INNOVATIVE WEAPON DESIGN FOR IMPROVED SMART FUZE SENSING AND SURVIVABILITY

CURRENT DESIGNS OF AIR FORCE HARD TARGET PENETRATING WEAPONS PLACE THE FUZE WELL IN THE TAIL OF THE WEAPON. THIS LOCATION CAUSES SOME DIFFICULTY FOR A SMART FUZE ALGORITHM TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN FLEXIBLE BODY WEAPON RESPONSE AND THE LOADING EFFECTS CAUSED BY THE PENETRATION OF SOIL OR CONCRETE. THE AFT LOCATION ALSO LEADS TO CATASTROPHIC FUZE FAILURE WHEN THE WEAPON EXPERIENCES A "TAIL SLAP." CHANGING THE LOCATION OF THE FUZE FROM THE TAIL TO ANOTHER PLACE IN THE WEAPON MAY LEAD TO SIMPLER, MORE ROBUST SMART FUZING AND INCREASE THE FUZE SURVIVABILITY AS WELL. THIS EFFORT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF PLACING THE FUZE IN A HARD TARGET PENETRATING WEAPON IN OTHER LOCATIONS THAN JUST THE TAIL. THE SUITABILITY OF OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WEAPON FOR SMART FUZING AND SURVIVABILITY WILL BE DETERMINED. INNOVATIVE DESIGN CONCEPTS WILL BE GENERATED TO HOUSE THE FUZE IN ALTERNATE LOCATIONS WHICH INCORPORATE LOADING ENVIRONMENT, OPERATIONAL, AND MANUFACTURING CONSTRAINTS. THE RESPONSE OF THE MOST PROMISING CONCEPT WILL THEN BE CALCULATIONALLY ANALYZED AND EVALUATED.