Method and device for the display of targets and/or target positions using data acquisition means of a weapons system

The invention pertains mainly to a method and a device for the display of targets and/or target positions using the data acquisition means of a weapons system. The device of the present invention can be used to display the target or the direction of the target acquired by missile homing heads. This data comes as a complement, and other data on the position of the target is used to ascertain that the homing head is properly locked on as well as to supplement any lack of information caused, for example, by a breakdown in the display systems. The invention can be applied mainly to the building of anti-aircraft defense launching platform or anti-aircraft and anti-tank launching platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention pertains chiefly to a method and a device for the display of 
targets and/or target positions using data acquisition means of a weapons 
system. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Means exist in the prior art for fitting missiles with data acquisition 
means used to locate targets in azimuth and elevation. 
There also exist data acquisition means in the prior art, used to display a 
target and/or target position before a missile is launched. 
These data acquisition means make it possible: 
to identify a target as a friend or foe and to make a choice of enemy 
targets which are sought to be destroyed as a priority: 
to lock the data acquisition means of the missile onto the chosen target; 
to ascertain that the data acquisition means of the missile are properly 
locked onto the target aimed at. 
The device of the present invention can be used, before the missile is 
launched, to gather information from the data acquisition means of the 
missile to complement data gathered by the data acquisition means of the 
launching platform (especially the fire control means). 
The device of the present invention can be used, in particular, to gather 
additional data on the target, for example data from a sensor in another 
frequency band, to collect information when the data acquisition means at 
the launching site are not pointed towards the target or when the data 
acquisition means have been destroyed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The main object of the invention is a device to launch missiles with homing 
heads comprising display means, a device essentially comprising means to 
display the targets and/or target positions, given by the missile, on the 
display means 
Another object of the invention is a method for the display of targets 
and/or target positions on the display means of a missile-launching 
platform, a method wherein the data acquisition means of a weapons system 
are used.

FIGS. 1 to 5 use the same reference numerals to designate the same 
elements. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows a launching platform 7 for missiles 1, 2, 3 and 4. The 
missiles 1, 2, 3 and 4 are, for example, anti-aircraft missiles. The 
launching platform 7 is connected by a line 9 to a control device 8. The 
control device 8 comprises, in particular, a computer capable of gathering 
data which are transmitted to it and of sending control signals, through a 
line 9, to the servo-control circuits of the launching platform 7. 
The launching platform 7 has data acquisition means, for example a camera 
5, which is sensitive in a visible spectrum, as well as an infra-red 
camera 6. Furthermore, the control device 8 is advantageously connected to 
other data acquisition devices such as, for example, a radar 10, an 
optical device 42 (helmet) for target-designation, a laser telemeter 43 or 
an identification friend-or-foe device 44 (IFF). In the example of FIG. 1, 
the radar 10 is connected to the control device 8 by radio-electrical 
communications means 11. 
The control device 8 is linked to man/machine interfaces. For example, the 
device 8 is linked to a cathode tube screen 17 used to display pictures 
gathered by the cameras 5 and/or 6, a circular scanning screen 18 used to 
display the information gathered by the radar 10, a keyboard 19 and a 
control stick 20. 
There are several types of missiles, especially missiles comprising an 
infra-red homing head, a radar homing head, a visible spectrum homing head 
or an image-processing device. During the procedure for firing a missile, 
for example the missile 4, towards an aircraft (not shown in the diagram): 
The homing head 12 of the missile 4 is activated; 
The launching platform 7 is aimed in the direction of the aircraft so that 
the homing head 12 can be locked into the aircraft; 
The launching platform 7 is aimed so that the missile 4 has a lead angle 
enabling the interception of the aircraft. 
When the firing platform 7 is pointed, enabling the missile 4 to take a 
lead angle, the television cameras 5 and 6 are no longer aimed in the 
direction of the missile. Thus, it is no longer possible to ascertain, up 
to the moment of firing, if the homing head 12 of the missile 4 is still 
locked onto the target. 
The homing head 12 may be unlocked, for example, by the motion of the 
firing platform 7, by sudden evasive action by the aircraft, or if the 
aircraft goes behind an obstacle, such as a clump of trees for example, or 
again if the homing head 12 gets locked into a more powerful radiation 
source such as another aircraft or decoys. 
In gathering and displaying data transmitted by the homing head 12 of the 
missile 4 before firing, the control device 8 makes it possible to 
ascertain, right up to the instant of firing, that the homing head 12 is 
properly locked onto the target aimed at. 
Furthermore, the device of the present invention can be used for operation 
in a restricted mode. Thus, the operator can always point the firing 
platform 7 towards an aircraft by means of the control stick 20, if the 
television cameras 5 and 6 are unavailable. It suffices, for example, to 
superimpose a crosshair 15 on the screen 17, indicating the position of a 
target given by data acquisition means of the missile (homing head) with 
the center of the screen corresponding to the direction in which the 
turret is pointed. 
In an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention, the 
control device 8 automatically aims the firing platform 7 towards the 
aircraft on the basis of the data transmitted by the homing head 12. 
It is understood that the homing head 12 can transmit data only if it is 
activated. The homing head of the missile is activated by using a 
sequencer, which is included, for example, in the control device 8. Thus, 
the automatic aiming of the firing platform is particularly advantageous 
when using infra-red homing heads which have a limited lifetime. 
FIG. 1 shows the missiles 1 and 2 in storage containers. It is clear that 
the homing heads 12 of the missiles 1 and 2 can collect data only after 
the shielding tubes have been jettisoned. The missiles 3 and 4 correspond 
to an alternative embodiment with no shelding tubes. 
The use of another type or other types of missiles, or of a greater number 
of missiles, is not beyond the scope of the present invention. 
FIG. 2 shows a firing platform 7 comprising four missiles 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 
a television camera 5. The television camera 5 is, for example, a camera 
sensitive to visible light. Thus the firing platform 7 of FIG. 2 is an 
economical version of the firing platform 7 of FIG. 1. These performances 
are below those of the firing platform 7 of FIG. 1, especially at night. 
In the example of the use of missiles comprising a passive infra-red 
homing head, it is possible, at night, to use the homing head to determine 
the position of the target, take the decision to fire, and give the 
missiles a lead angle for the interception of the target. 
FIG. 3 shows an example of data displayed by a display scren 13. The 
display screen 13, a cathode tube for example, shows an aircraft 14 as 
well as a crosshair 15. The aircraft 14 is, for example, automatically 
tracked by the firing platform 7 in azimuth and in elevation. The 
crosshair 15 shows the aiming position of the homing head of the missiles. 
Should the picture of the aircraft 14 be unusable, the crosshair 15 can be 
superimposed on the center of the screen 13 to make the pad 7 point in the 
direction of the aircraft 14. Advantageously, the superimposition of the 
crosshair 15 on the center of the screen 13 is facilitated by the presence 
of a crosshair 30 at the center. 
FIG. 4 shows an example of data displayed by a display screen when 
introducing a lead angle for the pad 7. The aircraft 14 is no longer at 
the center of the screen 13. In the example illustrated by the FIG. 4, the 
enlargement obtained by the television camera, for example the camera 5, 
is smaller than the enlargement in FIG. 3. The aircraft is at the edge of 
the image. The crosshair 15 is superimposed on the aircraft 14. Depending 
on its distance and speed, the aircraft may completely disappear from the 
screen 13. In this case, the crosshair 15 may be found, for example, at 
the edge of the picture. 
FIG. 5 shows the display screen of a radar (plan position indicator PPI). 
The radar screen 16 shows four echoes 14, 141, 142 and 143. In the example 
illustrated in FIG. 5, the operator has chosen the aircraft corresponding 
to the echo 14 as a target. Thus, once the locking-on operation is done, 
the crosshair 15 is superimposed on the screen 16 at the echo 14. 
The invention is not limited to anti-aircraft defense equipment. The 
invention also applies to land, sea or combined (land, sea and air) 
targets. The invention can be applied to platform 7 for the launching of 
missiles 1, 2, 3 and 4 comprising a homing head 12, means for the display 
of targets 5, 6, 10, 13 and 16. 
The device according to the present invention can be applied mainly to 
anti-aircraft defense platform comprising missiles with passive infra-red 
homing devices 12, as well as to anti-aircraft firing or anti-tank firing 
platform.