Advanced anti ship penetrator warhead

• US 5,567,908 A
• Filed: 04/25/1980
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Weeks, James A., Miles, Paul A., Mc Cubbin, Melvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US06/146,849
• Time in Patent Office: 6,024 Days
• Field of Search: 102/495, 102/515-519
• US Class Current: 102/519
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/08 with armour-piercing caps; with armoured cupola
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/44 of incendiary type F42B12/46 takes precedence

Abstract

An anti ship warhead utilizing a reactive case is disclosed. The case is aagnesium alloy which increases the blast damage once the warhead moves into the interior of a target. Moreover, the nose plate is hardened steel specially designed to cause ripping and tearing of the exterior wall as the warhead penetrates.

Claims

1. An anti-ship warhead comprising:

a reactive casing having a forward end and an aft end;

a prehardened steel penetrator of a cup-like design having a flat, frontal surface that has a shallow indentation of a predetermined size at the center thereof fixedly attached to said forward end of said casing;

an end plate fixedly attached to said aft end of said casing;

an explosive located inside said casing; and

a fuze fixedly attached to said end plate, whereupon impact with a predesignated target said opening means simultaneously opens and tears an entry through the walls of the target and said fuze detonates said explosive and said reactive case generating an increased static peak pressure and impulse over conventional warheads.

2. A warhead as in claim 1 where the reactive casing is constructed from a magnesium-alloy consisting essentially of magnesium, zinc, and zirconuim.

3. A warhead as in claims 1 or 2 where the reactive casing is a forged casing.

4. A warhead as in claims 1 or 2 where the reactive casing is of a hollow, cylindrical shape.

5. A warhead as in claim 4 where the opening and tearing means is a prehardened steel penetrator of a cup-like design having a flat, frontal surface that has a shallow indentation of a predetermined size at the center thereof.

6. A warhead as in claim 4 where the side walls of said penetrator slant outwardly and rearwardly from said frontal surface at a predetermined angle and for a predetermined distance and end in an indented surface that is matingly attached to said forward end of said reactive casing.

7. A warhead as in claim 5 where the side walls of said penetrator slant outwardly and rearwardly from said frontal surface at a predetermined angle and for a predetermined distance and end in an indented surface that is matingly attached to said forward end of said reactive casing.

8. A warhead as in claims 1 or 2 where the reactive casing is an extruded casing.

9. A warhead as in claim 8 where the opening and tearing means is a prehardened steel penetrator of a cup-like design having a flat, frontal surface that has a shallow indentation of a predetermined size at the center thereof.

10. A warhead as in claim 9 where the side walls of said penetrator slant outwardly and rearwardly from said frontal surface at a predetermined angle and for a predetermined distance and end in an indented surface that is matingly attached to said forward end of said reactive casing.