Raytheon Company

Brian J Lukow

Michael Royce Johnson

Coulton T Sadler

Christopher Matthew Turner

A munition has an explosive charge with direction explosive characteristics, such as a nonuniform detonation velocities. The explosive charge may have multiple portions of explosives with nonuniform characteristics, and/or may have portions with graded nonuniform characteristics. The explosive charge may be used to propel a material from the munition in a desired manner. For example the material may be fragments that are part of a fragmentation munition. Alternatively the material may be a layer of a material, such as a metal, that produces an explosively formed penetrator or shaped charge. The explosive charge may be configured to control the spread and/or direction of the material to be propelled from the munition.

Munition with directional projection explosive

Embodiments of a pyrotechnically-gimbaled targeting unit are provided. In one embodiment, the targeting unit includes a targeting unit housing, a countermeasure payload carried by the targeting unit housing, and a plurality of thrusters coupled to the targeting unit housing. The plurality of thrusters is configured to be selectively activated to rotate the targeting unit housing about first and second substantially orthogonal axes to provide controlled pointing of countermeasure payload prior to the deployment thereof. Embodiments of a countermeasure system including a pyrotechnically-gimbaled targeting unit are also provided, as are methods for equipping a vehicle with a countermeasure system of the type that includes at least one pyrotechnically-gimbaled targeting unit.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Brian J Lukow