Missiles Rebecca Lucast

This is what I am going to talk about Theory of missile guidance systems Different kinds of systems and the weapons they support (shorter range than intercontinental) Specific guidance that uses radar and how it does so Applications: Star Wars

Theory of Missile Guidance

Different Types of Systems Beam Riding Command Guidance Navigation Inertial Ranging Celestial Geophysical Homing Passive Semiactive Active Retransmission

Beam Riding Outdated technology, in use in the 1950s Target painted by tracking beam, which missile would follow Computer calculated where missile was in beam to keep it aimed to target Poor at longer ranges

Command Guidance Like Beam, needs external targeting radar Tracks target and missile, sends information to missile to guide it into target Can be radio- or wire-guided, as in TOW or submarine torpedoes

Navigation Inertial– detect changes in position and movement Ties into last week, right? Ranging– GPS, airport beacons Celestial– mapped stars like early explorers Geophysical– terrain and digital scene matching

Inertial Gyroscopes (mechanical and laser) and accelerometers monitor rotation and acceleration on the axes Computer calculates changes to know position

Ranging GPS triangulates position, compares to programmed target position Like early explorers, keep track of position relative to known stars Celestial

Geophysical Scene matching compares what missile “sees” during flight to programmed aerial or space photos Course adjusted until pictures match Tomahawk cruise missile guidance system Terrain features programmed into missile Radar altimeter to tell missile where it is

Homing Guidance Passive Sidewinder and HARM weapons Locks onto signal given off by target, calculates relative position of target, guides in Can be heat signal, instrument noise, sound, or a visual image of target Air-to-air, air-to-surface, and other missiles Sidewinder and HARM weapons

Homing Guidance Semi-active Sparrow and Paveway Missile detects reflected signal broadcast by targeting radar Calculates relative position of target, guides in Sparrow and Paveway Paveway are laser guided, not radar External laser beam from air or ground reflects from target to incoming missile

Homing Guidance Active AMRAAM and Exocet weapons “Fire and Forget” Missile broadcasts own targeting radar Detects reflection, guides into target AMRAAM and Exocet weapons

Homing Guidance Retransmission Patriot missile system Similar to command guidance in that missile does not “think” Missile detects reflection, sends information to tracking computer External computer sends course-correction controls back to missile Need reliable communication back to missile Patriot missile system

US Missile Defense System “Star Wars” Ground-based radar to detect launch of enemy missile Follow path, distinguish from false targets Transmit data to friendly intercept missile to guide it into target Completely destroy enemy missile in the air to prevent possible ground contamination?

Acknowledgements www.HowStuffWorks.com www.aerospaceweb.org for diagrams, overview http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/missiledefense/nmd.html http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/mdalink/pdf/bmdsbook.pdf for missile defense diagram