Abstract: Capturing or impeding traditional or supercavitating torpedoes from striking a side or entering the keel area of a capital ship depends on very precise tracking. Because supercavitating torpedoes travel at about 550 miles/hr, even milliseconds will be vital, perhaps causing a countermeasure weapon, like a supercavitating cannon shell, to disrupt its cavitation but not impeding its slower motion toward the ship. Likewise, capture curtain soft-kill defense allows not one second to be squandered because of inaccurate tracking. One purpose of the invention is to scatter, in and around the roughly calculated path of the torpedo, tiny, inexpensive balls that have sonar, magnetometers and other active and passive sensors to aid Fire Control predicting arrival time and where it will strike. Over time, smaller swarms of measurement balls are continually launched as tracking precision improves. Countermeasures are constantly updated by Fire Control.

Abstract: The sealing of underwater and above ground leaks of materials such as petroleum, mud, gas and finely divided solids from wellheads, pipelines and other natural or man-made works is accomplished by placing over the leak a heaviest duty, leak-proof, weighted curtain whose shape and size allow the curtain to be filled in place with cement or other heavy materials, thus effectively sealing the outflow of the materials. The curtain can optionally be fitted with one or more redirection valves to drain off and capture the materials under pressure, for example to transport oil, during and even after the sealing process, from a seabed wellhead leak to a surface ship. An optional second, larger curtain fitted with through-channels with stopcocks can be placed over the first curtain, and the lower valves and through-channels can be connected to continue the transport of materials.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as an integrated circuit, is provided with elements, all of which are never used in a single application. These elements are not absolutely decoys or dummys, although this is a possibility. For a particular application, the elements are so chosen that, in conjunction with a supplementary logic package, they provide the desired functions. The logic elements used as well as the functions of the main logic package of the device are determined by the supplementary logic. The combined logic is in no way determined by coding or decoding; this logic is specific and both parts together form an electronic component or device. The complete logic is therefore similar to a hybrid circuit but without the wired connections. If this device is compromised to an enemy or a business competitor, the main logic package or packages of the the device need not be newly developed; only the supplementary logic package or packages must be replaced.

Abstract: The invention relates to an underwater mine or decoy which should lie on the ocean bottom or which has buoyancy characteristics. The mine or decoy is made up of at least an expandable material and a foldable, preferably webbed shell which determines the external form of the mine. The disadvantages associated with the storage, transportation and stowage of heavy mines of fixed shape in submarines, small ships and aircraft are thereby avoided. It is possible to manufacture decoys or mines rapidly and economically, and they may have variable magnetic and/or sonar reflecting properties. The release of the decoys or mines from submerged submarines via forceful ejection is possible.

Abstract: A method of self-testing RAMs in an electronic device such as a computer in which the cell or cells to be tested are determined by an analysis of the current instruction as well as by the use of instruction and address information of instructions whose future execution and operation can be reasonably predicted. The testing of the current cells under test therefore occurs on a non-interference basis and only when the CPU or the peripheral devices do not require RAM access.

Abstract: A secure voice transmission system is disclosed in which enemy interception problems are overcome by analyzing the speech characteristics of a password from a known operator. Some of the voice characteristics remain in the central computer, while others are stored in the message entry device. If a captured operator is forced to enter the password, the characteristics under such extreme stress will not match those stored within the devices and the capture of the operator will be assumed. Before the start of the mission, the portable device receives a preliminary public key; the first remote message of the mission can thus be sent in the clear, with no chance of the enemy using the information or the device, should the operator be prematurely captured. After the operator has been recognized as being a noncaptive, his device requests permission from the command center to create a crypto keyset; the device keeps the private key and transmits the public key to the command center.

Abstract: The strengthening and stiffening of long, curved or tapered tubes is achieved by using internal strengtheners. The strengthening element conforms to the internal shape of the tube as it is inserted into the tube. The parts of the strengthening element which are then in contact with the inside of the tube have pre-formed welding material attached to them; a solid connection between the strengthener and the tube is achieved by selective heating, welding or by blowing adhesive material through the tube.If a tube has the non-welded strengthener in place, the forming or bending of the tube may proceed, since the strengthener takes the form of the tube at any stage of forming. The process is especially suitable for tubes with different cross-sections along their length.