Patent ID: 7494090

Claim:
A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs); and an adapter, including, a support structure configured to support the KVs during launch and deploy the KVs with a mission plan to engage a target cloud; a bi-directional space-to-ground data link to receive updates on the mission plan and transmit mission information on KV deployment and target engagement; and a bi-directional space-to-space data link to transmit the mission plan to at least one designated master KV and receive said mission information, wherein each said autonomous KV comprises, a bi-directional space-to-space data link to communicate with the other KVs and the adapter, an inertial measurement system configured to determine the KV's position and orientation, a passive sensor system configured to image a determined target volume of the target cloud and provide discrimination to support unambiguous assignment of targets from the mission plan, a divert attitude control system (DACS) with a kinematic reach to remove insertion error and prosecute the determined target volume; and a guidance unit configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement as the designated master KV and to self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for the determined target volume assigned by the designated master KV.