Aircraft weapons pod including rail launcher

1 . A system comprising:

a weapons pod including an enclosure configured to be mounted on an aircraft,

wherein the enclosure includes a forward door portion comprising an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed by independent drive mechanisms, and

wherein the enclosure includes an aft door portion comprising an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed by independent drive mechanisms; and

at least one rail launcher mounted to the enclosure.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door portion and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door portion make contact at a midplane when the forward door is closed.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the independent drive mechanisms comprise:

a door block configured to slide along a track,

wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door portion and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door portion are connected to the door block; and

a door actuator configured to cause the door block to slide.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rail launcher is configured to carry a weapon.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the forward door portion and the aft door portion are configured to create an airstream through the enclosure prior to launching a weapon.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the aft door portion is configured to open before the forward door portion to improve aerodynamic efficiency during operation.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the weapons pod is configured to be jettisoned.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the forward door portion and the aft door portion are frangible,

wherein the forward door portion and the aft door portion are configured to close after weapons are loaded into the enclosure, and

wherein the forward door portion and the aft door portion are configured to break prior to weapons launch or broken by the weapons launch.

9 . A method comprising:

opening and closing, by a device, a forward door and an aft door of an enclosure of a weapons pod,

wherein the enclosure is configured to be mounted on an aircraft,

wherein the forward door includes an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed via independent drive mechanisms, and

wherein the aft door includes an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed via independent drive mechanisms; and

controlling, by the device, at least one rail launcher mounted to the enclosure.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door make contact at a midplane when the forward door is closed.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing an interface between the weapons pod and a management system of the aircraft; and

controlling armament functions of the weapons pod.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

sliding, by controlling a door actuator, a door block along a track,

wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door are connected to the door block.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one rail launcher is configured to carry a weapon.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

opening the aft door before the forward door to improve aerodynamic efficiency during operation.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:

open and close a forward door and an aft door of an enclosure of a weapons pod,

wherein the enclosure is configured to be mounted on an aircraft,

wherein the forward door includes an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed via independent drive mechanisms, and

wherein the aft door includes an upper section and a lower section that are opened and closed via independent drive mechanisms; and

control at least one rail launcher mounted to the enclosure.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door make contact at a midplane when the forward door is closed.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:

provide an interface between the weapons pod and a management system of the aircraft; and

control armament functions of the weapons pod.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the independent drive mechanisms comprise:

a door block configured to slide along a track,

wherein the upper sections and the lower sections of the forward door and the upper sections and the lower sections of the aft door are connected to the door block, and

a door actuator configured to cause the door block to slide; and

wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:

control the door actuator.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one rail launcher is configured to carry a weapon.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to open the aft door before the forward door to improve aerodynamic efficiency during operation.