Munition with nose kit connecting to aft casing connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184763-B2
Application number	US-201515117893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A munition, such as a warhead, includes a penetrator casing for penetrating hard targets, such as a fortification or reinforced building or other structure. The penetrator casing has a relatively thick nose, and a relatively thin aft section extending back from the nose. A cable interface is in the aft section, and an electrical harness extends from the cable interface, external of the casing, and forward to a nose kit. The penetrator casing may have reduced-thickness portions, to provide weakness points to the casing that facilitate the casing being transformed into fragments of a semi-controlled and desirable size when an explosive within the casing is detonated after the penetration occurs, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the munition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A munition comprising:
a penetrator casing;
an explosive within the casing;
a fuze for detonating the explosive;
a cable coupled to a fuze for providing a detonation signal to the fuze; and
an external electrical harness that electrically couples to the cable;
wherein the penetrator casing has a relatively thick nose, and a relatively thin aft section extending back from the nose, wherein the relatively thin aft section is thinner than the relatively thick nose;
wherein the cable interfaces with an interface in the aft section of the penetrator casing;
wherein the external electrical harness runs outside of the penetrator casing, forward of the interface;
wherein the munition includes an enclosure around an outside of the penetrator casing; and
wherein the interface allows connection through the enclosure.

2. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the cable is connected to a coupling at the interface in the aft section.

3. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the nose has a thickest portion that is at least twice the thickness of the aft section.

4. The munition of claim 1 ,
wherein the electrical harness is coupled to the interface after first passing through a conduit that is through the casing; and
wherein the conduit is perpendicular to a central axis of the munition, and spans a diameter of the casing.

5. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a clamshell enclosure.

6. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the munition includes a nose kit forward of the penetrator casing.

7. The munition of claim 6 , wherein the electrical harness is coupled to the nose kit.

8. The munition of claim 6 , wherein the nose kit is coupled to a forward connection of the enclosure.

9. The munition of claim 8 , wherein the electrical harness is between the casing and the enclosure, running along an outer surface of the casing.

10. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the munition includes a tail kit aft of the penetrator casing.

11. The munition of claim 10 , wherein the tail kit is coupled to an aft connection of the enclosure.

12. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the casing has a series of elongate reduced-thickness portions, thinner than portions of the casing that are adjacent the reduced-thickness portions.

13. The munition of claim 12 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are non-intersecting elongate reduced-thickness portions.

14. The munition of claim 12 , wherein the reduced-thickness portions are parts of the aft section.

15. The munition of claim 14 , wherein the aft section is substantially cylindrical.

16. The munition of claim 12 , further comprising a lethality-enhancement material located at the reduced-thickness portions of the penetrator casing.

17. The munition of claim 1 ,
further comprising a fuzewell;
wherein the fuze is located in the fuzewell.

18. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the electrical harness is between the casing and the enclosure, running along an outer surface of the casing.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Bootes Thomas H
• Budy George D
• Lee Wayne Y
• Polly Richard K
• Shire Jason M
• Waddell Jesse T

Classifications

• F42B25/00

  Fall bombs (F42B10/00, F42B12/00 take precedence; for practice or training F42B8/12 {; gliding type bombs F42B15/105}) · CPC title

• F42B12/24

  with grooves, recesses or other wall weakenings {(F42B12/26, F42B12/28 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F42B12/22

  with fragmentation-hull construction · CPC title

• F42C19/02

  Fuze bodies; Fuze housings · CPC title

• F42B12/32

  the hull or case comprising a plurality of discrete bodies, e.g. steel balls, embedded therein {or disposed around the explosive charge} · CPC title