Supplement: Power
Meeting the power needs of intelligent munitions
Reliable, consistent power to sensitive electronics is a critical factor in the design of intelligent munitions, says Christian Jonglas, customer support manager at GAIA Converter, requiring close attention to the need for flexibility in input power, thermal, size and certification requirements
W
eapons technology has changed dramatically in recent years with the development of intelligent munitions.
Taking advantage of advancements in high- reliability computing, advanced sensors and guidance systems, these intelligent munitions can locate, identify and attack targets over long distances. In doing so, they have been shown to have a higher success rate with less collateral damage compared to traditional weapons designs.
32 October 2024
A key foundation of the reliability of intelligent munitions lies in the power-delivery subsystems that support the advanced computing, sensor and actuation devices that are needed to complete a mission. These power systems need to be compact and able to handle environmental extremes, such as shock, vibration and high transient temperatures. In doing so, they ensure that the supply rails provided to each electronic control unit remain stable.
The development of intelligent munitions began with the Paveway series of laser-
Components in Electronics
guided bombs, tested in combat by the US Air Force in the late 1960s. Though the firing of bombs and missiles remains a human decision, intelligent munitions have gained more autonomous capabilities, such as with infrared or radar guidance, where the weapon follows the heat signature or the trajectory of a designated target. With artillery shells, inertial guidance is a common component. The shell steers itself in order to follow a pre-programmed trajectory using data from internal gyroscopes and accelerometers. For longer-range situations, precision-
guided artillery shells use the signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) to guide them towards targets - increasing the likelihood of a successful strike and reducing the risk of hitting bystanders or friendly forces. Concern over collateral damage is helping to drive interest in the use of intelligent munitions. Defensive applications are also gaining ground. Smart surface-to-air missiles have in recent conflicts become crucial to the protection of civilians, with a variety of techniques from laser guidance to full automation being used to strike incoming
www.cieonline.co.uk
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