The plot of the movie Black Hawk down revolves around a Black Hawk Super Six-One helicopter, which is shot down by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and crashes deep within the city. The movies shows the struggle of the ground forces trying to reach the crash site to rescue the survivors of the crash.

This week Boeing patented a cool technique to save helicopters from RPG attacks.

A helicopter operating in a war region detects an approaching RPG. Immediately, the helicopter fires an interceptor from a countermeasure launcher installed on the helicopter. The interceptor may be a rocket, missile, mortar, or other projectile, guided or unguided.

When the interceptor reaches near the RPG, it deploys a flexible net of sufficient strength to capture or otherwise deflect the incoming RPG.

Patent Information
US 9,074,858
Projectile-deployed countermeasure system

Inventors: Yee; Dennis (Mill Creek, WA), Williams; Timothy L. (Burien, WA)
Assignee: The Boeing Company (Chicago, IL)
Family ID: 1000001198612
Appl. No.: 13/682,256
Filed: November 20, 2012

Abstract
Systems and methods described herein provide for the protection of personnel within vehicles and structures from rocket-propelled grenades and other incoming threats. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a countermeasure system includes an interceptor vehicle configured to stow and launch an expandable countermeasure. The countermeasure may have a flexible body with attached deployment mechanisms that expand the flexible body into the path of an incoming threat to capture the threat.

Social Media
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/patentyogi1
Twitter – https://twitter.com/PatentYogi
LinkedIn – http://in.linkedin.com/in/deepakguptaip/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/patentyogi/
Subscribe to the channel – http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ThePatentyogi