Method of Applying Soft-Kill Deployment, a Soft-Kill Deployment System and a Computer Program Product

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of applying soft-kill deployment to mislead an incoming missile directed to a mother platform. The method comprises the step of predicting a number of miss distances associated with corresponding particular decoy launch parameter sets. Further, the method comprises the step of selecting a decoy parameter set having an optimal predicted miss distance. The method also comprises the step of transmitting the selected decoy parameter set to a launch unit for launching the decoy. Here, the predicting step includes the use of an adjoint algorithm.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of applying soft-kill deployment to mislead an incoming missile directed to a mother platform, the method comprising the steps of:
 predicting a number of miss distances associated with corresponding particular decoy launch parameter sets,   selecting a decoy parameter set having an optimal predicted miss distance; and   transmitting the selected decoy parameter set to a launch unit for launching the decoy;   wherein the predicting step includes the use of an adjoint algorithm, wherein the method further comprises the step of computing uncertainty data associated with a predicted miss distance, and wherein, in the step of selecting a decoy parameter set, the computed uncertainty data is taken into account,   further comprising a step of validating the effect of the launched decoy, the validation step comprising the substeps of:
 predicting a zero-effort miss distance, under platform lock on condition and/or decoy lock on condition; 
 measuring incoming missile data; 
 comparing the measured data with the predicted zero-effort miss distance or distances; 
 deducing, from the comparison results, on which entity the incoming missile is locked. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein an predicted miss distance are based on incoming missile parameters, mother platform parameters and the corresponding decoy launch parameter set. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the adjoint algorithm includes linearizing a non-linear prediction model. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the deducing step includes the use of computed uncertainty data corresponding with a predicted zero-effort miss distance. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of signaling an incoming missile. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of identifying a signalled incoming missile. 
     
     
         16 . A soft-kill deployment system, comprising:
 a launch unit for launching a decoy to mislead an incoming missile directed to a mother platform, and   a computer system provided with a processor that is arranged for performing the steps of:
 predicting a number of miss distances associated with corresponding particular decoy launch parameter sets, 
 selecting a decoy parameter set having an optimal predicted miss distance; and 
 transmitting the selected decoy parameter set to the launch unit for launching the decoy; 
   wherein the predicting step includes the use of an adjoint algorithm, and wherein the processor is further arranged for performing the step of computing uncertainty data associated with a predicted miss distance, and wherein, in the step of selecting a decoy parameter set, the computed uncertainty data is taken into account,   wherein the processor is further arranged for performing the step of:
 validating the effect of the launched decoy, the validation step comprising the substeps of: 
 predicting a zero-effort miss distance, under platform lock on condition and/or decoy lock on condition; 
 measuring incoming missile data; 
 comparing the measured data with the predicted zero-effort miss distance or distances; 
 deducing, from the comparison results, on which entity the incoming missile is locked. 
   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product for applying soft-kill deployment to mislead an incoming missile directed to a mother platform, the computer program product comprising computer readable code for causing a processor to perform the steps of:
 predicting a number of miss distances associated with corresponding particular decoy launch parameter sets,   selecting a decoy parameter set having an optimal predicted miss distance; and   transmitting the selected decoy parameter set to a launch unit for launching the decoy;   wherein the predicting step includes the use of an adjoint algorithm, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable code for causing a processor to perform the step of computing uncertainty data associated with a predicted miss distance, and wherein, in the step of selecting a decoy parameter set, the computed uncertainty data is taken into account,   and wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code for causing a processor to perform the steps of:
 validating the effect of the launched decoy, the validation step comprising the substeps of:
 predicting a zero-effort miss distance, under platform lock on condition and/or decoy lock on condition; 
 measuring incoming missile data; 
 comparing the measured data with the predicted zero-effort miss distance or distances; 
 deducing, from the comparison results, on which entity the incoming missile is locked.