Video: Genius Computer Stops Rockets Right Before Impact

'Iron Curtain' defense smacks rockets in mid-flight.

Blowing up rockets in midflight is easy — as long as you’ve got a fast enough computer.

That’s the thinking at Artis, the Virginia firm trying to outfit the Army’s armored vehicles with so-called “active protection” technology — defenses that can stop incoming projectiles before they ever have a chance to hit. If the approach works, it could not only protect U.S. forces from rockets and missiles. It could shield troops from the most lethal roadside bombs, as well.

Rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles are some of the most potent weapons in the guerrilla arsenal, because they can punch through even the thickest armor. The Israelis, for instance, saw 40 of their tanks get hit by the projectiles in their 2006 war in Lebanon. So U.S. and Israeli defense contractors have tried all sorts of ways to blast these munitions while they’re still hurtling toward their target — to hit one speeding bullet with another, essentially.

But pulling off that trick shot requires a whole bunch of split-second calculations: from detecting the incoming rocket to figuring out its flight pattern to deciding when to fire the countermeasure. To do it all, you need a whole heap of processing power.

“Active protection is a testament to how fast computers are these days — especially when you’re not burdening them, by running an operating system,” says Artis CEO Keith Brendley.

Artis’ approach is a little more algorithm-intensive than others. Rather than blast the projectile early in its flight, Artis’ Iron Curtain system waits to fire its countermeasure until the very, very last moment, when the munition is just a few inches away from ramming into its target. Iron Curtain doesn’t shoot out at the projectile. Mounted on the vehicle’s roof, it shoots straight down.

Via

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