Concept analysis and laboratory observations on a water piercing missile launcher

Abstract

The water piercing missile launcher (WPML) is a new concept for launching missiles from submerged platforms. The WPML employs a high speed gas jet, using rocket exhaust as the gas source, to create a dry path underwater through which a missile may pass without contacting water. The gas jet is deflected due to cross flow and the gas jet trajectory is computed through a semi-empirical relationship commonly used to describe single phase jet deflection. This relationship, which requires an experimentally determined constant to predict jet deflection, is computed using experimental data. Uncoupled simulations of rocket exhaust and missile dynamics are shown to demonstrate how such a launcher could be utilized in launching a generic artillery missile. Although the results indicate the optimal launch depth, in terms of maximizing the launch depth while minimizing missile restraint time, is 14 m given an 8 m/s submarine speed it may be possible to launch a missile from a moving submarine at a speed of 5 m/s at a maximum depth of 20 m.