Abstract: For scoring of simulated firing of a weapon, having flatwise-angularly sweeping beams of radiation, emitted at the weapon location during a period beginning at or about the instant of simulated firing are used for measuring the position of a target retroreflector in range and in functions of azimuth and elevation. During the same period a calculation is made of the instantaneous positions in range, and in functions of azimuth and elevation, of an imaginary projectile fired from the weapon at the firing instant under conditions then existing, and the relationship is ascertained between the imaginary projectile and each beam in its angular position at interception by the retroreflector. At a scoring instant, when weapon-to-reflector distance equals weapon-to-projectile distance, or when the projectile is at a predetermined elevation relative to the reflector, scoring is based on the relationship of projectile to angular beam position at that instant.

Abstract: The positions of target reflectors at a distance from a measuring station are measured with fan-shaped angularly sweeping beams of radiation emitted from the measuring station and reflected back to a detector there when each beam is intercepted by a reflector. Expected reflector distribution is analyzed to ascertain, as between adjacent reflectors at equal distances from the station, the minimum projected distance expectable between such reflectors in a separation direction in which separation can be maximum and the maximum projected distance between them in the transverse direction. Each of at least two beams has its long cross-section dimension oriented to be at an angle to that of the other and at an angle to the separation direction which is such that its tangent value is greater than the ratio of said maximum distance to said minimum distance.

Abstract: Various items of information are transmitted to a body moving above the surface by a pulsed fan-shaped beam of radiant energy having a flatwise angular sweep. Each such item can comprise two or more kinds of data, e.g., beam angle data and beam identification data. To each different item to be transmitted is assigned a unique whole number. Every interval between successive beam pulses has a duration equal to a non-characterizing time period of invariant duration plus a stepwise variable characterizing time period measurable in a whole number of short, uniform time units. The number of such time units in the characterizing time period of an interval corresponds to the number assigned to an item of information to be transmitted during that interval. At the body, clock pulses are generated at a steady rate such that a whole number thereof are issued per time unit, and are counted during the characterizing period of each interval, for decoding the then-transmitted item of information.

Abstract: Each gun of an antiaircraft battery has a unit comprising a laser and a coaxial radiation detector, the axis of the unit being near and parallel to that of the gun barrel. An instrument center, spaced from the guns and controlling their aim, comprises a central sight for target tracking and means for calculating an aiming-off point at which the guns should be aimed when firing real projectiles. For laser practice, projectile flight time is set equal to zero by a switch at the center, so that with correct firing preparations each gun points to a tracked target for detection of laser emissions reflected from it. The laser emits a pulse train for each shot. Hits are scored only on detected trains having a predetermined minimum number of pulses, and scoring is weighted according to error probabilities that would affect real hit results.