IR jamming system for defense against missiles with IR-sensitive homing heads

1. An IR jamming system for defense against a missile with an IR-sensitive homing head by emitting jamming radiation, wherein:

the IR jamming system produces at least one jamming beam whose diameter is less than the diameter of an optical aperture of the IR-sensitive homing head of the missile; and

the IR jamming system includes means for directing said jamming beam onto said optical aperture of said IR sensitive homing head in such a manner that only a portion of said optical aperture is illuminated, whereby said jamming beam is scattered within said homing head, in a manner that depends on a specifically illuminated area of said optical aperture and on an angle of incidence of said jamming beam, thereby precluding derivation of correct angle information for said jamming beam.

2. The IR jamming system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one jamming beam is produced by at least one coherent light source.

3. The IR jamming system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the jamming system produces a plurality of jamming beams; and

the jamming beams form a two-dimensional pattern.

4. The IR jamming system according to claim 3 , wherein an array of optical fibres are connected at least one of their ends to a high-power laser and at their other end to a lens system which produces the two-dimensional pattern of the jamming beams.

5. The IR jamming system according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of mutually interleaved patterns of IR jamming beams are provided at different wavelengths.

6. The IR jamming system according to claim 3 wherein the two-dimensional pattern of jamming beams is produced by diffraction of the radiation from a coherent source on a different structure.

7. The IR jamming system according to claim 3 wherein the two-dimensional pattern of the jamming beams is produced by interference of radiation from at least two coherent sources.

8. The IR jamming system according to claim 1 wherein the jamming system includes a high-speed scanning system which scans a single high-power jamming beam, in azimuth and elevation.

9. The IR jamming system according to claim 1 wherein the system includes a high-speed scanning system which scans a row of medium-power jamming emitters, in at least one of azimuth and elevation.

10. The IR jamming system according to claim 1 , further comprising one of a laser tracker and a radar tracker for aligning the jamming beam or beams.

11. A jamming method for defense against a missile with an IR-sensitive homing head, by transmission of jamming radiation, said method comprising:

generating at least one jamming beam; and

causing the at least one jamming beam to illuminate an area of an optical aperture of the IR-sensitive homing head of the missile, which area is smaller than said optical aperture, whereby said jamming beam is scattered within said homing head, in a manner that depends on a specifically illuminated area of said optical aperture and on an angle of incidence of said jamming beam, thereby precluding derivation of correct angle information for said jamming beam.

12. An IR jamming system for defense against a missile having an IR sensitive homing head, said system comprising:

a source of IR radiation;

optical means for forming an IR radiation into a jamming beam; and

means for directing said jamming beam onto an optical aperture of said IR sensitive homing head in such a manner that only a portion of said optical aperture is illuminated, whereby said jamming beam is scattered within said homing head, in a manner that depends on a specifically illuminated area of said optical aperture and on an angle of incidence of said jamming beam, thereby precluding derivation of correct angle information for said jamming beam.