Precision guidance system for aircraft launched bombs

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Briefly stated, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved navigation and maneuver system for conventional bombs, in which the above mentioned disadvantages have been substantially ameliorated.
Rather than the familiar GPS guidance and the on off thruster devices normally associated with thrusters, the present invention employs a unique and innovative "virtual umbilical" method to directly initialize the bomb GPS unit while still in the bomb/cargo bay, an inverse trajectory two point boundary guidance law to continually define best path guidance options using position and velocity states only, an innovative adaptive forward predictor polynomial network for guidance law implantation, and a compact jet reaction control system to effect bomb to target maneuver.
An RF (Radio Frequency) "virtual umbilical" weapon link uses an RF repeater to broadcast the GPS data obtained from the aircraft GPS system into the aircraft weapons bay to provide ephemeris and space vehicle clock data directly to the bomb for initialization.
This method eliminates expensive changes to the aircraft by using the already installed GPS receiver system.
It also provides for real-time bomb initialization while still in the weapons bay and significantly reduces the time in acquiring of the GPS satellite constellation.
An Adaptive Forward Predictor uses a polynomial network which permits the guidance law to be implemented with a multiplication concept rather than an integration concept.
It also allows the trajectory to be wind compensated, permitting the guidance computer to be a low-cost 386-type processor chip.
Moreover, the invention allows the bomb control forces to be obtained during flight using simple multiplication.
A jet Reaction Control Device makes use of a typical gas jet control system to effect bomb maneuver to the target.
It permits the maneuver to be accomplished using an extremely low-cost approach.
The compact jet reaction control concept permits the entire guidance kit to be packaged in an extremely small volume