Microscale Ordnance Technologies for Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs)

As urban warfare tactics become increasingly discriminatory, the need for highly miniaturized and accurate weapon delivery systems has increased. Smaller warheads delivered on target using smaller delivery vehicles with little or no collateral damage are becoming increasingly important to the war fighter. The main objective of this phase I effort is to create two versions of a micro miniature warhead approximately the diameter of a dime, weighing less than 5 grams. The first micro-warhead will have shaped charge effects and the second will have fragmentation effects. These micro miniature warheads would enclose in a single housing both the initiator and the warhead technologies. In parallel with the warhead development, modeling and simulation capabilities will be improved which will enhance the ability to design future micro-warheads. The improved simulation and test methods will minimize design cycle time and development costs while improving effects and lethality. RSI is a leader in LEEFI detonator technology, and the combined Glumac/Stewart Groups at the University of Illinois in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois create a strong team that can take full advantage this research opportunity to develop novel micro-warheads. BENEFIT: This research is expected to provide funding for engineering and research to design, simulate, build and test two versions of the micro-miniature warhead for effects, lethality and collateral damage. These early steps will demonstrate that a micro-miniature warhead, as small as several grams in weight, can have a significant impact on target with little or no collateral damage. This research will also provide a path forward showing many possible tailored effects approaches for the micro-miniature warhead. It is expected that a fairly wide variety of effects including shaped charge, fragments and thermal will be possible using the LEEFI plastic encapsulated platform.