IMPACT CHARACTERIZATION FOR IMPROVED PENETRATOR PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVABILITY

THE CENTRAL POSTULATE OF THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS THAT WEAPONS WILL SENSE THEIR IMPACT CONDITIONS; I.E. TRAJECTORY ANGLE, ANGLE OF ATTACK (AOA), ROTATION VELOCITY, AND VELOCITY IN RELATION TO THE TARGET SURFACE. IF THOSE CONDITIONS ARE LESS THAN BENEFICIAL FOR PENETRATOR SURVIVABILITY AND/OR PERFORMANCE, THE WEAPON WILL ADJUST ITS ORIENTATION TO PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS. WEAPON DESIGNERS HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE OPTIMUM AOA IS ZERO DEGREES AND THE OPTIMUM ROTATION IS ZERO. THESE CONDITIONS MAY LNOT BE THE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR NON-NORMAL TRAJECTORIES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHAE I EFFORT IS TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT CONDITIONS (IN TERMS OF AOA AND OFF-AXIS WEAPON ROTATION VELOCITY) FOR NON-NORMAL TRAJECTORIES ON A TARGET SURFACE THAT MINIMIZE WEAPON PLASTIC DEFORMATION AND/OR MAXIMIZE PENETRATION PERFORMANCE. THE LEVELS GAINED IN WEAPON PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVABILITY WILL BE DETERMINED IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE AIR FORCE IN DETERMINING WHETHER CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA IS WORTHWHILE. THE USE OF THE IDEALIZED IMPACT CONDITIONS WILL BE APPLIED AGAINST A MODELED TARGET TO DETERMINE IF THOSE CONDITIONS REDUCE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF WEAPONS NEEDED TO KILL A TARGET.