The TVX smoke augmented tow target is designed primarily for use as a surface-to-air missle target. Smoke flares provide visual enhancement for target acquisition and tracking. Radar augmentation is provided also for those weapon systems utilizing radar capabilities.
Key Features
- Smoke augmentation provides up to 10 kilometers visual acquisition
- Five individually ignited flares allow multiple presentations
- Individual flare burn time is minimum of 2 minutes
- Towbody made of fiberglass with polyester resin
- Compatible with standard bullet scoring systems
- Design adaptable to remotely piloted vehicles
The TVX is designed to provide visual enhancement of target acquisition and tracking for weapon systems which rely on optical sightings.
Five individual smoke flares mounted within the towbody and activated by a command receiver provide a dense smoke trail which can be seen easily within 10 kilometers. A battery pack provides power for the command receiver operation.
Each smoke flare burns in excess of 2 minutes at sea level thus allowing five separate presentations for weapon systems evaluation and training.
A command transmitter located either in the towing aircraft, aboard ship or near the weapon site is used to command ignition of the smoke flares.
Radar augmentation is provided by Luneberg lens or an octahedral corner reflector.
A nose cone intake provides ambient air for flare ignition and burning. Smoke is exhausted through a tube in the tail cone.
The fiberglass with polyester resin towbody is designed to be fitted and flown using the Meggitt Defense Systems universal tow target LTC Launcher. Any aircraft capable of carrying external stores can serve as the towing vehicle.
An internally mounted tow reel, mechanically controlled by design of the reel and brake assembly, provides towline payout when the target is launched. The towline is released at the launcher when a mission has been completed or the target destroyed.
The target configuration can be altered to add a swivel fitting for two-way tow reel operation or single point ball lock suspension for drone operation.
Towline length is optional from 10 meters to 5000 meters to satisfy mission requirements.
Acoustical or RF scoring systems can be added to the target configuration.
The weight of each target varies with the con-figuration. Nominal weight of the target without scoring or towline is 32 kilograms.
Peculiar support equipment needed for the TVX is a command transmitter station and a test set for the smoke flare electrical harness. The Meggitt Defense Systems DHL Target Loading Mechanism and the MTL Target Transporter are optional for target support during aircraft loading, target build-up and storage.
The TVX is in use for Rapier and Seacat missiles systems.
|
