Abstract
A concept of drone launched short range rockets (DLSRR) is presented. A drone or an aircraft rises DLSRR to a release altitude of up to 20 km. At the release altitude, the drone or an aircraft is moving at a velocity of up to 700 m/s and a steep angle of up to 68° to the horizontal. After DLSRRs are released, their motors start firing. DLSRRs use slow burning motors to gain altitude and velocity. At the apogee of their flight, DLSRRs release projectiles which fly to the target and strike it at high impact velocity. The projectiles reach a target at ranges of up to 442 km and impact velocities up to 1.88 km/s. We show that a rocket launched at high altitude and high initial velocity does not need expensive thermal protection to survive ascent. Delivery of munitions to target by DLSRRs should be much less expensive than delivery by a conventional rocket. Even though delivery of munitions by bomber aircraft is even less expensive, a bomber needs to fly close to the target, while a DLSRR carrier releases the rockets from a distance of at least 200 km from the target. All parameters of DLSRRs, and their trajectories are calculated based on theoretical (mechanical and thermodynamical) analysis and on several MatLab programs.
Highlights
In this work, we discuss a possibility of a short range rocket launched from a fighter or a drone
We introduce the concepts of Specific Impulse, gravity loss, and drag loss
Hypervelocity Projectile (HPV) is very fit to be one of possible warheads carried by a drone launched short range rocket
Summary
We discuss a possibility of a short range rocket launched from a fighter or a drone. Ranges obtained for these rockets are 263 km to 442 km depending on launch conditions and propellant burning time. Fired from 20 km altitude with an initial velocity of 700 m/s, and rocket burning time of 30 s, DLSRR has a range of km In this case, the impact velocity of the Europrojectile is 1879 m/s. In Appendix A, we describe the MatLab programs we have written and used in this work
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