Warhead having selectable axial effects

摘要

A cylindrical warhead is divided into a conical central segment and peripheral segments. The central segment has a disk-shaped liner bounding a cavity with high explosive and forming a penetrating projectile. The peripheral segments are hingedly attached to the central segment and have outer segment faces bounding respective cavities with high explosive, the segment faces forming sidewalls of the warhead in a closed position. The peripheral segments can be released to an open position in which the segment faces point in the forward direction for detonation. The warhead may be used in the closed position for single hardened targets such as armored vehicles and in the open position for area targets such as lighter vehicles and personnel. Opening of the warhead may be enabled at a time of launch of the warhead, or at a time of target acquisition after launch.

主权项

1. A warhead, comprising:
a conical central segment having a disk-shaped liner at a front end, the liner bounding a cavity of the central segment filled with high explosive, the liner configured to form one or more high-speed projectiles in a forward direction upon detonation of the high explosive; a plurality of peripheral segments hingedly attached to the central segment about the liner at the front end, each peripheral segment having an outer segment face bounding a cavity of the peripheral segment filled with high explosive, the segment faces of the peripheral segments forming sidewall portions of the warhead when the peripheral segments are in a folded position, the peripheral segments being operable to be released from the folded position to an open position in which the segment faces are pointed in the forward direction for detonation; and a detonator operative to initiate simultaneous detonation of the high explosive of the central and peripheral segments.