Abstract: Described herein is an optical fuze for a guided missile that comprises an array of a large number of optical apertures distributed about the outer surface of the missile. An optical waveguide network selectively couples the array of apertures to a laser source and to a photodetector such that light from the laser source is emitted by selected ones of said apertures, and light returned from a target is received by selected ones of said apertures and directed by said optical waveguide network to said photodetector. These apertures might be arranged to form a composite target images in a particular direction, and/or may be arranged to perform a sensing operation along selected directions. The optical proximity fuze described herein provides inherent flexibility in the way the fuze can be configured in the missile for optimisation for different applications.

Abstract: A guided munition (10) includes a warhead (20) within the nose section (60) and processing electronics (30) arranged within the munition (10) behind the warhead (20). A plurality of sensors (50) are arranged within the nose section (60) for sensing a target. The sensors (50) are remote from but in communication with the processing electronics (30).

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for simulating a light source having a light intensity profile that varies in time. The method includes providing a light source; using a mask to at least partially block light emitted by the light source; and adjusting the position of the mask in accordance with an electrical signal representative of the light intensity profile so as to adjust the extent to which the mask blocks light from the light source, and thereby providing the light intensity profile that varies in time. The device can include a mask to at least partially block light from a light source; and an actuator for adjusting the position of the mask in accordance with the electrical signal.

Abstract: A reflector 38 includes a mirrored surface 48 and a frequency selective surface 46. The frequency selective surface 46 is arranged to reflect radiation of a first frequency band 52 and allow radiation of a second frequency band 50 to pass. The mirrored surface 48 is arranged to reflect radiation of the second frequency band 50. In this manner, the focal power for radiation of the first frequency band 52 is independent to the focal power for radiation of the second frequency band 50. Accordingly, the design of optical components associated with the second frequency band 50 can be undertaken independently of those associated with the first frequency band 52 so as to achieve the optimised focusing for each frequency band.

Abstract: The invention provides a security scanner that produces a radar profile of a clothed person or another object such as a bag carried by a person at a distance and does not require close proximity of the person or object to the scanner itself. The scanner includes a millimeter wave antenna system optimised for short-range active imaging and arranged to provide rapid high-resolution images of an object or person of interest and processing means for resolving the images so as to detect the presence of predetermined objects. The processing means preferably includes means for comparing contrasts in reflectivity in the scanned images with predetermined expected values from skin and light clothing. The processing means may also include means for detecting predetermined behavioral or physical traits such as the effect on gait on carried weighty objects or stiff structures strapped to the person from the images of a scanned object or person. The scanner may be incorporated within a turnstile access arrangement.

Abstract: An air intake for a supersonic air-breathing flight vehicle introduces or injects fluid in order to create predetermined regions of separated flow and an attendant fluid shear layer. This shear layer forms an aerodynamic boundary for the capture flow with a profile determined and optimised by appropriate injection of fluid. The aerodynamic boundary so generated replaces mechanically moveable solid surfaces used to vary the geometry of prior-art intakes. Use of an introduced or injected fluid can provide an advantage of a variable geometry, but with reduced weight and reduced mechanical complexity. In some embodiments, the injection of fluid has the effect of re-energizing any ingested boundary layer, thus obviating the conventional requirement for a bleed system to provide boundary layer control.

Abstract: A bulk dielectric material comprises a solid composite material comprising a solid matrix material and a plurality of filler elements distributed within the matrix material. The bulk dielectric material has, at a frequency greater than 1 MHz, (i) a permittivity having a real part of magnitude greater than 10 and an imaginary part of magnitude less than 3, and (ii) an electrical breakdown strength greater than 5 kV/mm and has a minimum dimension greater than 2 mm.

Abstract: A radar apparatus including a transmit/receive antenna having a plurality of channels, a comparator coupled to the antenna channels for providing receive signal sum and difference channels, a radar receiver, a coupler for coupling the sum and difference channels to the radar receiver, a radar transmitter for providing a signal to be transmitted, a coupler for coupling the transmitter to a cross-channel port of the comparator, and an adjuster for adjusting a phase length of at least one antenna channel so that when the apparatus is transmitting, the transmitted signals from the antenna channels have a specified relative phase relationship.

Abstract: A missile comprises a propulsion system, a passageway for delivering air to the propulsion system and a ducting element associated with the passageway. The ducting element has a ducting surface for ducting air into the passageway, and the ducting element is rotatable, about an axis that is aligned, or more preferably co-axial, with the axis of the passageway, from a stowed position in which the ducting surface is received in the passageway, to a deployed position in which the ducting surface protrudes from the passageway to duct air into the passageway.

Abstract: An amplifier/duplexer for an antenna channel of a radar apparatus, comprises a first hybrid junction having two input/output ports for connection into the antenna channel, and two further ports each connected to a parallel combination comprising an amplifier and switching means switchable between a transmit condition in which it presents an open circuit and a receive condition in which it presents a short circuit so that a signal received in the antenna channel is applied to one of the input/output ports and reflected to the other input/output port each amplifier having an input connected to a respective output port of a further hybrid junction, an input port of the further hybrid junction being configured to receive a signal for transmission so that when the switching means is in the transmit condition the transmission signal is amplified by the amplifiers and delivered through the first hybrid junction to the antenna channel.

Abstract: An electrical drive system includes an electric motor having an armature, which is mounted on a stator, and a rotor, wherein aligning stator flux with rotor flux enables current to flow in the armature without inducing torque on the rotor shaft. The disclosed operation may be used, for example, in testing the electrical drive system. The electric drive system can carry full rated current yet produce little or no torque, thereby increasing the current that can be tested during electrical drive test procedures without producing undesired forces or motion. The method may be used, for example, in heating the electric motor, for example for de-icing.

Abstract: A method of relatively positioning a workpiece and a reference axis comprising effecting relative displacements of the workpiece and the reference axis along orthogonal axes so that an intersection of the reference axis with the workpiece is moved at substantially constant speed along a curvilinear path. The method is particularly applicable to SEE sensitivity mapping of a microchip memory using a pulsed laser, relative to the axis of which the chip is moved in a spiral path.

Abstract: In a CLOS missile guidance system, target and missile tracking data e.g. video image data are acquired on a UAV and transmitted to the missile where they are processed to provide guidance control data to the missile. Alternatively the video image data may be transmitted to a command station where the guidance control data is generated and transmitted to the missile, preferably via the UAV.

Abstract: A method of guiding a pursuer to a target is provided, and is of particular use when the possible target location is described by non-Gaussian statistics. Importantly, the method takes into account the fact that different potential target tracks in the future have significantly different times to go. That can give rise to emergent behaviour, in which the guidance method covers several possible outcomes at the same time in an optimal way. An example embodiment of the method combines Particle Filter ideas with Swarm Optimization techniques to form a method for generating guidance commands for systems with non-Gaussian statistics. That example method is then applied to a dynamic mission planning example, to guide an airborne pursuer to aground target travelling on a network of roads where the pursuer has no-go areas, to avoid collateral damage.

Abstract: An image-processing method comprising convolving a selected feature of interest (FOI) within the image with a mask of a first size, repeating the convolution with a mask of a second size, and calculating the ratio of the convolution responses, as an indication of the size of the FOI. Preferably the convolution masks are Laplacian of Gaussian. The method can be useful for prioritising potential targets in a field of view for presentation to an operator.

Abstract: An image processing method using an algorithm which incorporates simulated annealing by parallel Markov chains, the calculation of fitness values of states of the Markov chains which have substantially the same simulated annealing temperature, the calculation of the standard deviation of these fitness values, and the use of this standard deviation in setting the simulated annealing cooling schedule. The method may be used to delineate an object of interest in an image against a background by estimating the boundary of the object and optimising the fit of the region within this boundary to the region occupied by the object.

Abstract: The invention covers a missile canister (10) for accommodating a missile (20) along a longitudinal axis (L) of the canister. The canister comprises a plurality of generally planar longitudinal wall portions (14) connected together to form a tubular vessel having a polygonal cross-section. The interconnecting portions (16) between wall sections (14) are generally flexible so that when a missile (20) is launched the bending moment at the interconnecting portions (16) generated by the increase of pressure in the vessel is substantially less than the bending moment (10) generated at the wall portions (14). The interconnecting portions (16) allow relative angular deflection between adjacent wall portions (14) at respective interconnecting portions (16) when said missile (20) is launched.

Abstract: A bulk dielectric material can include a solid composite material having a solid matrix material and a plurality of filler elements distributed within the matrix material. The bulk dielectric material can have, at a frequency of greater than 1 MHz, (i) a permittivity with a real part of magnitude greater than 10 and an imaginary part of magnitude less than 3, and (ii) an electrical breakdown strength greater than 5 kV/mm and can have a minimum dimension greater than 2 mm.

Abstract: A bomb for deployment from an air vehicle includes a rocket motor (1) for propelling the bomb. The rocket motor includes propellant (5) which at least partially defines a void (11) downstream of an initial burning surface. As the propellant (5) is burned the void 11 will be exposed, increasing the surface area of the burning surface (9) of the propellant (5) to increase the thrust of the rocket motor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of displaying stereographic images of a region R. The method comprises: moving a vehicle (10) relative to the region, the vehicle carrying a camera system (12) for acquiring images I of the region; during movement of the vehicle relative to the region acquiring a series of temporally sequential multiple images (I1, I2, . . . ) of the region at respective multiple different spaced apart locations (L1, L2, . . . ) of the vehicle relative to the region; displaying successive stereographic images of the region during movement of the vehicle relative to the region. Each stereographic image comprises a first of said multiple images acquired at a first location and a second of said multiple images acquired at a second location which are temporally spaced apart in the series one from the other.