Twin Missile Weapon Idea

[Cobra]

Hey Guys,i tried to search Google,to see if Something bugging me was ever Researched:has Anyone tried to Develop a Twin Missile system for use on Bombers? i know it sounds a Little 'Gerry Anderson' but, i've seen in Books some Pretty Wild Missiles & Missile Projets.  Think it would Work? thanks for looking.Dan

[Maverick]

Dan, what do you mean by 'twin missile'?  Like a dual role (aa/ag) type weapon?

Regards,

Mav

[Cobra]

i mean 2 Missiles that Seperate after being launched, a Joined Missile that becomes 2 Missiles. does that Help? Dan

[rickshaw]

Shorts Starstreak MANPADS has three sub "missiles" or "darts" which separate after the booster has finished firing and fly in a loose formation under guidance to the target.    They are designed to increase the likelihood of a hit.

ICBMs and SLBMs utilise MIRV warheads in a similar vein (although they predate Starstreak by a long margin), utilising multiple, often independently targeted warheads which are boosted on a common missile.  Once the booster ceases firing, the "bus" separates and flies a short distance and then the MIRVs and decoys separate and fly to their targets.

[Mr.Creak]

TGSM (terminally guided sub-missile) and Tank/ Assault Breaker were, as far as I remember something along these lines, although both had more than two missiles carried in the main body.

[Maverick]

The Assault Breaker concept was, IIRC, a sub-munition that was guided but unpowered.  I guess one could upscale the concept to a larger weapon and give the individual sub weapons some form of propulsion.  With the various guided FFARs and SDBs being developed, one could also use a larger weapon as a vehicle for these type of weapons.

Regards,

Mav

[rallymodeller]

Strictly speaking, I suppose, the cluster-bomb-armed anti-airfield version of the BGM-109 Tomahawk was this; after it had dispensed all it's sub-munitions the missile itself would impact somewhere useful.

[Mr.Creak]

BAT.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Anti-Tank_%28BAT%29

[pyro-manic]

I've previously proposed a SEAD system whereby a large ALARM-type loitering missile flies in at a high altitude (along with some decoys), and dispenses multiple small anti-radiation missiles to hit any radar systems that present themselves. Couple that with a ground-mapping system to find the launchers as well when they fire, and the "parent" missile can destroy those as well. OK, it's more of a UAV then than a missile, but that's the way things seem to be going anyway (as unexciting as it is).

[rickshaw]

I've previously proposed a SEAD system whereby a large ALARM-type loitering missile flies in at a high altitude (along with some decoys), and dispenses multiple small anti-radiation missiles to hit any radar systems that present themselves. Couple that with a ground-mapping system to find the launchers as well when they fire, and the "parent" missile can destroy those as well. OK, it's more of a UAV then than a missile, but that's the way things seem to be going anyway (as unexciting as it is).

The Germans developed a saturation anti-radar missile based on a single use UAV.  Can't remember the name but the idea was that you would set up a large number of these launcher boxes near the intended route of your strike package.  Just before the package arrived, you fired them and they would then destroy any radars they encountered until either their fuel ran out or they were destroyed.

As an alternative to your idea, why not make it an airship-UAV?  Near infinite loiter time.  It also be very difficult to see on radar.   Flies in as a normal UAV, inflates its envelope and it just hangs around firing at radars as they light up.   Would make the SAM crews' life hell.

[GTX]

The Germans developed a saturation anti-radar missile based on a single use UAV.  Can't remember the name but the idea was that you would set up a large number of these launcher boxes near the intended route of your strike package.  Just before the package arrived, you fired them and they would then destroy any radars they encountered until either their fuel ran out or they were destroyed.

Sounds similar to the IAI Harpy.  Was this German one a derivative of the Taifun-RS?

Regards,

Greg

[rickshaw]

The Germans developed a saturation anti-radar missile based on a single use UAV.  Can't remember the name but the idea was that you would set up a large number of these launcher boxes near the intended route of your strike package.  Just before the package arrived, you fired them and they would then destroy any radars they encountered until either their fuel ran out or they were destroyed.

Sounds similar to the IAI Harpy.  Was this German one a derivative of the Taifun-RS?

Regards,

Greg

I think it became the EADS Dornier DAR anti-radar drone, Greg.

[GTX]

Well in that case, we might as well be talking about the same thing - Harpy is essentially the Dornier Drohne DAR anti-radar drone:

Drohne:



IAI Harpy:



In 1989 Dornier GmbH (now part of EADS) and Israel Aircraft Industries tried to win a contract from the German government. Dornier provided the integration and adaptation of the Telefunken Systeme searcher. Due to lack of funds the German version Drohne Antiradar drone stalled while Israel began to sell the Harpy.

Here are some more images of the Drohne including a schematic of the operational profile:





Note the similarity of the launch with that of Harpy:



Regards,

Greg