Patent ID: 8205536
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: B64D,F41F,F41G,F42B,G01S

Abstract:
1. An integrated weapons pod capable of adding self-contained offensive weapons capability to a vehicle, comprising a plurality of pod components including a targeting system, a weapons bay, a central processing unit (“CPU”), a wireless data link, and an external shell, wherein: the external shell houses the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in a single freestanding unit; the weapons bay is configured to house one or more weapons and deploy the one or more weapons at a target; the CPU is operable to autonomously control operation of the targeting system, the weapons bay, the wireless data link, and the vehicle; the targeting system is operable to provide to the one or more weapons location information identifying a location of the target; the wireless data link is operable to exchange data with a remote operator, and wherein the external shell houses the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in the single freestanding unit such that the external shell houses systems for autonomously deploying a weapon of the weapons bay at a target without reliance on the vehicle, and wherein the CPU housed in the external shell is operable to transmit one or more navigation commands to an autopilot system such that the CPU of the integrated weapons pod automatically controls the movement of the vehicle.