Frangible Penetrating Projectile Development

Reactive materials (RM) add a powerful new dimension to the U.S. Army’s warfighting capabilities. Reactive materials can be used against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), chemical and biological agents, rockets, artillery and mortar (RAM) threats, land and naval mines, missiles, armor, underground facilities, and more. The results of the Phase I program were very encouraging in terms of demonstrating enhanced penetration and creation of larger holes in steel plates of 3/8” and ½” thickness by reactive projectiles. Comparisons were made between inert steel projectiles and projectiles carrying reactive materials of several compositions. Penetration was possible with both of these projectiles at velocities of ~ 1 km/sec and 3 km/sec. The interesting difference was that the reactive(s) produced larger holes and thermal effects useful in combusting explosive payloads. Modeling performed under the same conditions predicted similar results. General Sciences, Inc. (GSI) will demonstrate the benefits of reactive material technology to the U.S. Army and will demonstrate the potential methods of incorporation of reactive materials into current and next generation Army munitions systems. GSI has developed a casting method to incorporate suitable reactive materials within a support matrix, creating strong, reactive structures that can replace inert mass non-parasitically and lead to an increase in lethality. GSI formulations have been incorporated into thermobaric devices, agent defeat warheads, reactive fragments, reactive projectiles, anti-land mine systems, shaped charge liners, and several other areas of interest to the DoD. GSI will supply devices and technical knowledge to the U.S. Army to increase the database of reactive materials and provide the U.S. Army with next generation munitions payloads capable of enhanced lethality effects. As a result of this and previous excellent performance by General Sciences, Inc. Several letters of endorsement from Industry and U.S. Army Research Laboratory are included in Section O, detailing the significance and relevance of this work.