Integrated weapons pod

1. An integrated weapons pod capable of adding self-contained offensive weapons capability to a vehicle, comprising a plurality of pod components including a targeting system, a weapons bay, a central processing unit (“CPU”), a wireless data link, and an external shell, wherein:

the external shell houses the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in a single freestanding unit;

the weapons bay is configured to house one or more weapons and deploy the one or more weapons at a target;

the CPU is operable to autonomously control operation of the targeting system, the weapons bay, the wireless data link, and the vehicle;

the targeting system is operable to provide to the one or more weapons location information identifying a location of the target;

the wireless data link is operable to exchange data with a remote operator, and

wherein the external shell houses the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in the single freestanding unit such that the external shell houses systems for autonomously deploying a weapon of the weapons bay at a target without reliance on the vehicle, and

wherein the CPU housed in the external shell is operable to transmit one or more navigation commands to an autopilot system such that the CPU of the integrated weapons pod automatically controls the movement of the vehicle.

2. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , wherein:

the external shell further comprises a pod interface configured to attach to a preconfigured attachment point on the vehicle; and

the pod interface comprises a power input operable to transmit electrical power from the vehicle to one or more of the plurality of the pod components.

3. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises component control information; and

the wireless data link enables the remote operator to control one or more of the plurality of pod components by transmitting the component control information from the remote operator to the CPU.

4. The integrated weapons pod of claim 2 , wherein the pod interface further comprises a vehicle control interface operable to transmit vehicle control information from the CPU to the vehicle.

5. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , wherein:

the targeting system comprises a laser designator, a laser spot tracker, a thermal imager, and a video camera;

the data comprises viewing information from the targeting system; and

the wireless data link enables the remote operator to view the target by transmitting the viewing information from the targeting system to the remote operator.

6. The integrated weapons pod of claim 5 , wherein:

the laser designator is operable to designate the target with a laser beam;

the laser spot tracker is operable to receive a portion of the laser beam reflected off the target and generate an indication that enables the remote operator to visually confirm that the laser designator is designating the target; and

the viewing information comprises the indication from the laser spot tracker.

7. The integrated weapons pod of claim 6 , wherein the viewing information comprises the portion of the laser beam reflected off the target.

8. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , further comprising a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) receiver operable to provide the CPU with an approximately real-time location of itself.

9. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle-independent power source which powers one or more of the plurality of pod components.

10. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , wherein the CPU further comprises a removable storage device operable to store data from CPU.

11. The integrated weapons pod of claim 1 , wherein the CPU housed in the external shell is operable to transmit one or more commands to control all operations of the vehicle such that the CPU automatically controls all operations of the vehicle.

12. The integrated weapons pod of claim 2 , wherein the pod interface is configured to receive electrical power from the vehicle through the preconfigured attachment point.

13. A method of adding self-contained offensive weapons capability to a vehicle using an integrated weapons pod comprising a plurality of pod components including a targeting system, a weapons bay, a central processing unit (“CPU”), a wireless data link, and an external shell, comprising the steps of:

using the external shell to house the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in a single freestanding unit;

configuring the weapons bay to house one or more weapons and deploy the one or more weapons at a target;

using the CPU to autonomously control operation of the targeting system, the weapons bay, the wireless data link, and the vehicle;

once the one or more weapons are deployed, using the targeting system to provide to the one or more weapons location information identifying a location of the target; and

exchanging data with a remote operator using the wireless data link;

transmitting one or more navigation commands to an autopilot system of the vehicle such that the CPU of the integrated weapons pod automatically controls the movement of the vehicle, and

wherein the external shell houses the targeting system, the weapons bay, the CPU, and the wireless data link in the single freestanding unit such that the external shell houses systems for autonomously deploying a weapon of the weapons bay at a target without reliance on the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the external shell further comprises a pod interface configured to attach to a preconfigured attachment point on the vehicle; and

using a power input included in the pod interface to transmit electrical power from the vehicle to one or more of the plurality of the pod components.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data comprises component control information and further comprising enabling the remote operator to control one or more of the plurality of pod components by transmitting the component control information from the remote operator to the CPU using the wireless data link.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the data comprises vehicle control information and further comprising:

using a vehicle control interface included in the pod interface to transmit the vehicle control information from the CPU to the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the data comprises viewing information from the targeting system;

the targeting system comprises a laser designator, a laser spot tracker, a thermal imager, and a video camera; and further comprising:

enabling the remote operator to view the target by transmitting the viewing information from the targeting system to the remote operator using the wireless data link.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

using the laser designator to designate the target with a laser beam;

using the laser spot tracker to receive a portion of the laser beam reflected off the target and generate an indication that enables the remote operator to visually confirm that the laser designator is designating the target wherein the viewing information comprises the indication from the laser spot tracker.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the viewing information comprises the portion of the laser beam reflected off the target.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) receiver included in the weapons pod to provide the CPU with an approximately real-time location of the weapons pod.

21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising powering one or more of the plurality of pod components using a vehicle independent power source included in the weapons pod.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising transmitting one or more commands from the CPU housed in the external shell to the vehicle such that the CPU automatically controls all operations of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pod interface is configured to receive electrical power from the vehicle through the preconfigured attachment point.