Penetrator munition with enhanced fragmentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370159-A1
Application number	US-201515117864-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

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, with the penetrator casing having reduced-thickness portions. The reduced-thickness portions provide weak points to the casing that facilitate the casing being transformed into fragments of a desired size/quantity when an explosive within the casing is detonated after the penetration occurs, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the munition. In addition, the warhead may have lethality-enhancing materials, such as additional fragments and/or energetic materials, at the reduced-thickness portions of the penetrator casing. The reduced-thickness portions may be holes, such as longitudinal holes, in the casing, or may be grooves on an inner and/or outer surface of the casing. The munition may be a dual-use munition, with the explosive able to be detonated at a burst height for use of the warhead as a non-penetrating area fragmentation weapon.

First claim

1 . A warhead comprising:
a penetrator casing; and an explosive within the penetrator casing; wherein the casing has a series of non-intersecting elongate reduced-thickness portions, thinner than portions of the casing that are adjacent the reduced-thickness portions; wherein the penetrator casing has a monolithic nose without cutouts or openings therethrough, covering a front of the warhead; wherein the penetrator casing has a nose, and an aft section extending back from the nose; wherein the reduced-thickness portions are parts of the aft section; and wherein the nose has a thickest portion that is at least twice the thickness of the portions of the casing that are adjacent the reduced-thickness portions.

2 - 3 . (canceled)

4 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the aft section is substantially cylindrical.

5 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are parallel to one another.

6 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions extend in straight lines.

7 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the warhead.

8 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are portions in which the casing has holes therein.

9 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the holes include a series of longitudinal holes therein, separated circumferentially around the penetrator casing.

10 . The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are portions in which the casing has grooves therein.

11 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . The warhead of claim 1 , further comprising a lethality-enhancement material located at the reduced-thickness portions of the penetrator casing.

14 . The warhead of claim 13 , wherein the lethality-enhancement material includes solid fragments that are projected by the warhead when the explosive is detonated.

15 . The warhead of claim 14 , wherein the solid fragments include spherical fragments.

16 . The warhead of claim 14 , wherein the solid fragments include fragments in casings.

17 . The warhead of claim 14 , wherein the solid fragments include fragments having flat bodies.

18 . The warhead of claim 17 , wherein fragments having flat bodies are star-shape fragment having a series of edged protrusions extending from each of the flat bodies.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The warhead of claim 14 , wherein the wherein the solid fragments are part of a repeating pattern of different fragments.

21 . The warhead of claim 13 , wherein the lethality-enhancement material includes an energetic material that releases energy when the explosive is detonated.

22 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . A method of engaging a hard target, the method comprising:
penetrating the hard target with a penetrator casing of a warhead; and after the penetrating, detonating an explosive that is within the penetrator casing; wherein the detonating the explosive produces fragments from a series of non-intersecting elongate reduced-thickness portions of the casing, that are thinner than portions of the casing that are adjacent the reduced-thickness portions.

40 . The method of claim 39 ,
wherein the warhead includes additional solid fragments located at the reduced-thickness portions of the penetrator casing; and wherein the detonating includes projecting the additional solid fragments.

41 . The method of claim 40 ,
wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are portions in which the casing has holes therein; and wherein the additional solid fragments are located in the holes, prior to the detonating.

42 . The method of claim 39 ,
wherein the warhead include energetic material located at the reduced-thickness portions of the penetrator casing; and wherein the detonating includes reacting the energetic material to produce additional energy for projecting the fragments.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• F42B25/00

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

• F42B12/204 Primary

  for attacking structures, e.g. specific buildings or fortifications, ships or vehicles · CPC title

• F42B12/22 Primary

  with fragmentation-hull construction · CPC title

• F42C19/02

  Fuze bodies; Fuze housings · CPC title