Alternative Navigation for Weapon Systems: Clarifications
Updated 17 February 2022
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The following comments provide technical clarifications around the scope of the Market Evaluation.
How long will it take a weapon to reach the mid-point?
Long-range weapons take the longest time to reach the mid-point. This would typically be 14-16 minutes (based on 225km at 265 ms⁻¹). Personal portable weapons would reach the mid-point in less than 10 seconds from launch.
How far is the mid-point from the launch/firing point?
The weapon’s range is generally defined as the distance from launch point to the target. The mid-point is simply half that distance. This would range from 225 km for long-range weapons to 1.5 km for personnel portable weapons.
Is this Market Evaluation looking for day, night and all weather (rain, wind) navigation capability?
That is correct. However, we can and do use multiple technologies in a single weapon system, therefore we would be open to technologies that have limitations. Ultimately, we would balance what the weapon is capable of as a whole. The weapon system needs to operate for day and night; all weather; and climatic conditions, but that is not to say that all sub-systems need to.
Is there a requirement for a navigation unit that can operate within a rapidly rotating projectile (e.g. a shell fired from a rifled barrel)? If so, what is the maximum rotation rate of the projectile?
At this time, this is not a consideration.
Are you looking at the ability of the GNSS free navigation unit to operate to the accuracy you have specified over featureless terrain (making it difficult to use terrain matching navigation)?
We are definitely looking at the abilities over featureless terrain, but we will not discount any technologies that find it difficult.
Can a proposed system [a] emit laser pulses (e.g. from a LIDAR unit) and / or [b] emit microwave signals (e.g. from a miniature frequency modulated continuous wave based RADAR altimeter)?
Emitting laser pulses or microwaves are both permitted.