Preformed composite fragmentation warhead
A preformed composite fragmentation warhead includes preformed composite fragments tightly packed around a casing that includes an explosive. The preformed composite fragments include an inner core encapsulated with an outer jacket. The inner core and outer jacket are formed from different metal materials with the density of the material for the outer jacket being lower than the density of the material for the inner core. Upon contact with a “soft” target, the outer jacket deforms and widens to increase the diameter of the preformed composite fragment. Upon contact with a “hard” target, the outer jacket erodes or shatters allowing the inner core to penetrate the hard target. The outer jacket also serves to reduce spalling upon detonation of the warhead explosive. The outer jacket fully encapsulates the inner core to ensure that the outer jacket impacts the target.
1 . A fragmentation warhead, comprising:
a casing having an inner wall and an outer wall;
an explosive within the casing; and
a plurality of preformed composite fragments packed around the casing, each said preformed composite fragment including an inner core fully encapsulated within a discrete outer jacket, said inner core formed from a first metal material having a relatively high density and said outer jacket formed from a second metal material having a relatively low density, said relatively high density being higher than said relative low density;
wherein in each said preformed composite fragment the inner core is individually encapsulated within its discrete outer jacket,
wherein upon detonation of the explosive, a detonation wave travels through the plurality of preformed composite fragments propelling the preformed composite fragments including both the inner core and the discrete outer jacket towards a target.
2 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein said relatively high density is 10-23 g/cm 3 and said relatively low density is 2.3-9.5 g/cm 3 .
3 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 2 , wherein said first metal material is selected from tungsten, molybdenum, lead, tantalum or depleted uranium, wherein said second metal material is selected from steel, aluminum, titanium or copper.
4 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein said inner core occupies 25-60% and the outer jacket occupies 40-75% for a total of 100% of a total volume of the preformed composite fragment.
5 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein the inner core has a center-of-gravity (Cg), wherein the outer jacket has the same shape as the inner core with larger dimensions than the inner core to maintain the Cg.
6 . A fragmentation warhead, comprising:
a casing;
an explosive within the casing; and
a plurality of preformed composite fragments tightly packed around the casing, each said preformed composite fragment including an inner core encapsulated within an outer jacket, said inner core formed from a first metal material having a relatively high density and said outer jacket formed from a second metal material having a relatively low density, said relatively high density being higher than said relative low density, wherein the inner core has a center-of-gravity (Cg), wherein the outer jacket has a different shape than the inner core to shift the Cg.
7 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein the preformed composite fragments are packed around an outer surface of the outer wall of the casing.
8 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein the preformed composite fragments are packed between the inner wall and the outer wall of the casing around the casing.
9 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein upon striking a soft target, the outer jacket widens thereby increasing the size of the fragment to penetrate the soft target.
10 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein upon striking a hard target, the outer jacket erodes leaving the inner core to penetrate the hard target.
11 . The fragmentation warhead of claim 1 , wherein upon detonation of the explosive, the outer jacket absorbs a high-pressure front of a detonation wave to reduce spalling of the inner core.
12 . A fragmentation warhead, comprising:
a casing;
an explosive within the casing; and
a plurality of preformed composite fragments packed around the casing, each said preformed composite fragment including an inner core fully encapsulated within an outer jacket, said inner core formed from a first metal material having a relatively high density and said outer jacket formed from a second metal material having a relatively low density, said relatively high density being higher than said relative low density;
wherein in each said preformed composite fragment the inner core is individually encapsulated within its discrete outer jacket,
wherein upon detonation of the explosive, a detonation wave travels through the plurality of preformed composite fragments propelling the preformed composite fragments including both the inner core and the discrete outer jacket towards a target;
wherein the outer jacket absorbs high pressure of the detonation wave to reduce spalling of the inner core;
wherein upon striking the target, the outer jacket either widens thereby increasing the size of the preformed composite fragment to penetrate the target or erodes leaving the inner core to penetrate the target.
13 . A plurality of preformed composite fragments for attachment to a warhead, each said preformed composite fragment comprising:
an inner core formed from a first metal material having a relatively high density; and
a discrete outer jacket that fully encapsulates the inner core, said discrete outer jacket formed from a second metal material having a relatively low density, said relatively high density being higher than said relative low density;
wherein in each said preformed composite fragment the inner core is individualy encapsulated within its discrete outer jacket,
wherein upon detonation of the warhead, the detonation wave travels through the plurality of preformed composite fragments propelling the preformed composite fragments including both the inner core and the discrete outer jacket towards a target.
14 . The plurality of preformed composite fragments of claim 13 , wherein said relatively high density is 10-23 g/cm 3 and said relatively low density is 2.3-9.5 g/cm 3 .
15 . The plurality of preformed composite fragments of claim 14 , wherein said first metal material is selected from tungsten, molybdenum or tantalum, wherein said second metal material is selected from steel, aluminum, titanium or copper.
16 . The plurality of preformed composite fragments of claim 13 , wherein said inner core occupies 25-60% and the outer jacket occupies 40-75% for a total of 100% of a total volume of the preformed composite fragment.
17 . The plurality of preformed composite fragments of claim 13 , wherein the inner core has a center-of-gravity (Cg), wherein the outer discrete jacket has the same shape as the inner core with larger dimensions than the inner core to maintain the Cg.
18 . A preformed composite fragment for attachment to a warhead, said preformed composite fragment comprising:
an inner core formed from a first metal material having a relatively high density; and
an outer jacket that fully encapsulates the inner core, said outer jacket formed from a second metal material having a relatively low density, said relatively high density being higher than said relative low density, wherein the inner core has a center-of-gravity (Cg), wherein the outer jacket has a different shape than the inner core to shift the Cg.
19 . The plurality of preformed composite fragments of claim 13 ,
wherein the discrete outer jacket is configured to absorb a high-pressure front of a detonation wave to reduce spalling of the inner core;
wherein upon striking a soft target, the discrete outer jacket is configured to widen thereby increasing the size of the fragment to penetrate the soft target;
wherein upon striking a hard target, the discrete outer jacket is configured to erode leaving the inner core to penetrate the hard target.