Fire-control system

Abstract: The present invention is a fire control system. The fire control system comprises a manually aimed gun having a sighting device and a device for acquiring a target. The acquiring device is disposed at a location remote from the gun. The fire control system also comprises a device for determining the trajectory of the target with respect to the gun and providing information relating to the target to the sighting device of the gun such that an operator of the gun can aim the gun with respect to the sighting device to hit the target when the gun is fired. The determining device is in communication with the acquiring device and the sighting device. The present invention is also a fire control method for a minor caliber gun. The method comprises the step of acquiring a target from a location which is remote from the gun. Then, there is the step of determining the trajectory of the target with respect to the gun. Next, there is the step of providing information relating to the target to a sighting device of the gun. Then, there is the step of manually aiming the gun in accordance with the information appearing on the sighting device such that the gun is aimed to accurately hit the target when fired.

Abstract: A fire control system for vehicle or tank control that provides a high first hit probability. The system is highly stable because of a sampling concept and is highly accurate because of the handling of nonstandard conditions. Reliable operation is provided for a moving tank or target, or both, and for noncoaltitude conditions.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for displaying the effect of control action in real time by simultaneously applying the control action both to the system to be controlled and a computer model of the system. The effect of the control action on the model is displayed to the operator in a manner which dynamically decouples the display to the operator in a manner which dynamically decouples the display from the actual system's response over some suitable frequency range, thereby enhancing the stability and performance of the control system's operation. The method and device are described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment of an aircraft gun fire control system and variation of that system. A computer model or pseudo aircraft, termed a command aircraft, is programmed into a computer carried by an actual aircraft. In addition to providing conventional control information to the actual aircraft, the control actions of the pilot "fly" the command aircraft. Steering information provided to the pilot by means of display devices is referenced to the command aircraft rather than to the actual aircraft. This isolates the pilot from destabilizing time delays present in the actual aircraft, as well as from environmental disturbances such as wind gusts. The actual aircraft and the command aircraft are brought into coincidence, for example, either by slowly reorienting the command aircraft without degrading the advantages of command-aircraft-referenced displays during dynamic steering situations or by aerodynamic control action through the flight control system.

Abstract: A command guidance weapon system comprising a radar target tracking system, and a weapon with small thrusters mounted on the periphery thereof and with a small beacon transmitter which is tracked by a ground-based fire control system is disclosed. A rapid terminal maneuver is executed by the weapon at an appropriate point in the trajectory of the weapon by sequentially firing the small thrusters. The angular orientation of the weapon is obtained by canting a polarized antenna, located on the rear of the weapon, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the weapon so that the signal transmitted from the weapon to the ground-based fire control system is modulated. The fire control system computes the precise time, based upon the angular orientation of the weapon and the distance between the weapon and the target, to initiate the terminal maneuver by the weapon, and sends a command signal to the weapon.