Apparatus and System to Counter Drones Using Semi-Guided Fragmentation Rounds

Abstract

A battlefield weapon system is proposed to counter the threat posed by small drones. The system uses a standard .50 caliber machine gun firing explosive rounds, to create a flak bombardment to bring down the drone. A control system causes the round to fragment as it approaches the range of the target. The direction in which the round is fired is controlled manually by the gunner. The system is fully portable for dispersed deployment among infantry.

1 . As battlefield weaponry, a counter unmanned aerial system (CUAS), said system comprising:
 a. A man-portable machine gun or other weapon having automatic fire-and-reload that is capable of firing a succession of projectiles toward a target;   b. Fragmentation rounds. A fragmentation round is a bullet or projectile that is intended to be fired from said machine gun and incorporates some means of breaking itself apart or being broken apart into small pieces at a controlled moment in time for the purpose of disabling damaging and or destroying the target;   c. A means to control the timing or range of the fragmentation of the fragmentation rounds, such means being wholly or partially automated;   d. A range finder to determine the range of the target from said machine gun or other datum;   e. A control unit that accepts target range information and possibly other inputs to compute the timing of said round fragmentation with respect to target range and which is provided with the means of controlling the range and or timing of the said round fragmentation.   
     
     
         2 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the fragmentation rounds are interspersed with regular rounds or rounds of a different type, on the ammunition belt or magazine.   
     
     
         3 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein each fragmentation round is programmed during or after firing to arm it.   
     
     
         4 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein each round is programmed during or after firing to set a delay time after which the round will fragment.   
     
     
         5 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein each round is programmed during or after firing with information that will improve the resistance of the communication system to jamming or other interference.   
     
     
         6 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein a coil is magnetically coupled with the round for purposes of programming the round.   
     
     
         7 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein a coil is magnetically coupled with the round for the purposes of arming the round.   
     
     
         8 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the controller applies range prediction based on target motion.   
     
     
         9 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein monitoring of atmospheric conditions is applied as an input in the control of fragmentation timing.   
     
     
         10 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein measurement of the range at fragmentation of a round is used as part of a feedback mechanism within the computation of the required time delay to fragmentation for a subsequent round or rounds.   
     
     
         11 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the firing of the said fragmentation round is used in the arming of the fragmentation charge.   
     
     
         12 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the rifling-induced spin of the fragmentation round is used in the arming of the fragmentation charge.   
     
     
         13 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the cessation of the rifling-induced spin of the said fragmentation round is used to make safe the fragmentation charge.   
     
     
         14 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the machine gun is provided with a deflection sight or sight adjustment, such that some combination of the range of the target, azimuthal or elevation rate of the gun and atmospheric condition measurement are used to assist the machine gunner in aiming of the machine gun.   
     
     
         15 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein machine vision is used to determine the direction of the target to assist the range finding system.   
     
     
         16 . The system of
   claim 1  where Doppler effects are used to discriminate the target by its gross motion or by its internal moving parts for the purposes of determining target range.   
     
     
         17 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the range of the round immediately prior to fragmentation is known to the controller by means of secondary radar.   
     
     
         18 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the range of the round immediately prior to fragmentation is known to the controller by means of primary radar.   
     
     
         19 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein there is communication with the round by laser.   
     
     
         20 . The system of
   claim 1  wherein the fragmentation of the round is commanded directly by remote communications link.