Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh

Rheinmetall Industrie Aktiengesellschaft

Rheinmetall Gmbh

Dieter Jungbluth

Stefan Thiesen

Jurgen Bocker

Walter Simon

Manfred Lubben

Helmut Ortmann

Thomas Heitmann

Klaus Unterstein

Lutz Börngen

Hendrik Lips

An incendiary composition () for a fin-stabilized kinetic energy projectile (), which can be arranged in the tail region of the projectile () and, upon impact with a target (), penetrates the target () as a separate unit behind the penetrator () of the kinetic energy projectile (). To reach the objective of a high destructive effect caused by the incendiary composition () within a target (), despite a small volume and a low mass, and to ensure that the incendiary composition is ignited securely by the shock waves generated upon impact, according to the invention, a titanium sponge is used as the incendiary composition (), with an epoxide resin or a polyester resin used as a binder.

Incendiary composition for a fin-stabilized kinetic energy projectile

A projectile body having a groove-shaped recess ( ), in which a guide band ( ) is disposed. To permit use of a relatively wide guide band ( ), while preventing the band from being destroyed as the projectile body ( ) passes through the gun barrel, and preventing significant copper-plating of the barrel, the guide band ( ) is assembled from two partial guide bands ( ), with the relatively narrow, first partial band ( ), which faces the base ( ) of the projectile, comprising copper or a copper alloy and providing a seal against the propellant gases acting on the projectile rear under high pressure. The second, considerably wider partial guide band ( ) essentially comprises plastic, and includes at least one hollow space ( ), which lends it adequate deformation reserves with respect to the high surface pressure acting on this partial guide band ( ) when the projectile body ( ) passes through the barrel.

Projectile body

A propellant case includes a case sleeve having a longitudinal axis; a case bottom including a case bottom base; and an axially extending case bottom dome having a socket for supporting a primer therein. The case bottom base is releasably attached to the case bottom dome, while the case bottom dome is permanently attached to the case sleeve, whereby upon removing the case bottom from the case bottom dome, a connection between the case bottom dome and the case sleeve is preserved.

Propellant case for an ammunition cartridge

A weapon system includes a weapon having a chamber; a data input device; an aiming mechanism; and an ammunition unit that can be fired with the weapon. The ammunition unit includes a data memory for storing ammunition-specific data; and a microcontroller arranged on or in the ammunition unit and being connected, when the ammunition unit is inside the chamber of weapon, to the data input device, the aiming mechanism and the data memory. The microcontroller determines aiming signals necessary to control the aiming mechanism as a function of ammunition-specific, target-specific, and weapon-specific data transmitted to the microcontroller. The microcontroller transmits the aiming signals to the aiming mechanism.

Weapon system

A weapon system (1) having a weapon (2) with a weapon tube (3) and having an electronic system (4) for generating aiming signals for an aiming system (7) connected to the weapon (2). To ensure that the current weapon properties or tube properties are also considered in a simple manner for the determination of the aiming signals, the respective weapon-specific data are stored on a chip card (13) associated with the weapon (2) and are transferred via a chip card reader (11) to the corresponding electronic system (4) required for the determination of the aiming signals. During this process, the weapon-specific data are updated on the chip card at predetermined time intervals.

A method for aiming the weapon (4) of a weapon system (1) with an aiming system (5) and a heat imaging device (6) while considering external influences acting on the projectiles to be fired into a target region (3). In order to accomplish that influences acting on the projectiles (2) during their flight into the target region (3) are considered in a simple manner for the aiming of the weapon (4), the amount of lateral deviation (13) of the point of impact (11) of the projectile from a predetermined point of aim (12) of the weapon (4)is determined by measuring or tracking the tracer (10) of the projectile (2) by the heat imaging device (6). The amount of lateral deviation (13) thus determined is then compensated for in the subsequent firing by a corresponding lateral aiming correction of the weapon (4). A weapon system (1) for implementing the method is likewise disclosed.

Method for aiming the weapon of a weapon system and weapon system for

A propellant charge igniter for cartridge ammunition, includes an ignition tube; and a transfer charge disposed within the ignition tube, wherein the ignition tube is composed of a jacket tube having defined therein a plurality of ignition openings; and a protective tube which is positioned within the jacket tube so that the outside wall of the protective tube rests flush against the inside wall of the jacket tube and covers the plurality of ignition openings, which is thin-walled and has a wall thickness ranging from 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, which is arranged to effectively protect the transfer charge against adverse external environmental influences including humidity, and which is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, oxide ceramic material, glass ceramic material, metal or metal alloy, and plastic. This arrangement provides a reliable sealing of the transfer charge against external environmental influences over a long time period, e.g., at least 10 years, even if handled roughly.

Propellant charge igniter

A propellant igniter assembly includes a housing having ignition channels for the passage of an ignition flame through the housing; an igniter part accommodated in the housing; and a booster part accommodated in the housing and frontally adjoining the igniter part. The booster part has a booster charge which includes a first partial booster charge adjoining the igniter part and composed of a readily ignitable substance and a second partial booster charge adjoining the first partial booster charge and being separated thereby from the igniter part. The second partial booster charge entirely obturates all the ignition channels. The second partial booster charge has a burning behavior and a mechanical stability such that the ignition channels remain obturated for a short duration even after ignition of the second partial booster charge, whereby a firing impact is first retained in the booster part and is subsequently abruptly released in a concentrated form through the ignition channels.

Propellant igniter assembly having a multi-zone booster charge

The present invention relates to a method of disassembling large-caliber combat cartridges, particularly armor-piercing cartridges, including a combustible casing jacket that conically widens in the direction of the projectile, a casing bottom and a casing cover to which is fastened a sub-caliber projectile equipped with a propelling sabot. To be able, on the one hand, to reduce expenditures for the disassembly of such combat cartridges and, on the other hand, to reuse a major portion of the original combat cartridges for the production of corresponding training cartridges, it is proposed to separate the casing jacket as well as the casing cover starting at their outer circumference, in regions having approximately the same, predetermined diameter D1. This diameter D1 here corresponds to the maximum diameter of the component of the new cartridge to be produced later from the disassembled components. The portion of the casing jacket and of the casing cover disposed between the regions is discarded and is replaced in the production of the new cartridge by a cylindrical casing jacket component having the diameter D1.

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Herschbach, Germany

Dieter Jungbluth