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The M712 "Copperhead" is a 155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, terminally laser guided, explosive projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
 intended to engage hard point targets such as tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s, SP howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
s or other high-value targets. It may be fired from the following US Army field artillery weapons: M114A2
M114 155 mm howitzer

The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1....
 towed howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
s, and both the short-barrel
Gun barrel

A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed....
 (M109A1 and M109A1B) and long-barrel (M109A2, M109A3, M109A3B, M109A4, M109A5 and M109A6) M109 howitzer
M109 howitzer

The M109 is an United States-made Self-propelled artillery 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It has been continually upgraded and improved to today's current version, the M109A6 Paladin, currently only used by the United States Army....
 series SP howitzers and the M198
M198 howitzer

The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece. It can be dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook....
 towed howitzer.






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The M712 "Copperhead" is a 155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, terminally laser guided, explosive projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
 intended to engage hard point targets such as tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s, SP howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
s or other high-value targets. It may be fired from the following US Army field artillery weapons: M114A2
M114 155 mm howitzer

The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1....
 towed howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
s, and both the short-barrel
Gun barrel

A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed....
 (M109A1 and M109A1B) and long-barrel (M109A2, M109A3, M109A3B, M109A4, M109A5 and M109A6) M109 howitzer
M109 howitzer

The M109 is an United States-made Self-propelled artillery 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It has been continually upgraded and improved to today's current version, the M109A6 Paladin, currently only used by the United States Army....
 series SP howitzers and the M198
M198 howitzer

The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece. It can be dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook....
 towed howitzer. The projectile has a minimum range
Range

Range may refer to:...
 of 3km and a maximum range of 16km.

In order for Copperhead to function, the target must be illuminated with a laser
Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation....
. Once the laser signal is detected, the on-board guidance system
Guidance system

A guidance system is a device or group of devices used to navigation a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or other craft. Typically, this refers to a system that navigates without direct or continuous human control....
 will operate the steering vanes to maneuver the projectile onto the target. The Copperhead targeting logic
Logic

Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference. Logic is a branch of philosophy, a part of the classical Trivium . The word derives from Greek language ?????? , fem....
 is designed to (1) ensure that the optical system will always be able to detect the target, and (2) that once the target has been detected there will be sufficient time and velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 to maneuver to hit the target. Copperhead must be below any cloud cover at critical parts of the trajectory, and there must be sufficient visibility to ensure that when the target is acquired the projectile will have sufficient time to maneuver.

Modes of operation

Copperhead has two modes of operation: Ballistic
Ballistics

Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance....
 mode and glide mode. Ballistic mode is used where the cloud ceiling is high and visibility is good. When the projectile is 3000 meters from the target, the guidance vanes extend, the target is acquired, and then the on-board guidance system adjusts the guidance vanes to maneuver onto the target.

Glide mode is used when the cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
 ceiling and/or the visibility
Visibility

In meteorology, visibility is a measure of the distance at which an object or light can be clearly discerned. It is reported within surface weather observations and METAR code either in meters or statute miles, depending upon the country....
 is too low to permit the use of the ballistic mode. A glide mode trajectory
Trajectory

Trajectory is the path of a moving object that it follows through space. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit - the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass....
 consists of two phases: a ballistic phase and a glide phase. At a predetermined point along the trajectory, the guidance vanes extend and there is a transition from ballistic phase to glide phase. Glide phase targeting logic is designed to ensure the largest possible angle of fall permitted by the cloud cover
Cloud cover

Cloud cover refers to the fraction of the sky obscured by clouds when observed from a particular location....
 and the visibility. The target is acquired when the projectile is close enough to detect the laser illumination or when the projectile emerges from the cloud cover, which ever event occurs later in the trajectory. When a trajectory solution has been obtained, time-to-target and terminal velocity
Terminal velocity

File:Terminal velocity.svgIn fluid dynamics an object is moving at its terminal velocity if its speed is constant due to the restraining force exerted by the air, water or other fluid in which it is moving....
 are checked to ensure that there will be enough time to maneuver and that the projectile is aerodynamically stable - that it will not stall while maneuvering.

Initially the laser designation was intended to be performed by the MQM-105 Aquila
MQM-105 Aquila

The Lockheed MQM-105 Aquila was the first small battlefield drone developed in the United States during the 1970s to act as a target designator for the United States Army....
 pilotless drone.

Combat history

Copperhead was used in Desert Storm.

Sources

  • Yenne, William , Yenne, Bill, Attack of the Drones: A History of Unmanned Aerial Combat, Zenith Imprint, 2004 ISBN 0760318255


See also

  • XM982 Excalibur
    XM982 Excalibur

    The XM982 Excalibur is a 155 mm extended range guided artillery shell presently in development by Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors....
  • XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit
    XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit

    The XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit is a U.S. Army program to develop a precision guidance system for existing 155 mm artillery shells. The prime contractor is Alliant Techsystems, leading a team including Rockwell Collins and Draper Labs....
  • Krasnopol
    Krasnopol (Weapon)

    The Krasnopol is a 152/155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, semi-automatic laser-guided, explosive projectile intended to engage hard point targets such as tanks, SP howitzers or other high-value targets....