US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Jason C Gilliam

Darin L Kielsmeier

A preformed warhead is provided with a casing having a front section and a rear section. A plurality of target piercing fragments is arranged at the front section. The density of a given fragment diminishes the further the given fragment is from a centerline of the warhead. An initiating point located on the centerline is positioned at the rear section of the warhead. An explosive charge is positioned between the initiating point and the target piercing fragments. Upon detonation of the warhead, the explosive wave propagates in a radial fashion such that the fragments receiving the impact of the explosive force soonest and most directly are those fragments closest to the centerline. Thus, a substantially planar velocity profile of all the fragments is achieved.

Preformed fragment warhead having minimal fragment velocity distribution

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.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Jason C Gilliam