The present invention relates to an initiating sensor for the warhead of a missile, which on its circumference has at least two ring-shaped configurations of several optical sensing elements, whose sensing regions open out conically in the flight direction.
These types of missiles are used to combat approaching enemy missiles. An initiating sensor for the warhead of a missile is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,446, which is supposed to produce a timely trip operation when flying past a target. For this purpose, the missile has four rings, each with several sensors, whereby the sensing regions of two sensors open out conically in the flight direction, while the sensing regions are arranged perpendicularly to the flight direction. Besides the high degree of complexity due to the four required sensor rings, it also appears to be disadvantageous that the speed of the target can only be detected after the sensing region of the last of the four sensor rings has been penetrated. Consequently, the application of such an initiating sensor for a warhead with an aimable directional capability is out of the question. Moreover, no references are made to the type of sensors used.