STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to decoys emitting radio signals to increase the survivability of a downed airman. More particularly, this invention relates a cruise missile deploying a preprogrammed pattern of decoys each having a radio transmitter to confuse enemy searchers.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

One of the hazards of air operations in airspace over enemy territory is the possibility of losing aircraft. Once an airman is forced to abandon the aircraft, the parachute, training, and survival equipment must be relied upon to evade capture and to contact friendly search and rescue teams for rescue. One essential element to make possible an eventual rescue is the portable radio carried by downed airmen (e. g. an AN/PRC-90) that permits voice communications or a radio-signal beacon for friendly searchers to home in on. Usually signals are transmitted at specific times using codes set at the pre-mission briefing. A combination of voice and beacon transmissions guides rescuers to an appropriate pick-up point. However, like all radio frequency transmissions, these signals are susceptible to interception by enemy forces and location of the source by their directional radio antennas. This puts not only the airman in peril, but also the aircraft and personnel of the search-and-rescue teams.

Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a system to quickly deploy patterns of decoys that emit radio signals to confuse and mislead hostile searchers for a downed airman.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first object of the invention is to provide a plurality of decoys each emitting radio signals to improve the chances of survivability and evasion by downed airmen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cruise missile deploying decoys in a pattern to each emit radio signals that confuse and mislead unfriendly searchers for downed airmen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cruise missile deploying radio-signal emitting decoys at standoff distances to avoid placing additional personnel and assets in jeopardy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a capability for a single launch platform to simultaneously deploy decoys emitting radio signals from cruise missiles in multiple fields, hundreds of miles apart.

Another object of the invention is to provide the capability of deploying cruise missiles that distribute decoys emitting radio signals in multiple, separated fields to deceive of and draw enemy troops and equipment in preparation of, or in conjunction with, an air strike.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing specification when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

Accordingly, the present invention deploys decoys from one or more cruise missiles enabling transmission by radio transmitters on each decoy to thereby confusing and misleading enemy forces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereto will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1

is a schematic showing of a cruise missile deploying a decoy for emitting radio signals in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2

is a cross-sectional view showing details of a decoy of this invention; and

FIG. 3

depicts a radio beacon decoy separating from its parachute as it comes to rest on the ground.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to

FIG. 1

, a cruise missile

7

is shown as it flies a predetermined course and ejects a decoy

10

of this invention. Cruise missile

7

can be a submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile or some other radar-evading missile. In accordance with this invention, the Tomahawk cruise missile (UGM 109D), originally designed to deliver four payload modules of six small sub-munitions each to multiple targets, is adapted to carry a separate decoy

10

in a protective decoy shell

11

in each stowage space

12

and eject decoy

10

from its stowage space

12

in accordance with a predetermined launch sequence. This adaptation allows a single submarine or other launch platform to launch many decoys

10

from one or more cruise missiles in a wide field to transmit many false messages or radio beacons to deceive and confuse defensive forces.

Referring to

FIG. 2

in conjunction with

FIG. 1

, decoy shell

11

of each decoy

10

has virtually the same dimensions as the sub-munitions pack it replaces in stowage space

12

and is made from strong metal or plastic materials to provide impact and environmental protection for components of decoy

10

. Decoy shell

11

is internally divided into three compartments, a parachute compartment

13

containing a folded parachute

14

, an antenna compartment

19

housing an antenna

20

, and a components compartment

23

containing a radio transmitter

24

, control unit

25

and associated components.

Parachute compartment

13

in decoy shell

11

not only stows parachute

14

, it additionally is provided with a lanyard

15

, an arming switch

16

, and a lanyard release

17

. Lanyard

15

has a weak point, or weak point section

15

a

that is made to break and separate first and second sections

15

′ and

15

″. This separation, in turn, separates decoy

10

from missile

7

when decoy

10

is subjected to slipstream loading during the sequence of launch from missile

7

. Lanyard

15

is secured to parachute

14

via lanyard portion

15

b

, to a pin

16

a

on arming switch

16

via lanyard portion

15

c

, and to a lanyard release

17

via lanyard portion

15

d

in the interior of parachute compartment

13

. Lanyard portions

15

b

,

15

c

, and

15

d

together make up first section

15

′ of lanyard

15

. Lanyard

15

is looped under parachute

14

and lanyard portion

15

e

, (second section

15

″ of lanyard

15

) extends from parachute compartment

13

through a small slot

18

a

in a cover portion

18

of protective shell

11

, and is secured to a closure door

31

of missile

7

. Cover

18

is made of an easily frangible material, such as fabric or plastic that extends across folded parachute

14

to hold it in parachute compartment

13

prior to deployment of decoy

10

from cruise missile

7

. A lanyard release

17

containing an ignitable or explosive squib is connected to lanyard portion

15

d

and to an inner wall of parachute compartment

13

. Ignition of lanyard release

17

by a separation-control signal from control unit

25

separates lanyard

15

to free decoy

10

from parachute

14

.

Protective shell

11

has an antenna compartment

19

that contains an elongate antenna

20

coupled to an antenna spring

20

a

that exerts a biasing force to urge antenna

20

to a position extending away from the rest of the components of decoy

10

. Protective shell

11

is provided with an antenna compartment cover

21

that seals antenna compartment

19

, protects antenna

20

and antenna spring

20

a

from the ambient, and holds antenna

20

inside of antenna compartment

19

prior to deployment. A cover latch

21

a

possibly containing an ignitable or explosive squib holds antenna compartment cover

21

in a closed position on antenna compartment

19

until an appropriate open-control signal on lead

25

b

from control unit

25

is coupled to it. Ignition of cover latch

21

a

by the open-control signal frees spring-loaded hinge

22

that has been held in compression to pivotally rotate antenna compartment cover

21

and open it so that antenna

20

may be extended outwardly from decoy

10

by the force of spring

20

a

.

Components compartment

23

of decoy

10

contains radio transmitter

24

, control unit

25

, battery

26

, explosives

27

and motion sensor

28

plus their interconnections. Radio transmitter

24

is coupled by a lead

24

a

to antenna

20

to transmit radio signals. These radio signals can be preset in frequency and information content to act as false beacon signals or false message signals. The constituency of both these signals can be preprogrammed in transmitter

24

and transmitted in response to radio-control signals from control unit

25

that are communicated to transmitter

24

over lead

25

c.

Control unit

25

is coupled to battery

26

via lead

26

a

, for transmitter

24

over lead

26

b

and for all other control functions for decoy

10

. Control unit

25

provides the appropriate control signals mentioned hereinabove to effect internal control functions in decoy

10

. Control unit

25

is connected via lead

28

a

to motion sensor

28

to receive motion signals representative of motion and/or changed orientation of decoy

10

, for the purpose to be explained below. In addition, control unit

25

can couple a detonation-control signal over lead

25

d to explosives

27

to detonate explosives

27

and destroy decoy

10

after a preset period or on receipt of outside stimulus, such as from motion sensor

28

.

In operation, at least one cruise missile

7

located on board a launch platform is outfitted with decoys

10

and maintained in a state of readiness for launch of the decoys until notification arrives that an airman is downed in enemy territory. The attack party on the launch platform plots waypoints for a flight path over the designated area the airman is downed in and launches cruise missile

7

. Many different patterns of flight over the designated area may be plotted to assure that missile

7

ejects decoys

10

at timed intervals between waypoints to effectively deceive enemy searchers.

In

FIG. 1

, cruise missile

7

is shown just after ejection of the last decoy

10

of one payload module

29

. (There may be up to four payload modules on each Tomahawk cruise missile, and since each module holds

6

decoys, a total of

24

decoys can be deployed per missile.) The other decoys of payload module

29

have been deployed and closure doors

31

are shown rotated about an elongate hinge

32

and latched closed by latches

33

to provide fairings for the airframe of missile

7

for the rest of the flight. During and after ejection of decoy

10

, payload module

29

works substantially the same it would using the existing Tomahawk UGM-109D with the exception that only one decoy

10

is ejected at a time as compared to the procedure of ejecting six sub-munitions at a time during conventional deployments of the sub-munitions.

Upon ejection of each decoy

10

, lanyard portion

15

d

of lanyard

15

remains tethered to closure door

31

of its payload module

29

. While lanyard

15

is being pulled taut, lanyard portion

15

d

pulls closure door

31

shut while simultaneously pulling parachute

14

through tear-through cover

18

. As lanyard

15

continues to be pulled taut, lanyard portion

15

c

pulls pin

16

a

on arming switch

16

to activate control unit

25

. After closure door

31

is pulled shut and latched by lanyard

15

and parachute

14

is clear of missile

7

, the load created by the slipstream of ambient air around missile

7

breaks taut lanyard

15

at weak point section

15

a

to separate decoy

10

from missile

7

. Decoy

10

falls freely to earth and completes deployment of parachute

14

. The closed and latched closure doors

31

maintain a streamlined outer surface for missile

7

as it continues on its mission.

Referring to

FIG. 3

in conjunction with

FIGS. 1 and 2

, parachute

14

has filled and slowed the descent of decoy

10

, and decoy

10

has just touched down on ground

50

. On receipt of a signal from motion sensor

28

or after a first delay, control unit

25

provides a separation-control signal over lead

25

a

to initiate lanyard release

17

to separate parachute

14

from the rest of decoy

10

. After a second delay, control unit

25

provides an open-control signal on lead

25

b

to fire cover latch

21

a

so that spring-loaded hinge

22

pivotally rotates and snaps open cover

21

of antenna compartment

29

to allow antenna spring

20

a

to laterally extend antenna

20

. The curved surfaces of antenna compartment cover

21

and decoy shell

11

tend to prevent decoy

10

from coming to rest with antenna compartment

19

facing ground

50

.

If, however, antenna compartment

19

does face ground

50

, the relatively powerful spring-loaded hinge

22

is strong enough to pivotally rotate antenna compartment cover

21

and roll decoy

10

off antenna compartment

19

to allow antenna compartment cover

21

to open. With cover

21

forcefully rotated open by spring-loaded hinge

22

, antenna

20

is extended from antenna compartment

19

by antenna spring

20

a.

Now, or after a predetermined delay, control unit

25

activates radio transmitter

24

and may enable motion sensor

28

. Control unit

25

cycles transmitter

24

intermittently to optionally transmit false message and/or beacon signals over a prolonged period of time. Control unit

25

can be programmed to send a detonation signal over lead

25

d

to detonate explosive

27

and destroy decoy

10

. It may be expedient to destroy decoy

10

when the mission has been completed, the level of power in battery

26

falls below a specified level, a predetermined period has passed, or motion is sensed by motion sensor

28

that might indicate that decoy

10

is being tampered with.

Cruise missile

7

deploys decoys

10

at a safe standoff distance that does not place personnel and other assets in jeopardy in the vicinity of a downed crewmember. During intense air operations, a single submarine can be called upon to launch one or more cruise missiles

7

to simultaneously lay multiple fields of decoys

10

. These fields may be hundreds of miles apart to confuse searchers for several downed airmen at different locations. In addition to deceiving unfriendly searchers for downed airmen, decoys

10

may be dispersed in preparation of, or in conjunction with, an air strike or landing to deceive and draw away enemy troops and equipment.

The deployment of deceptive decoys

10

using existing cruise missiles

7

is an extension of the field of tactical application of this missile to further assure retention of this missile in inventory. After delivering the decoys, missile

7

, outfitted with GPS and using residual fuel as an incendiary could attack a specific target. Providing floats on each decoy

10

could permit use of such decoys over water for the purpose of confusing enemy searchers or tactically deceiving enemy naval forces. Cruise missile

7

and/or decoys

10

could be provided with cameras to gather and relay information on enemy strength and movements via loitering missile

7

and/or deployed decoys

10

.

The disclosed components and their arrangements as disclosed herein all contribute to the novel features of this invention. Decoy

10

and the deployment thereof by cruise missile

7

provide reliable and cost-effective means to help downed airmen deceive and evade capture by enemy defense forces. Therefore, decoy

10

and its deployment by cruise missile

7

as disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting, but rather, are intended to be demonstrative of this inventive concept.

It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.