NOVEL SHAPED CHARGE JET FORMATION

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN ADVANCED ARMOR TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF EFFECTIVE APPLIQUE ARMOR, PRESENT A SPECIAL CHALLENGE FOR THE ANTI-TANK MISSILE WARHEAD DESIGNER. TWO GENERAL APPROACHES TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE APPEAR FEASIBLE: IMPROVEMENTS IN UNITARY WARHEADS AND THE INCORPORATION OF MULTISTAGE WARHEATS. MULTISTAGE WARHEAD SYSTEMS CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT APPEAR TO OFFER SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE GAINS BUT MAY BE DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO INCORPORATE INTO A MISSILE SYSTEM IN VIEW OF SEVERE WEIGHT AND SPACE LIMITATIONS AND OTHER ENGINEERING DIFFICULTIES. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES ONE OF SEVERAL AVAILABLE APPROACHES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF UNITARY ANTI-TANK MISSILE WARHEADS.