GunClaims
Weekly firearms and ammunition patent grants.
Jan 13, 2026

US12523455 - Submunition deployment system

A payload module for an aerial vehicle stores and deploys one or more submunition assemblies, which provide a portion of the vehicle's OML when stored, in a manner that preserves the aerodynamics of the aerial vehicle post-deployment. Pre-deployment a skin is aligned to a strongback such that the submunition assemblies are exposed through openings in the skin. Post-deployment, the skin rotates to cover any openings in the strongback exposed by the deployment of the submunition assemblies to restore the OML.

The patent describes a payload module for aerial vehicles that efficiently deploys submunition assemblies while maintaining the vehicle’s aerodynamic profile. It features a rotating skin that covers openings post-deployment to restore the outer mold line (OML) of the vehicle.

Claim 1

1 . A payload module for use with an aerial vehicle, the payload module comprising: a strongback having a cylindrical shape about an axis, said strongback having at least one opening formed therein; at least one submunition assembly positioned inside the strongback within the at least one opening, each said submunition assembly having a conformal surface, a skin having a cylindrical shape about the axis, said skin having at least one opening and at least one panel formed therein, each of said at least one opening and said at least one panel having sufficient area to cover the at least one opening in the strongback; a bearing assembly configured to allow for rotation of the skin relative to the strongback about the axis; wherein pre-deployment the skin is aligned such that the at least one opening in the strongback and the conformal surface of the submunition positioned therein are exposed through the at least one opening in the skin such that the skin and conformal surface of the submunition assembly complete an outer mold line (OML); a deployment assembly configured to deploy the at least one submunition assembly through the aligned openings in the strongback and skin, and a rotation assembly configured such that once the at least one submunition assembly clears the payload module, the rotation assembly rotates the skin relative to the strongback such that the at least one panel covers the at least one opening in the strongback and exposed surfaces of the strongback and the skin complete the OML. a strongback having a cylindrical shape about an axis, said strongback having at least one opening formed therein; at least one submunition assembly positioned inside the strongback within the at least one opening, each said submunition assembly having a conformal surface, a skin having a cylindrical shape about the axis, said skin having at least one opening and at least one panel formed therein, each of said at least one opening and said at least one panel having sufficient area to cover the at least one opening in the strongback; a bearing assembly configured to allow for rotation of the skin relative to the strongback about the axis; wherein pre-deployment the skin is aligned such that the at least one opening in the strongback and the conformal surface of the submunition positioned therein are exposed through the at least one opening in the skin such that the skin and conformal surface of the submunition assembly complete an outer mold line (OML); a deployment assembly configured to deploy the at least one submunition assembly through the aligned openings in the strongback and skin, and a rotation assembly configured such that once the at least one submunition assembly clears the payload module, the rotation assembly rotates the skin relative to the strongback such that the at least one panel covers the at least one opening in the strongback and exposed surfaces of the strongback and the skin complete the OML.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12523455

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12523455