DEVELOPMENT OF SHAPED-CHARGE WAREHEADS WITH DUAL MISSION CAPABILITY

CURRENT ANTI-ARMOR MUNITIONS CONTAINING SHAPED-CHARGE WARHEADS ARE DEDICATED DESIGNS THAT ARE INTENDED TO DEFEAT A SPECIFIC TYPE OF TARGET AND ARE GENERALLY LESS EFFECTIVE AGAINST OTHER TARGETS. THUS OFTEN ONE TYPE OF WARHEAD DESIGN ID CURRENTLY USED AGAINST HARD TARGETS, SUCH AS MAIN BATTLE TANKS, WHILE A DIFFERENT TYPE, AND A SEPARATE MUNITION, IS USED AGAINST LIGHT TARGETS, SUCH AS HELICOPTERS, ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, OR UNARMORED VEHICLES. OUR PROPOSAL IS A NOVEL SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WHICH WILL ENABLE A SINGLE WARHEAD, AND THEREFORE A SINGLE MUNITION, TO BE EFFECTIVE AGAINST A FULL RANGE OF TARGETS. THIS WILL BE ACOMPLISHED BY FIRING THE SAME WARHEAD IN DIFFERENT MODES AGAINST DIFFERENT TARGETS, POSSIBLY DEPENDENT ALSO ON STANDOFF AND TARGET LOCATION. EACH FIRING MODE IS ACHIEVED BY A DIFFERENT EXPLOSIVE INITIATION SCHEME AND YIELDS A PENETRATOR WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS. BY PROJECTING THE OPTIMUM PENETRATOR FOR EACH POSSIBLE TARGET-STANDOFF COMBINATION, LETHALITYIS INCREASED AND BEHIND-ARMOR EFFECTS ARE MAXIMIZED. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS COCEPT AND ANALYZE THE RESULTING INCREASE IN LETHALITY.