GB2292787A

GB2292787A - Sequential action warhead

Info

Publication number: GB2292787A
Application number: GB8925762A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josef Kraft; Konrad Ringel
Original assignee: Diehl GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Diehl Verwaltungs Stiftung
Priority date: 1988-12-13
Filing date: 1989-11-15
Publication date: 1996-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-15
Also published as: FR2715466A1; IT8922436A0; IT1250591B; GB2292787B; GB8925762D0

Abstract

A warhead 1 of a rocket penetrates a target which has a sand filling 33 between steel plates 31, 32. For this purpose the warhead 1 is provided with a combined hollow charge 11, 12 and with an after-shot shell 26. The combined hollow charge comprises a projectile forming charge 11, 70 and an annular cutting charge 12, 60. <IMAGE>

Description

A WARHEAD The invention relates to a warhead for combatting passive compartmented (translator's note: can also mean "bulkheaded") target objects in accordance with the definition of the species of claim 1.

An explosive projectile is known from DE-AS 12 79 510. It has two projectile components. An annular cutting charge cuts a hole into the protective plate of the target. The diameter of this hole is larger than that of the following hollow-charge projectile. This passes undamaged through this hole, in order to combat the main armouring. In the case of a compartmented target object having steel plates arranged at a spacing from one another, it can be assumed that the protective mechanism is overcome, but the effect in the target object is, from experience, slight. If a sand filling is present between the steel plates, the explosive projectile is already neutralised by the sand filling.

For a target object which has an earth banking-up and a concrete covering, a warhead in accordance with DE-PS 26 29 280 is provided. An inertia projectile body penetrates the earth banking-up. Then the hollow-charge spike pierces the concrete cover. Then an explosive shell passes through the shoot-through channel and detonates in the target object. The effect of this warhead in the case of the afore-described target object having a sand filling is restricted, however, to a deformation of the target object with only slight effect in the target object.

This is because the hollow-charge jet generates only an insufficiently large aperture for the shell in the steel plates, so that this is very severely hindered and decelerated by the steel plates and the sand filling.

The problem underlying the invention is to propose a warhead which overcomes a target object consisting of steel plates with a sand filling lying therebetween, and develops a considerable effect in the interior of the target object.

The invention solves this problem in accordance with the characterising features of claim 1.

Advantageous further developments of the invention are described in the sub-claims.

Material for the design of the warhead is the correlation of the detonation times and detonation conditions with respect to the two inserts. In this way the impact, ensuing temporally one after the other, of the annular cutting-charge jet and of the projectile can be controlled and optimised with respect to the effect in the target.

An exemplified embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the drawings and the advantages are indicated.

Fig. 1 shows in cross-section a warhead and a target object during the impact of the warhead; Figs. 2 to 4 shows the effects of the warhead in accordance with Fig. 1 at the target object; Fig. 5 shows a further hollow charge in cross-section.

A warhead 1 consists of a casing 2 with a cap 3, an impact sensor 4 with signal line 5, an equipment section 6, an annular free space 7, a hollow charge 8 with a safety and detonating device 9, an explosive charge (translator's note: can also mean "a bursting charge") 10 consisting of the partial explosive charges 60, 70, a projectile-forming insert 11, an annular insert 12 for the generation of an annular cutting jet 40, a cylindrical and a conical housing portion 13 and 14 as well as individual housing supports 15, three equipment sections 16-18, a launching tube 25 with an after-shot shell (translator's note: can also mean "a secondary shell") 26 with explosive charge 29, an ejection mechanism 27 and an annular predetermined breaking point 28. A spacing between the apex planes 21 and 22 of the inserts 11 and 12 is designated by 20.

The mass of the explosive charge 60 amounts to 20% of the partial explosive charge 70.

The mass ratios of the insert amount to with respect to the masses of the partial explosive charges 60, 70 projectile-forming insert made of heavy metal 35% annular insert made of copper 60% The equipment sections 6 and 16 to 18 are provided for components which are not shown, such as targetoriented evaluation electronics, energy supply, flight stabilisation and drive.

A target structure 30 consists of two steel plates 31 and 32 as well as of a sand filling 33.

Function: With impact of the warhead 1 onto the target structure 30 the sensor 4 generates an impulse which leads, by way of the safety and detonation mechanism 9, to the detonation of the explosive charge 10 and initiates the ejection mechanism 27. First of all the detonation front in the explosive charge 70 reaches the projectileforming insert 11. The deformation procedure of this insert 11 begins. Then the detonation front of the explosive charge 60 reaches the annular insert 12 and forms a complete and very fast cutting jet 40 (Fig. 2), which has a velocity of about 8000 m/s. The explosive pressure removes the cap 3, the equipment sections 6 and 16, the safety mechanism 9 and partially the casing 2, by the said parts and the housing portions 13 and 14 as well as the individual supports 15 being destroyed.

The firstly striking cutting jet 40 cuts a disc 41 out of the first plate 31 and forms an aperture 42 which is somewhat larger than the diameter of the shell 26. The disc 41 is forced by gas fumes into the sand 33.

Meanwhile the projectile-forming insert 11 has been further deformed, the predetermined breaking point 28 of the ejection mechanism 27 has been destroyed and the shell 26 has been further accelerated (fig. 2). An ignition delay mechanism 45 of the shell 26 is put into action by the burning-off of a propelling charge 46 of the ejection mechanism 27.

The deformation of the insert 11 into a projectile 19 which flies relatively slowly, at a velocity of about 1800 m/s, and which is relatively heavy is now concluded (Fig.

3), so that it is in a position to smash the disc 21 into small pieces 47.

The projectile 19 penetrates the sand 33 lying in front of it, reaches the back wall, namely the plate 32, and begins to tear it open. The shell 26 has in the meantime left the launching tube 25 and has penetrated undisturbed into the aperture 42. The projectile 19 has in the meantime knocked a sufficiently large hole 50 into the plate 32, so that the shell 26, along with possibly further widening of the hole 50, can enter into an interior space 51 of the target object 30 (Fig. 4). After covering a specific stretch, corresponding to the selected delay time and residual velocity, the shell 26 detonates.

The detonation is effected by the delay mechanism 45 of the shell 26.

As a result of the relatively slowly flying and heavy projectile 19 it is possible to smash the structure of the disc 41, to penetrate the sand and to tear open a sufficiently large aperture for the after-shot shell into the steel plate 32. In the case of a very rapidly flying projectile 19 the disadvantage would occur that the sand 33, by virtue of its inertia, is compressed more or less in front of the projectile 19 and this is thereby decelerated and sundered in the sand.

As a result of the slow projectile in accordance with the invention it is altogether for the first time possible to displace the sand 33 to one side and thus to ensure the shot channel.

In accordance with Fig. 5, in the case of a further hollow charge 23 the same parts in accordance with the hollow charge 8 are provided with identical reference numbers.

A booster charge 61 is provided in the housing portion 14. The housing portion 13 carries a retaining ring 62. This supports the insert 11 or 63 respectively.

The retaining ring 62 is provided with guide surfaces 64, 65 for the guidance of the detonation waves in the explosive charge 10 and with a surface 66.

The guide surface 64 is tangential to the insert 11 or 63 respectively. The guide surface 65 lies parallel to the axis of symmetry 67 at a spacing 68 of 3 mm. The guide surface 65 is thus decisive for the concentric detonation of the partial explosive charge 60. The guide surfaces 64, 65 form an edge 69. The surface 66 bounds the partial explosive charge 60 together with the insert 12 made of copper.

With regard to the function: After the detonation of the booster charge 61 there ensues the function cycle as already described with regard to the warhead 1, Figures 1 to 4.

What is different is the specifi detonation of the partial explosive charge 60. The detonation waves are concentrated by the guide surface 64 onto the axis of symmetry 67 on the localised front end surface of the charge 60. From experience the guide surface 65 is sufficient for this purpose.

It is therefore not necessary to provide a further detonation-wave guidance body in the intermediate space between the axis of symmetry 67 and the housing 2. Thus, the retaining ring 62 designed as a detonation-wave guidance body is sufficient.

Accordingly a concentric and simultaneous detonation of the entire partial explosive charge 60 exists. The performance of this charge is therefore optimised and reproducible.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A warhead for combatting passive compartmented target objects, such as multi-layer armours, plate armourings with a sand filling lying therebetween, in which respect the warhead has two projectile components lying one behind the other, the front one of which is designed as an annular hollow charge for the generation of an annular cutting jet and the rear one of which is designed as an after-shot shell, characterised in that the front projectile component consists of a combined hollow charge (11, 70; 12, 60), namely a projectile-forming charge (11, 70), an annular cutting charge (12, 60) and a single central detonation mechanism (9) for an explosive charge (10) consisting of two partial explosive charges (60, 70), in which respect the mass of the insert (11) of the projectile-forming charge is very great, by its corresponding to about 25 up to 50% of the mass of the partial explosive charge (60) and in which respect the mass of the insert (12) of the ring cutting charge (12, 60) amounts to about 20* up to 100% of the mass of the further partial explosive charge (70) and the apex plane (22) of the annular cutting charge (12, 60) relative to the apex plane (21) of the projectile-forming charge (11, 70) is offset by a distance (20) in the flight direction, in order to correlate the instants for the formation of projectile (19) and cutting jet (40) with one another.

2. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that in the cap (2) of the warhead (1) there is provided an annular free space (7) for the annular cutting charge (12) and centrically thereto an impact or proximity sensor (4) inside an equipment section (6) which can be blasted away by the explosive charge (10).

3. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that the apex diameter of the annular insert (12) is larger than the diameter of the after-shot shell (26) and this apex diameter lies in the "explosive shadow" of the projectile-forming insert (11), so that this acts as a guidance body for the detonation waves and the annular insert (12) forms an approximately cylindrical cutting jet (40), which cuts out, in the first target plate (31) of the target object (30), an aperture (42) which is only slightly larger than the diameter of the explosive shell (26).

4. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that the partial explosive charge (60) of the annular cutting charge (12, 60) amounts to about 15 up to 30% of the partial explosive charge (70) of the projectile-forming charge (11, 70).

5. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that the masses of the inserts (11, 12) have the following ratios with respect to the partial explosive charges (60, 70): projectile-forming insert (11) 25 up to 50% of the partial explosive charge (70) cutting-jet-forming insert (12) 20 up to 100* of the partial explosive charge (60).

6. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that provided for the ring cutting charge (12, 60) is a detonation-wave guidance body which is designed as a retaining ring (62) for the projectile-forming insert (11) and which tangentially to the projectile-forming insert (11) a guide surface (64) for the detonation waves and at an angle thereto, namely parallel to the main axis of the warhead (1), a further guide surface (65) is provided (sic), in which respect the guide surface (65) has a spacing from the axis (68) of the annular cutting charge (60, 12) of about 3 mm in the direction of the main axis of the warhead (1).

CLAIMS 1. A warhead for combatting passive compartmented target objects, such as multi-layer armours, plate armourings with a sand filling lying therebetween, in which respect the warhead is of a kind which has two projectile components lying one behind the other, the front one of which is designed as an annular hollow charge for the generation of an annular cutting jet and the rear one of which is designed as an after-shot shell, characterised in that the front projectile component consists of a combined hollow charge (11,70: 12,60) which includes a projectileforming charge (11,70) as well as the annular cutting charge (12,60) and a single central detonation mechanism for an explosive charge (10) of the combined hollow charge which explosive charge consists of two partial explosive charges (60,70); in that the mass of the projectile forming insert (11) of the projectile-forming charge (11,70) is about 25% up to 50% of the mass of the partial explosive charge (70) and in which respect the mass of the cutting-jet forming insert (12) of the annular cutting charge amounts to about 20% up to 100% of the mass of the further partial explosive charge (60) and the apex plane (22) of the annular cutting charge relative to the apex plane (21) of the projectile-forming charge is offset by a distance (20) in the flight direction, in order to correlate the instants for the formation of projectile (19) and cutting jet (40) with one another.

2. A warhead according to claim 1, characterised in that in a cap of the warhead there is provided an annular free space for the annular cutting charge and centrically thereto an impact or proximity sensor inside an equipment section which can be blasted away by the explosive charge.

3. A warhead according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the partial explosive charge (60) of the annular cutting charge amounts to about 15% up to 30% of the partial explosive charge (70) of the projectile-forming charge.

4. A warhead according to claim 3 characterised in that the partial explosive charge (60) is about 20% of the partial explosive charge (70).

5. A warhead according to any preceding claim characterised in that the masses of the inserts have the following ratios with respect to the partial explosive charges: projectile-forming insert (11) about 35% of the partial explosive charge (70) cutting-jet-forming insert (12) about 60% of the partial explosive charge (60).

6. A warhead according to any preceding claim characterised in that the apex diameter of the annular insert is larger than the diameter of the after-shot shell and this apex diameter lies in the "explosive shadow" of the projectile-forming insert, so that this acts as a guidance body for the detonation waves to form the annular insert into an approximately cylindrical cutting jet (40), for cutting out, in a first target plate of a target object, an aperture which is only slightly larger than the diameter of the explosive shell.

7. A warhead according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that provided for the ring cutting charge (12,60) is a detonation-wave guidance body which is designed as a retaining ring (62) for the projectileforming insert and which provides, tangentially to the projectile-forming insert, a guide surface (64) for the detonation waves, and provides, at an angle to the guide surface (64) namely parallel to the main axis of the warhead, a further guide surface (65) in which respect the further guide surface (65) has a spacing (68) from a line of symmetry (67) of the annular cutting charge of about 3 mm in the direction of the main axis of the warhead.

8. A warhead substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 4 or FIGURES 1 to 4 as modified by FIGURE 5 of the accompanying drawings.