PC4860 Modern Missile Systems

This course provides an overview of the components and underlying technologies of modern missile systems. The course gives an introduction to missile aerodynamic design considerations, motion and control, propulsion & range, navigation & guidance, IR and radar seekers, and conventional warheads, followed by an introduction to the physics of missile intercept and lethality considerations.

Prerequisite

An understanding of introductory mechanics and a familiarity with Matlab (or other high level programming language) is assumed.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

1

Course Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the physical basis of aerodynamic lift and drag
• Estimate the lift and drag of a missile over a range of Mach number and angles of attack
• Describe what causes a missile to be statically unstable in pitch
• Differentiate between different mechanisms to control a missile 
• Calculate the thrust generated by a rocket motor
• Estimate the range and velocity of a missile under different scenarios 
• Differentiate between the different guidance strategies
• List the rules of thumb for proportional navigation
• Differentiate between radar and infra-red seekers
• Estimate the probability of kill for a blast fragmentation warhead