USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Gregory D DuChane

Matthew J Sanford

A self-contained non-lethal munition system is provided for use with a shoulder launcher. A barrel is coupled to a breech end of the launcher and is coaxially aligned therewith. A solid sphere having a hardness in the range of approximately 50 durometer is pressure sealed in the barrel. Launch pressure is supplied aft of the sphere. The launch pressure must overcome the sphere's pressure seal with the barrel and propel the sphere with a kinetic energy of between approximately 135-220 Joules/cm for distances up to approximately 30 meters.

Non-lethal munition system for shoulder launcher

A countermass assembly is axially and radially restrained while within a vessel and is dispersible into its component parts upon being ejected from the vessel into an open environment. A plurality of groups arranged axially adjacent one another to form a stack. Each group is formed from a plurality of rings arranged in a nested interengagement. Each ring is an individual ring that is in a non-binding relationship with adjacent rings. The non-binding relationship allows each ring to be separable as such from its associated group when the stack is ejected from the vessel into the open environment.

Nested ring based countermass assembly

A recoilless projectile launcher system has a projectile residing in a launch tube with a propellant charge coupled to the aft end of the projectile. A first tube is slidingly fitted in the launch tube, is coupled to the aft end of the projectile, and encases the propellant charge. The first tube has a first portion extending from the propellant charge and a second portion extending from the first portion towards the breech end. The first portion has a constant inside diameter while the second portion has a reduced inside diameter relative to the constant inside diameter of the first portion. A piston, slidingly fitted in the first portion of the first tube, is positioned adjacent the propellant charge. A second tube is coupled to the piston and extends towards the launch tube's breech end. The second tube has a constant inside diameter and a constant outside diameter with the constant outside diameter forming a sliding fit with the second portion of the first tube. A dispersible countermass resides in the second tube and is dimensionally stable independent of the second tube.

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Fredericksburg, VA, United States of America

Gregory D DuChane