between a stator ring and a rotor ring including generating, by a transmitter, a transmission signal in response to receiving the data signal, transmitting, by a plurality of optical transmitters coupled to an inner surface of the stator ring, the transmission signal to a plurality of detectors coupled to an outer surface of the rotor and wherein the optical transmitters are configured to transmit the transmission signal towards a focus of the stator ring, summing a plurality of representations of the transmission signal received by each of the plurality of detectors to generate a summed transmission signal, and extracting, by a receiver, the data signal from the summed transmission signal.

Abstract: A direct drive drive actuator includes a base structure and a driven structure that is journally supported and translatable relative to the base structure. The driven structure is disposed in a fixed spacial relationship to the base structure. A plurality of first pole arrays is disposed on the driven structure. A plurality of second pole arrays, corresponding in number to the plurality of first pole arrays is disposed on the base structure. An electrical power source is provided. A controller is coupled to the power source and the first plurality of pole arrays and the second plurality of pole arrays, wherein the controller is configured to selectively electrically energized windings of the first plurality of pole arrays and the second plurality of pole arrays such that an electro-magnetic force is formed between poles of the first plurality of pole arrays and poles of the second plurality of pole arrays.

Abstract: Nonlethal cartridges adapted to be chambered in a firearm having a barrel that includes rifling are provided. In one example, the cartridge includes a cartridge case and a sabot that is telescopically coupled to the cartridge case and that has a sabot mouth. A projectile includes a polymer base projectile portion disposed in the sabot mouth. A polymer front shell projectile portion is coupled to the polymer base projectile portion and has an outer surface that includes a circular locking rib feature that forms an interference fit with the sabot mouth. The polymer base projectile portion is configured to engage the rifling of the barrel to impart spin stabilization to the nonlethal projectile when propelled from the sabot in response to the expansion of a propellant gas.

Abstract: A node is provided that is configured to communicate in a cooperative broadcast multi-hop network that employs broadcast flood routing and multi-hop transmission using a direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) waveform. The node includes an antenna and a waveform module having a receiver processing chain. The antenna can receive a plurality of DSSS signals from other nodes on a particular channel, and output a channel that includes the plurality of DSSS signals. The plurality of DSSS signals include transmissions that are directly received from other nodes and multi-path components of those transmissions. The receiver processing chain can include a multi-user RAKE receiver that can combine, when performing demodulation processing, a plurality of transmissions directly received from the other nodes and multipath components of transmissions received from the other nodes. In some implementations, the node can perform cooperative beamforming and adaptive space-spectrum whitening.

Abstract: A mounting frame apparatus is provided for embedding cards within an electronics system and includes a multi-card swappable subsystem. The apparatus further includes a chassis for containing the multi-card swappable subsystem. One or more heatsinks are used for cooling cards disposed in the four-card swappable subsystem.

Abstract: Armored vehicles, weapon measurement system, and methods for determining barrel elevation of a gun, are provided. In one example, an armored vehicle includes a vehicle body portion and a gun having a barrel extending away from the vehicle body portion at a barrel elevation angle. A weapon measurement system includes a reference light generator arrangement configured to generate a reference light at a single wavelength or within a narrow wavelength band and to diffuse the reference light, thereby defining a distributed reference light. An image sensor arrangement includes an image sensor and a filter. The filter is configured to substantially block light that is at a different wavelength than the distributed reference light while allowing the distributed reference light to pass through to the image sensor for determining the barrel elevation angle.

Abstract: A node is provided for a cooperative broadcast multi-hop network that employs broadcast flood routing and multi-hop transmission. The node includes antennas and a waveform module having a receiver processing chain that can include an adaptive space-spectrum whitener (ASSW) module and a multi-user RAKE (mRAKE) receiver. Each antenna can receive output a channel that includes direct-sequence spread-spectrum signals received from other nodes and multi-path components of those transmissions. The ASSW module can perform adaptive space-spectrum whitening to detect and remove interference signals received from each of the channels by performing a covariance analysis to generate channelized signals. The ASSW module can include modified Discrete Fourier Transform (MDFT) analysis and synthesis modules that generate an interference mitigated time-domain channelized signals.

Abstract: An optical communication system is configured to transmit and receive at least four multiplexed, differently-polarized, optically-transmitted signals. Each signal is associated with a predefined state of polarization. An optical transmitter is configured to transmit multiplexed, differently polarized, optically transmitted signals. An optical receiver is configured to receive the optically transmitted signals. The system includes a multi-polarization analyzer circuit configured to obtain an analyzed signal for each of the polarized signals in Stokes space. The analyzer circuit is configured to determine if the multiplexed signal has been transformed by extreme polarization-dependent loss (PDL), the receiver correcting for the extreme polarization-dependent loss.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting a defect in a solar panel. The method includes initially imaging, via an infrared camera, a group of solar panels. Then, identifying, via a computer system configured for solar panel defect detection, the individual solar panels in the group of solar panels. Finally, identifying, via evaluation of an infrared image obtained by the infrared camera, a defect in at least one of the group of solar panels.

Abstract: A method of optimizing spectrum usage in real-time for a plurality of networks is provided. The method includes: retrieving local spectrum usage data in a geographical area in which spectrum allocation is to take place; modeling the plurality of networks, using one or more quantum statistical models, as a system of interacting particles, wherein each particle represents a node in a network and is configurable to exist in one of several quantum states; selecting bandwidth allocation and utilization constraints for the nodes based on a system allocation intent; solving an optimization problem related to the system allocation intent to estimate specific frequency and bandwidth distributions to be allocated to each node by applying the selected one or more quantum statistical models, the selected bandwidth allocation and utilization constraints, and the captured local spectrum data; and instructing each node to operate within the specific bandwidth allocated to the node.

Abstract: A receiver is provided that includes a multi-user RAKE receiver that can receive a plurality of transmissions directly received from a plurality of nodes of a cooperative broadcast multi-hop network and multipath components of those transmissions, a combiner module and a data despreader module. The multi-user RAKE receiver includes correlator blocks for each of the plurality of nodes and a finger selection module. Each correlator block generates one or more candidate fingers for that particular node. The finger selection module can select a subset of the candidate fingers having sufficient correlation for further processing. The combiner module can combine aligned symbols for each of the subset of candidate fingers to generate and combine soft decisions across each of the channels into a joint soft decision. The data despreader module can despread and convert chips from respective data channels to generate demodulated data symbols that are converted into data soft-decision bits.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a multi-layered propellant grain is provided. The method of the present disclosure simplifies the setup necessary to produce multi-layered propellants by using industrial equipment that is more energy and space efficient than the machinery that is conventionally employed for such processes. The method comprises providing a first propellant formulation; providing a die configured to provide a structure having an outer shell and a hollow interior when material is extruded therethrough; extruding the first propellant formulation through said die, to produce a first propellant layer having an outer shell defining a hollow interior in the form channel having open ends; providing a second propellant formulation, said second propellant formulation being of low viscosity; injecting said second propellant formulation into said channel defined by said first propellant layer to form a second propellant layer disposed in said channel; and hardening said second propellant layer.

Abstract: A cooperative broadcast multi-hop network that employs broadcast flood routing and multi-hop transmission using a direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) waveform with cooperative beamforming and adaptive space-spectrum whitening are provided.