Tandem warhead
View Patent ↗A tandem warhead for destroying a target, the tandem warhead including a kinetic energy rod section with a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles, a blast fragmentation section deployable proximate the target, and a guidance subsystem for deploying the projectiles of the kinetic energy rod section first in the trajectory path of the target and for deploying the blast fragmentation section second proximate the target.
1. A tandem warhead for destroying a target, the tandem warhead comprising:
a kinetic energy rod section including a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles;
a blast fragmentation section deployable proximate the target; and
means for deploying the projectiles of the kinetic energy rod section first in the trajectory path of the target and for deploying the blast fragmentation section second proximate the target.
2. The tandem warhead of claim 1 in which the kinetic energy rod section includes an explosive charge about the projectiles.
3. The tandem warhead of claim 2 in which the explosive charge is divided into sections.
4. The tandem warhead of claim 3 in which there is a hull about the explosive charge also divided into sections.
5. The tandem warhead of claim 4 further including jettison explosive packs disposed between each hull section and the projectiles.
6. The tandem warhead of claim 1 in which the projectiles are cylindrical.
7. The tandem warhead of claim 6 in which the projectiles have at least one end which is pointed.
8. The tandem warhead of claim 1 in which the projectiles have a non-cylindrical cross section.
9. The tandem warhead of claim 8 in which the projectiles have a star shaped cross section.
10. The tandem warhead of claim 8 in which the non-cylindrical cross section projectiles have a pointed end.
11. A tandem warhead for destroying a target, the tandem warhead comprising:
a kinetic energy rod section including a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles;
a blast fragmentation section deployable proximate the target; and
means for deploying the projectiles of the kinetic energy rod section first away from a direction of travel of the blast fragmentation section and in the trajectory path of the target and for deploying the blast fragmentation section second proximate the target.
12. A tandem warhead for destroying a target, the tandem warhead comprising:
a kinetic energy rod section travelling in a first direction including a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles;
a blast fragmentation section also travelling in the first direction deployable proximate the target; and
means for deploying the projectiles of the kinetic energy rod section in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and in the trajectory path of the target and for deploying the blast fragmentation section, after further travel in the first direction, proximate the target.