Device for locating artillery and sniper positions

A device for locating artillery and sniper fire with a sensor and acoustically triggered marking means. An igniter is provided with the acoustic sensor and is adjustable in terms of frequency and/or pulse pattern. A remover preventer is provided and the components are provided in a shell-proof housing whereby removal triggers the marking means.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to a device for locating artillery and 
sniper positions during the firing of a shot by sensors operating as a 
triggering mechanism for signalling. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
As is currently known, artillery and sniper weapons are frequently used 
nonspecifically against civilian targets, and therefore they represent a 
terrorist potential, whose "drying up" is a priority in peace-keeping 
missions. As was demonstrated by the recent past, the problems linked with 
the location especially of light and medium artillery weapons, such as 
mortars, etc., have yet to be solved. 
Artillery positions are fought, in general, by measuring the firing guns 
with acoustic sensors, etc., and subsequently firing on them. Furthermore, 
a modem measuring instrument of high accuracy is available in the form of 
an artillery observation radar system. The firing is carried out, in 
general, with artillery shells, guided missiles, drop bombs, etc. These 
combat means have a lethal effect without exception, and they basically go 
beyond the scope of self defense, especially for so-called "peace-keeping 
units," such as the U.N. units. Such units are therefore consistently 
required to have a very high deployment threshold. Because of the great 
prevailing time intervals between terrorist artillery deployment, etc., 
and the need for combat measures and finally their use, these measures may 
sometimes be directed against the wrong targets, and then they will 
considerably contribute to the escalation of the conflict or the start up 
of another conflict. 
In DE 42 28 539 A1, the applicant proposed a complicated multisensor system 
for the recognition and the identification of weapons and combat 
situations, which is much too expensive for deployment against terrorism. 
The circumstances are different in the case of snipers; they can be fought 
only individually in the short range, and they have at any time the 
possibility of escaping the action of the peace-keeping units, e.g., by 
disappearing among the civilian population. 
A large number of devices for locating and protecting objects have been 
known from the state of the art; e.g., an open-ground monitoring system 
using acoustic pick-ups has been known from DE 29 00 444, or an alarm 
device operating without installation has been known from DE 35 04 552. 
However, all these object protection devices are only poorly suitable or 
completely unsuitable for a variable use for controlling terrorist 
actions. 
SUMMARY AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a deployment 
means which can be used both to support the combating of artillery and to 
combat snipers, which is generally readily and rapidly available, and 
which guarantees location in all cases. 
According to the invention, a device is provided for locating artillery and 
sniper positions during the firing of a shot from one or more positions. 
An acoustic sensor is employed as a triggering mechanism. An igniter is 
provided for signalling. The igniter is coupled to an acoustic sensor. The 
acoustic sensor is adjustable in terms of frequency and/or pulse pattern. 
The acoustic sensor is disposed in a shell-proof housing and is connected 
to removal preventer means for preventing removal. The removal preventer 
means preferably triggers the igniter upon tampering or otherwise 
disturbing the housing and/or triggering mechanism. The igniter as well as 
the other components are in functional connection with an optical 
signalling means which is disposed in the housing. The igniter acts to 
release the optical signalling means upon actuation by the acoustic 
sensor. 
The acoustic sensor preferably includes programming means for detecting a 
particular signature. The acoustic sensor is preferably designed as an 
adjustable acoustic sensor, adjustable to a threshold value-limited 
frequency spectrum in a caliber-specific manner. 
The signalling means can be a combination of various different pyrotechnic 
components to provide an unambiguous optical coding, by providing 
different colors or different color combinations. Preferably, the 
signalling means is designed as light flares with a corresponding blasting 
cup or as a "Greek fire" (an incendiary composition, any of several 
flammable mixtures). 
According to the invention, the removal prevention means is preferably 
designed as a mercury switch. With this arrangement, any attempt to remove 
the device or more particularly to tamper with or to remove the igniter 
leads to ignition and to deployment of the optical signalling means. 
Preferably, the device is either deployed in advance, at locations around a 
compound or position or, in the alternative, the device is employed using 
components for arrangement on dispensers and guided missiles or is 
designed for deployment with rifle grenade firing means or the like. 
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are 
pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part 
of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its 
operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference 
is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which 
preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings in particular the present invention comprises 
placing a specially designed marking means either preventively in places 
suitable for artillery or sniper positions or to bring them with deploying 
means to already occupied, reconnoitered positions. Such deploying means 
depend, of course, on the deployment in question. These may be, e.g., 
mobile dispensers, guided missiles or mine-laying systems for artillery 
positions, or so-called rifle grenades for sniper positions in already 
occupied positions. 
The device for locating artillery and snipers is composed of an extensively 
shell-proof container 10 of small volume, about 0.5 to 1 L, with the 
following components: 
a) an igniter 11 equipped with an acoustic triggering sensor, wherein the 
sensor can be set to the shot noise signature of the guns, mortars, 
machine guns or ordinary ammunition to be fought, using the signature 
acoustic pattern as it occurs in an area with a distance of less than 100 
m in the case of so-called "heavy artillery." In addition, the igniter is 
provided with a so-called removal preventer 12, which automatically 
triggers the signaling means 13 when removal, evacuation or shelling is 
attempted. This removal preventer may be, e.g., a simple mercury switch. 
b) a pyrotechnic signaling means, which is visible beyond the limits of 
built-in and overgrown areas and is also active for a certain time, e.g., 
15-30 sec. It may be light flares with the corresponding blasting cup or 
so-called "Greek fire." 
As can be seen in FIG. 1, the device preferably provides the extensively 
shell-proof container 10 with optical signalling means 13 disposed 
therein. The igniter 11 is disposed preferably connected with the removal 
preventer means which is in functional connection with the igniter for 
setting off the igniter automatically or for automatically triggering the 
signalling means 13 upon attempts to remove the device or remove the 
acoustic sensor or attempts to evacuate the device or shell the device. 
With this small volume device as shown in FIG. 1, the device may be 
disposed as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C. FIG. 2A shows the device in a 
deployed position. FIG. 2B shows an acoustic wave approaching the 
position. Assuming that the acoustic wave is in a frequency range set for 
the igniter 11, the optical display is deployed as is shown in FIG. 2C. 
The above-described device for locating the guns or rifles in question to 
be monitored and its signaling means for marking same is triggered when 
one or more shots are fired in the detection area of the sensor 11. 
However, it is not triggered when the signature of a detected shot does 
not correspond to the stored signature (pulse pattern, frequency spectrum, 
etc.). 
The stored signature may be variably programmable in one embodiment; it may 
be preset by selection from igniters set differently in a second 
embodiment; and it may be a wide-band signature with threshold values in a 
third embodiment. Thus, it is possible to set only an evaluation of 
low-frequency components for detecting large calibers, or the evaluation 
of high frequencies for detecting rifle fire. 
The optical marking by a pyrotechnical signaling means, which is visible 
from over great distances, enables even a smaller observation troop to 
monitor a large area, to directly locate snipers or artillery, etc., to 
correctly assign combating means, as well as to document the result of the 
observation. 
Other variations are possible; it is possible, e.g., to additionally obtain 
a coding system by different shaping of the pyrotechnic signaling means, 
e.g., by different or combined colors, in the case of individual placement 
at a gun, even in the course of a checking of heavy artillery. For 
example, satisfactory distinction of guns of one party from those of the 
other party is guaranteed. 
In the case of deployment over inaccessible or defended positions by means 
of carrier shells or missiles, destruction of the carrier in question at a 
sufficient altitude above the position to be monitored is necessary. This 
can be achieved by means of conventional proximity fuses based on radar or 
laser in the carrier itself. 
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described 
in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the 
invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied 
otherwise without departing from such principles.