US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Darin L Kielsmeier

Jason C Gilliam

Gregory L Johnson

John R Esslinger, Jr

Robert N Evans

A multi-purpose tandem warhead needing only a single initiation has a casing that forms front, middle and rear portions. A shaped charge is positioned in the rear portion of the casing and a fragmentation charge is positioned in the front portion of the casing. The middle portion between the front and rear portions is an open area that serves as a jet formation region. An impact switch is positioned at the front of the warhead. Upon impact with a target the impact switch sends a detonation signal to a detonator positioned at the rear end of the warhead causing the shaped charge to initiate. Upon the detonation of the rear shaped charge, a high-speed shaped-charge jet forms into the hollow jet formation region, penetrates into and initiates the forward fragmentation charge, and continues through the fragmentation charge. The residual shaped charge jet provides lethality against light armored targets while the fragmentation from the forward charge provides lethality against personnel and other soft targets.

Multi-purpose single initiated tandem warhead

The Collapsible Support Frame for Kinetic Energy Penetrator supports a long-rod kinetic energy penetrator inside a kinetic energy missile air frame in handling and flight environments but, upon impact of the missile on the selected high-obliquity target, gives way. This greatly reduces the lateral loading inflicted on the penetrator by the interaction of the missile body and the target and consequently maximizes the effectiveness of the penetrator against the target. The Collapsible Support Frame comprises concentric outer and inner rings that are mounted inside the missile and designed to hold and support the penetrator. When the missile strikes the target and the extremely high impact shock loading conditions of the penetrator process occurs, the outer ring captures a high impact shock loading pulse and transmits it to the inner ring, whereupon the inner ring fails in its supportive function, thus freeing the penetrator.

Growing community of inventors

Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Darin L Kielsmeier