KEYWORDS: Computing systems, Digital signal processing, Weapons, Thermal weapon sights, Laser range finders, Control systems, Distance measurement, Firearms, Thermal weapon sites, Signal processing
The HuntIR long range thermal weapon sight of AIM is deployed in various out of area missions since 2004
as a part of the German Future Infantryman system (IdZ). In 2007 AIM fielded RangIR as upgrade with
integrated laser Range finder (LRF), digital magnetic compass (DMC) and fire control unit (FCU). RangIR fills
the capability gaps of day/night fire control for grenade machine guns (GMG) and the enhanced system of the
IdZ. Due to proven expertise and proprietary methods in fire control, fast access to military trials for optimisation
loops and similar hardware platforms, AIM and the University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg (HSU)
decided to team for the development of suitable fire control algorithms. The pronounced ballistic trajectory
of the 40mm GMG requires most accurate FCU-solutions specifically for air burst ammunition (ABM) and
is most sensitive to faint effects like levelling or firing up/downhill. This weapon was therefore selected to
validate the quality of the FCU hard- and software under relevant military conditions. For exterior ballistics the
modified point mass model according to STANAG 4355 is used. The differential equations of motions are solved
numerically, the two point boundary value problem is solved iteratively. Computing time varies according to the
precision needed and is typical in the range from 0.1 - 0.5 seconds. RangIR provided outstanding hit accuracy
including ABM fuze timing in various trials of the German Army and allied partners in 2007 and is now ready
for series production. This paper deals mainly with the fundamentals of the fire control algorithms and shows
how to implement them in combination with any DSP-equipped thermal weapon sights (TWS) in a variety of
light supporting weapon systems.
Military camps in out-of-area missions are permanently threatened by rockets, artillery projectiles, and mortar
grenades (RAM) launched by terrorists. A good portion of these attacks are undertaken by mortars due to their
specific advantages for the warfare of irregular forces and their worldwide distribution. The military installations
can be protected by counter-RAM systems consisting of several artillery weapons, radar and electro-optical
sensors, C2 and fire control computers. A system analysis has shown that the precision of the sensors is vital for
defending the camp with low ammunition consumptions. Furthermore, the type of ammunition is also of great
impact: 35 mm Ahead ammunition is hardly suited for this application due to its small hit density and low
kinetic energy of the sub-projectiles, especially in the case of mortar grenades. Therefore, 155 mm high-explosive
(HE) ammunition is investigated using experimentally determined fragment data. Russian mortar projectiles are
considered as worst-case RAM targets and their ballistics are mathematically modeled by an air drag function
that is also used for computing firing tables. Due to uncertainties of the target positions that are given by an
elliptic cylinder for specific sensor parameters, simulations are conducted in order to determine the ammunition
consumption. Penetration and detonation criteria for the terminal impact are also considered and the resulting
thresholds are displayed in a 3D fragment map. The results show that HE ammunition is superior to low-caliber
ammunition because of their high numbers of effective fragments reducing the number of rounds significantly
from hundreds to less than ten.
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