Multi-stage Shaped-charge Warheads

Current shaped charge (SC) warheads and explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) are designed to focus large amounts of high-velocity mass on relatively small areas.While this makes possible the perforation of very thick armor, a side effect is that the warheads generally produce limited post-armor damage.This is particularly true in the case of light armored vehicles, where the penetration capabilities of SC warheads and EFPs far exceed the armor capabilities, but damage after armor perforation is limited to small, concentrated areas.The effectiveness, and value, of these warheads would be greatly improved with the development of a wider post-armor spray angle and tailored lethal effects for light armored vehicles.The initial concept design upon which this work is based derives from experiments on bi-metallic shaped charge warheads that exploited a copper liner to provide penetration, and a follow-through zirconium spray to maximize damage beyond the perforated armor.Corvid will utilize modeling and simulation coupled with material characterization data, to explore the effects of geometric design and material selection to further the initial concept design.The desired goal of this effort will be an optimized warhead that delivers the correct combination of penetration, spray angle, and lethal effects.