A breakthrough technology for close-in counter-drone and APS protection systems.
The STAT rotating turret system is a close-in shield, a last layer of defense for vehicle and platoon-scale protection. It is the only APS/CUAS system that can engage multiple targets at the same time. The system also boasts a deep magazine and it can aim and fire countermeasures on a millisecond timescale.
This introduction briefly explains key aspects of the new system, referred to as STAT(Spinning Turret Active Targeting), a novel APS proposal featuring a continuously rotating turret with multiple circular arrays of countermeasure launch tubes and non-radiating (stealthy) threat sensors.
In the world of Active Protection Systems, speed is life. A primary objective of STAT is to enhance the speed of aiming and launching protective countermeasures. The system has the capability of engaging all threats from hovering drones up to and including high-velocity threats, such as tank-fired rounds and ATGMs. The spinning turret eliminates latencies associated with conventional slewing mechanisms. By bringing individual countermeasure barrels into alignment with the threat vector at regular millisecond intervals the system ensures defensive countermeasure aiming and launching latencies on the order of 10-20milliseconds. This innovative approach effectively addresses the most important factor in APS design.
Imagine you are surrounded by a swarm of autonomous FPV drones, all inbound from different directions and elevations. The STAT active protection system is capable of engaging multiple threats simultaneously due to the number and hemispherical distribution of the system’s countermeasure launch tubes. The system can deploy multiple countermeasures in multiple directions at the same time. There are no other APS or CUAS systems that possess this capability. For vehicle or platoon-level anti drone swarm protection the STAT rotating-turret system is a breakthrough technology.
The continuously rotating turret incorporates launch tubes arranged in circular arrays, with varying elevation angles among each array. This configuration enables the system to cover all approaches to a defended vehicle or emplacement, providing a protective hemisphere that extends from ground level to directly overhead. As the turret rotates, it sweeps all the launch tubes around a 360-degree azimuth, creating a hemispherical defensive umbrella.
The rotating turret carries a significant number of countermeasures, typically ranging from 6 to 12 per array, multiplied by 5 to 6 arrays. With all the countermeasures accessible at any point on the 360-degree azimuth, the system provides enhanced operational flexibility, enabling numerous engagements before requiring replenishment.
By rapidly deploying multiple countermeasures into the pathway of an oncoming threat the system significantly increases the probability of successful interdiction. This aspect is particularly advantageous for dealing with high-velocity threats, which are beyond the capabilities of most legacy APS. The STAT system can inject multiple hard-kill countermeasures into the pathway of an incoming missile, drone, artillery, HEAT, or KEP round, in less than 100 milliseconds. The threat must travel through multiple sequential hard-kill detonations to reach its target.
The STAT APS counters drones by employing physical interdiction, rendering jamming-resistant guidance systems irrelevant. This capability ensures robust defense against the latest emerging drone threats such as Fiber Optic-Controlled and Autonomous Drones.
Radar ID and targeting systems give your position away to the enemy. The STAT system anticipates the use of non-emitting (no radar signature) sensors, such as infrared, LIDAR, and video, which don't reveal your position. The centrally located turret's dome-shaped design allows for the integration of non-emitting sensors alongside countermeasure barrels, maintaining the same coordinate system as the defensive umbrella. This alignment simplifies threat identification and targeting. By utilizing the data from the array of sensors, the system can extract information about threat velocity, trajectory, and approach vectors. This information is processed to acquire a countermeasure firing solution, selecting the appropriate array, barrels and launch timing that will result in one or more countermeasures intercepting the threat(s).
The STAT APS is a candidate for AI powered sensor fusion utilizing Edge AI techniques, which consist of pre-trained inference models deployed on local processors. Multiple sensor types combined in this way offer high performance and reduced development time. Improved software models may be downloaded to vehicles in the field (OTA updates) and empirical data from the field can be uploaded to enhance training of the inference models.
There are several APS/CUAS proposals that pose significant risk of collateral damage and unintended kills. Megawatt lasers or swarms of bullets are deadly to unintended targets that are downrange or in line with intended targets. The STAT close-in APS is range-limited to its hemispherical defended zone. This makes STAT one of the safest systems for close-in CUAS/APS operations.
The STAT APS fulfills all the requirements outlined for future active protection systems as stated in the report by the respected National Academies of Sciences, entitled “Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Capability for Battalion-and-Below Operations”. Specifically, those requirements are: Low SWaP (System Weight and Power), deep magazine, and multiple stored kills. Mobility, maintainability, and low cost are also key factors for practical “battalion and below” CUAS and APS deployments.
Morris IP’s published patents and research led to consultations with world-leading military R&D centers, including the US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, the US Naval Air Weapons Station (NAVAIR), and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The STAT active protection system is a highly innovative system that is built on established technology. There are no unsolved technical issues in the STAT system architecture. No “magic science”. The STAT APS can be built and supported by mainstream technical organizations.
The technical team that conceived and developed the STAT APS is available for consultation prior to the sale of the IP, as well as post-acquisition. We stand ready to help your organization bring this revolutionary innovation to the global defense industry.
For more information visit www.morris-ip.com.
