Battelle Memorial Institute

Raytheon Company

John R Leach

Chad M Cucksey

James J Reuther

Ronald L Loeser

Jason E Paugh

James D Gombarcik

Paul E Shawcross

Emmett Mark Tackett

Frederick B Koehler

Thomas Earl Burky

John Rascon

Ronald L Roncone

Jaylan S Jones

Paul S MacDonald

Anthony V Formica

Manuel E Gonzales

Jonathan Charles French

James D Gombarick

Emmet Mark Tackett

An explosive fragmentation structure includes a fragment enhancing insensitive munitions (IM) liner. The IM liner includes a patterned metal structure having openings therethrough embedded in a compressible material to define a desired fragmentation pattern of the outer metal casing upon detonation of the explosive. The IM layer is positioned between and in conformal contact with the outer metal casing's inner surface and the explosive's outer surface.

Explosive fragmentation structure with a fragment enhancing insensitive munitions (IM) liner

A dual-mode roll/nod gimballed seeker is configured to provide an unobstructed path for a forming-warhead penetrator. A nod assembly includes first and second seekers separately offset from the roll axis whose FOV overlap within a stand-off range to a target. A roll gimbal rotates the dome and nod assembly around the roll axis. A nod gimbal rotates the nod assembly about a nod axis over a nod FOR that causes the seekers to cross the roll axis and obstruct a path along the roll axis. At terminal, the nod gimbal rotates the nod assembly to a nominal nod angle at which the path is unobstructed to detonate the forming warhead and project a penetrator along the path through the dome. This alleviates the need for a precursor charge and saves precious volume in the airframe, which is of particular import for small diameter warheads, in particular those having a diameter of no more than 8 inches.

Dual-mode roll/nod gimballed seeker for a forming warhead

A vacuum insulated blast tube includes an insulating layer of a burn resistant material such as phenolic resin formed on an interior surface of the blast tube to provide the necessary erosion and thermal insulation properties to protect the blast tube and a vacuum insulated layer formed in the walls of the blast tube itself to provide the additional thermal insulation properties to protect any non-propulsive sub-systems positioned in the void space around the blast tube. A void space in the walls of the blast tube is held under vacuum with a pressure of less than 25 Torr and a thermal conductivity Tcond_vac of less than one-third of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air to form the vacuum insulation layer.

Vacuum insulated blast tube

A vacuum insulation layer is wrapped around the length of a warhead to thermally insulate the warhead from fire or aerodynamic heating. The vacuum insulation layer may be integrally formed into the warhead casing or provided as a sleeve that may be permanently or removably positioned about the warhead casing. The vacuum insulation layer is held under vacuum with a pressure of less than 25 Torr and a thermal conductivity Tcond_vac of less than one-third of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air.

Vacuum insulated warhead

A self-glowing solid material comprises a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron. The material is inducible by flame initiation to self-glow with yellow-to-red colors (577-to-700 nanometer wavelengths). A stealth tracer ammunition comprises a projectile body having a tip and a base, and a solid pellet disposed in the base. The pellet may be made from the above-mentioned self-glowing solid material or another suitable material. The pellet becomes incandescent as a result of being heated when the ammunition is fired. The incandescent pellet emits a glow observable only from behind when the ammunition travels downrange after being fired. An illuminant comprises a bimodal blend of a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron. The bimodal blend is a blend of smaller-sized fragments and larger-sized pellets. The illuminant is capable of ignition and dispersion in response to ballistic energy to create illumination. An illumination device comprises a body having an interior cavity, the body configured to be launched as a projectile or configured to contain projectiles. An illuminant is disposed in the cavity, the illuminant comprising a bimodal blend of a suitable illuminant material. The illuminant is capable of ignition and dispersion in response to ballistic energy to create illumination.

Self-glowing materials and tracer ammunition

Illuminants and illumination devices

A series of small explosive charges are used to preferentially crack the casing of a warhead to provide for a controlled fragmentation of the warhead. During detonation of the warhead's explosive fill, the casing will break early in the process along predetermined lines resulting in very large fragments that are projected toward the ground and away from innocent civilians. A fragmentation control collar which contacts these charges can be fitted on the outside of existing warheads. An annular liner within the warhead aids in the controlled fragmentation.

Controlled fragmentation of a warhead shell

A series of small explosive charges are used to preferentially crack the casing of a warhead to provide for a controlled fragmentation of the warhead. During detonation of the warhead's explosive fill, the casing will break early in the process along pre-determined lines resulting in very large fragments that are projected towards the ground and away from innocent civilians. A fragmentation control collar which contacts these charges can be fitted on the outside of existing warheads. An annular liner within the warhead aids in the controlled fragmentation.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

John R Leach