EP1286128B2 - Satellite controlloed artillery rocket with side thrust corrector - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an artillery rocket according to the preamble of claim 1.

The generic Artillerierakete is from the DE 4325218 C2 known. It is an MLRS1 rocket equipped with canards to increase range; to be able to extend the descending branch of the ballistic trajectory by their buoyancy effect on the ogive of the rocket structure. So that the fault budget does not increase incompatible, the rocket is equipped with a satellite navigation system for correcting the current trajectory with respect to the predetermined target coordinates. The orbital correction takes place dynamically by variable employment of the canards, depending on the current situation in the course of the rolling motion of the rocket in space. Since for a stable trajectory the control of the canards must always be tracked to the constant rotation of the rocket, the control effort, however, is considerable and accordingly function critical. In addition, the space required for the installation of the drive means for constantly changing the Canard employment and the vorgestückende on board energy requirements for it is quite significant.

A version modified from the rocket of the MLRS 1 artillery rocket system is in the DE 37 39 370 A1 described. Such missiles are ejected from a launch tube and accelerated immediately after pipe exit via a short-time active rocket engine into an aerodynamically stabilized, relatively flat ballistic trajectory along which they perform a weak rolling motion to compensate for disturbance due to departure. A pre-launch temperation of a timing fuze in the tip of the rocket giveaway initiates, above the target area, a likewise inflatable gas generator for filling a coaxially along the system axis through the payload space within the missile shell extending inflation tube which increases with the growth of its Diameter axially parallel bar-shaped around it packed submunitions from the inside radially outward presses against the rocket shell and this breaks along predetermined breaking points to deploy the submunition stack side.

In contrast to the artillery rockets usually ready for use in small quantities ready for use, the artillery shells to be provided in large numbers on the gun are usually delivered without detonators for reasons of fire safety and only provided with an igniter immediately before the charging process. In the DE 198 24 288 A1 is the long-known principle taken again, if necessary, to shorten the hit distance to provide the artillery projectile with an igniter, which is equipped with expandable brake flaps to increase the Anströmwiderstandes to transfer after a predetermined distance from the descending branch of the ballistic trajectory in a steeper descent course , However, such an aerodynamic measure provides effective only in the fast-flying projectiles, barely on the other hand after the firing of the launch engine relatively slowly flying missiles. Apart from that would be in logistical reasons only in the course of the use of an exchange of the existing missile Ogive against one with airbrakes in practice no longer possible in the imported, ready-to-shoot magazinierten artillery rockets.

From the DE 33 32 415 C2 is known a projectile, in the top of a device for projectile steering is provided in the form of a coaxial about the projectile longitudinal axis rotatable nozzle body. For its operation, a bulletproof gas reservoir is connected to a concentric bulletproof channel, which merges into a coaxial channel of the rotary body and then opens at right angles to the outside to a rotating transverse thrust nozzle. In the projectile tip in front of the rotary body, a rotary drive for the rotating nozzle is housed, by means of which the nozzle can be stopped in any angular direction. However, due to the unavoidably rotating imbalance, such a rotating radial nozzle would scarcely make it possible to stably swivel from a spin-stabilized ballistic trajectory into a deviating trajectory.

For the connection of two tubular body parts of a missile, it is from the EP 0 898 146 A2 it is known to backfill at least one ring segment equipped with radial threaded holes in the region of the axially and radially overlapping front ends. This makes it possible not to have to introduce a radial screw through the radially outer shell into the radially inner shell, but to have a more stable and gentle connection between the two thin-walled sleeves, the threaded holes in the ring segment.

In order to be able to make a trajectory correction in the case of missile missiles with the aid of satellite navigation, according to DE 44 01 315 A1 the rocket body in the middle region of its outer shell equipped with radially-projecting paraxial attachments in which a satellite receiving electronics and fuel combs are provided for ejection by such curved nozzles that a beam deflection takes place in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rocket body. Apart from the fact that a rocket loaded in this way could no longer be brought out of the launched launcher, its efficiency would be unreasonably reduced because of the much higher flow resistance due to the voluminous in cross-sectional attachments. For purely technical reasons, therefore, this proposal is not a viable option for increasing the precision of artillery rockets. quite apart from the fact that it does not come into consideration for logistical reasons, for to significantly change such an increase in performance of an internationally introduced movement system.

In order to enable the subsequent application of a seeker head and a Kurskorrektureinheit in an introduced spin-stabilized bullet without interference in its structure, it is from the US-A-5,379,968 known to transmit the seeker signals via structure-borne noise to the rear area and thus there to drive a rotating nozzle for directional control.

Similar to the one below to be discussed EP 0 418 636 A2 is it from the WO 00/52414 A1 known to influence the trajectory of a projectile by means of a ring of small pulse motors.

The WO 99/66418 deals with the design of a neural network for controlling a pulsating rocket motor in the tactical missile system. From this, too, no suggestions can be made with regard to equipment measures for the cost-effective increase in performance of the artillery rockets introduced in the artillery.

For as much as the system MLRS 1 introduced for many years has proven to be fundamentally successful, it nevertheless remains problematic whether within the time of flight predetermined at the detonator the intended target area for dropping the submunition was actually reached. For while the environmental influences encountered during firing can still be fed into the calculation of the time limit by a weapon control system, numerous irregularities in the operation of the rocket engine and then in free flight, depending on wind strength, wind direction and air pressure, do not work in advance in the flight time specification only braking, but especially distracting on the rocket body. Due to delay effects and deviations from the given trajectory, this leads to transversal and lateral delivery errors from the predefined target position and therefore to an impairment of the system performance of the rocket carrier for the submunition.

Although it is about from the EP 0 418 636 A2 in a swirl-stabilized projectile, it is known to perform a path correction by means of shear thrusters depending on their momentary direction of action in space. The transverse thrust, when acted upon by the aerodynamic center of gravity of the projectile, results in a trajectory cross-offset and in offset from the centroidal cross-sectional plane, depending on the instantaneous spatial location of the projectile, by tilting the longitudinal axis to pitch or yaw motion with corresponding trajectory changes , But such corrective measures, in order not to lose sight of the goal, require a seeker head with an algorithm for active or passive target tracking for a goal-oriented orbit correction. This is a very expensive technology; and such Zielkontaktierung is regularly not feasible if it is in the case of the introduction of bomblets to a surface target use with no defined or sensory detectable target point.

In recognition of these circumstances, the present invention is based on the technical problem to be able to subject the need-carrier in the depot MLRS-1 artillery rockets as simple as possible, technologically risk-free interference performance increase in terms of more precise delivery of submunitions.

To solve this task is an equipment with shear units corresponding EP 0 418 636 A2 not considered, because it would require intervention in the rocket structure, which would lead to a procurement law new device. Since it is not an increase in range, according to the invention, the mechanical and control engineering effort for a Canard control is not considered. Instead, the object is achieved in realization of the feature combination of the main claim, according to which the foremost section of the load space of the rocket, where the shell is already tapering from the hollow cylindrical structure to the Ogive, separated and emptied of submunitions. From the separation point of an additional bulkhead is inserted as an axially thick ringscheibenförmiger mounting or intermediate floor for a course correction unit including shear unit under rearward remaining axial projection into the interior of the conically tapered ogive and riveted to the cutting edge of the ogive. The rocket shell, which is then annularly projecting from the top of the ogive at about half height, is finally riveted to the rocket shell which adjoins the cutting plane backwards, with which the rocket can be used again in its original external configuration.

The transverse thrust unit is equipped with an at least single-layer rim of miniaturized pyrotechnic reaction elements which act radially with respect to the rocket longitudinal axis. In front of it in the Ogive is a navigation device. The navigation in the sense of tracking the actually flown actual path and at least one course correction for the eventual approach directly to the predetermined delivery coordinates preferably takes place via a winding antenna inserted in the approximately conical outer surface of the ogive for receiving the signals from navigation satellites.

The instantaneous roll position in the space, which determines the impulse direction for carrying out a given change in direction of the rocket flight by means of a certain of the not yet consumed in previous corrections reaction elements, is particularly reliable within the course correction unit and thereby inexpensive in apparatus known as such by means to detect a rotating with the rocket, the earth's magnetic field responsive magnetic sensor on the periodicity of the time course of the signal amplitude, because the non-brightness-dependent and thus in particular also weather-independent is working.

A microprocessor for repeatedly comparing actual and desired positions during the flight and for the directionally selective triggering of shear thrust reaction elements for carrying out identified correction requirements also has the capacity, upon reaching the target position above the target area, to easily deploy the signal for igniting the gas generator to generate the submunition.

Fig. 1

im abgebrochenen Axial-Längsschnitt die an der Spitze mit einem Zünder ausgestattete Ogive einer Artillerierakete bis zum Übergang in ihre hohlzylindrische Struktur und

Fig. 2

die in die Ogive eingebauten Korrektureinheiten gemäß der Querschnittsangabe II-II in Fig. 1.

With regard to further advantages and additional modifications and further developments, reference is made to the invention in addition to the other claims on the following description of a drawing in the limitation to the essential but approximately to scale outlined preferred implementation example. In the drawing shows:

Fig. 1

In the broken axial longitudinal section of the equipped with a detonator at the top of an artillery rockets to the transition into their hollow cylindrical structure and

Fig. 2

the correction units built into the ogive according to the cross-section II-II in Fig. 1 ,

The outlined in the axial longitudinal section foremost section of an artillery rocket 11 includes the ogive 13, with an igniter 12 in its tip, to the transition into the hollow cylindrical shell 14 of the rocket body. A payload space 15 for axially parallel stacked submunitions (not included in the drawing) extends in itself into the rear region of the ogive 13 into it. Coaxially through the payload space 15 passes through a hose 16 which is connected via a gas pipe 17 to a pyrotechnic gas generator 18 directly behind the igniter 12. The gas generator 18 can be initiated by the igniter 12. The evolution of gas then inflates the tube 16 and thereby presses the loading of the payload space 15 radially against the shell 14 of the rocket structure until it tears at predetermined breaking points, whereby the Submunitionen be applied transversely to the longitudinal axis 19 of the rocket 11.

This delivery procedure on arrival over the destination area is conventionally triggered by a tickable igniter 12. As stated above, however, numerous environmental influences that are not sufficiently known in advance lead to the rocket 11 not having reached its predetermined target area frequently at the end of the preset time delay because its flight was slowed or distracted from the setpoint direction. Therefore, a deployment of the submunition is precisely over the predetermined target area by means of a pure timing basically not sufficiently secured.

In order to remedy this situation, according to the invention, the foremost section of the payload space 15 located behind the igniter 12 and gas generator 18 is freed from submunitions in order to accommodate a course correction unit 20 with a transverse thrust unit 23. For this, the ogive 13 is separated immediately before the remaining payload space 15 to her after emptying here, pushed from the parting plane 22 forth in the slightly conically tapered interior of the ogive 18, an additional, axially thick annular bulkhead 21 as a mounting floor for the functional elements for navigation and course influence. This also serves, after installation, to re-assemble the two partial arms 13a, 13b coaxially on both sides of the parting plane 22. The here flush colliding faces on both sides of the dividing plane 22 are then screwed or riveted radially on the frame 21, whereby the original rocket contour is restored. The above-mentioned rear part-ogive 13b is the part of the rocket structure adjoining the hollow-cylindrical shell 14, into which the payload space 15 only now extends after installation of the spider 21.

Located to the igniter 12, the annular bulkhead 21 carries the course correction unit 20 in front of a frusto-conical shear unit 23 and a wiring board 24. These internals are annularly arranged or formed so that the gas pipe 17 as sketched from the igniter 12 and the gas generator 18 forth may extend concentrically through the bulkhead 21 until the connection of the inflatable tube 16 in the payload space 15.

The transverse thrust unit 23 is equipped with a ring of - if necessary, as outlined, distributed to a plurality of mutually adjacent transverse planes - reaction elements 25 on the basis of pyrotechnic reaction. They can be installed as sketched in radial orientation. However, it may be structurally more advantageous to stack the small engines (that is to say the reaction elements 25) axially parallel and to connect to windrow channels which then open in the radial direction through the casing after a deflection in order to trigger the transverse thrust impulse in response.

The direction in which a change in course is caused thereby depends on the spatial direction in which the departure direction of the still unused and now to be activated reaction element 25 is currently oriented. This current spatial position is determined by the fact that 27 recorded in the course of the rolling motion of the rocket 11 periodically recurring detection of the earth's magnetic field by means of a board 24 contained, preferably magnetically responsive roll position sensor. This periodicity represents the reciprocal of the duration of one revolution of the rocket 11 about its longitudinal axis 19, so that within this period each rotational angle with respect to a spatial reference direction can be interpolated with sufficient accuracy in time. This is done in a signal processor 28, which also contains the navigation data from a satellite receiver 29, which is connected to a winding antenna 30, which is inserted in a flat circumferential recess 31 in the front part of the ogive 13.

In a memory at the signal processor 28, the coordinates of the target area for the current mission, so for the application of the submunition, given. This requirement is quasi-continuously compared with data on the currently reached position, taking into account the instantaneous trajectory of the rocket 11. Such data are obtained via the navigation satellite receiver 29 in order to initiate the path correction in the direction of the predetermined target coordinates, if necessary - with respect to the fixed system orientation of the remaining available reaction elements - just matching spatial position of the rocket 11 at least one of the reaction elements 25.

In addition, the circuit board 24 is equipped with a power supply 32 (preferably an activatable battery with electronic voltage converter circuit) for the operation of the described additional components. A Zündverteilschaltung 33 provides the Initialisierverbindung from the signal processor 28 to the still functional, currently released to release the reaction elements 25 for a specific course influence. The igniter 12 is no longer timed, but it is triggered via an ignition line 34 from the signal processor 28 when the rocket 11 has reached the predetermined position for the application of the submunitions target position.

The MLRS1 artillery rockets 11 stored in the depots of the consumer can thus undergo a technically uncritical increase in performance in terms of significantly improved delivery precision by temporarily cutting off the ogive 13, into it and thus into the foremost, behind the igniter 12 located area of the original payload space 15 surrounding the pyrotechnic ejection system, an annular mounting bulkhead 21 for a transverse thrust unit 23 with circumferentially radially acting small reaction elements 25 in the form of pulse engines (with pyrotechnic repulsion of a mass 26) or rocket engines incorporate, depending on the location individually of a navigation satellite-based course correction unit 20 also mounted there can be triggered.

Claims (4)

1. Artillery rocket (11) which is split along a separating plane (22) with the separating plane (22) being located between the ogive (13) and the remaining payload area (15) in the rocket (11), which is then joined together again coaxially by means of an axially thick annular former (21), with the former (21) surrounding a gas tube (17) which runs from a gas generator (18) in the ogive (13) to an inflatable flexible tube (16) in the payload area (15), and with the former (21) being pushed into the interior of the ogive (13), which tapers slightly conically, from the separating plane and thus into the previously foremost region of the payload area (15), where the former (21) is used as a mounting base for a course correction unit (20) and an annular lateral thrust unit (23) which has a ring of pyrotechnic reaction elements (25) which open in the radial direction.
2. Artillery rocket according to Claim 1,
   characterized
   in that the annular former (21) is inserted into the front ogive element (13a) from the separating plane (22) over a part of its axial thickness and is also used to close the connection between the two ogive elements (13a-13b).
3. Artillery rocket according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized
   in that the lateral thrust unit (23) has an at least single-layer ring of reaction elements (25) which can be activated individually as a function of position.
4. Artillery rocket according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized
   in that the fuze (12) of the rocket can be activated in order to initiate the gas generator (18), to which the inflatable flexible tube (16) is connected for lateral deployment of submunition, coaxially through the former (21) with its lateral thrust unit (23).

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