Segmented Penetrator Munition with Shear Rim Fuze
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medium caliber ammunition lacks the capability to effectively target both personnel and armored materiel, with existing rounds either being unsuitable for armor penetration or lacking the necessary explosive power, and existing C-RAM systems face issues with premature detonation and collateral damage.
Innovation Solution
A medium caliber projectile design featuring a hardened segmented penetrator and a self-destruct mechanism, combined with a fragmenting warhead and dual-safe fuze, which allows for delayed detonation and increased penetration capabilities, addressing the need for a multi-purpose munition that can engage both personnel and armored targets while minimizing unintended damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sensitive activation mechanism is used in anti-aircraft munition, then the high explosive can be initiated effectively against thin-skinned targets, but the high explosive may detonate prematurely before penetrating into RAM targets
Solution Approach 1:
The penetrator is designed to perform the penetration action before the explosive detonates. The support rim holds the penetrator in position during flight, and only upon target impact does the rim fail, allowing the penetrator to move and initiate the fuze. This ensures penetration occurs before detonation, preventing premature explosion against armored targets.
Solution Approach 2:
The support rim acts as an intermediary mechanism between the penetrator and the fuze initiation system. It physically restrains the penetrator during flight and only fails upon target impact, serving as a mechanical gate that prevents premature fuze initiation while enabling controlled initiation after penetration.
2Strength
If a sub-caliber tungsten penetrator is used to increase penetration performance, then armor penetration capability is improved, but the round lacks a self-destruct mechanism for land-based systems
Solution Approach 1:
The ammunition is designed to perform multiple functions: the hardened penetrator provides armor penetration capability against materiel targets, while the integrated self-destruct mechanism (fuze with striker initiation) provides safety for land-based C-RAM systems. This single round design replaces the need for separate anti-personnel and anti-materiel ammunition.
Solution Approach 2:
The round contains its own self-destruct mechanism integrated into the projectile assembly. The fuze with striker is self-contained within the nose assembly, requiring no external triggering system. The round autonomously determines when to self-destruct based on whether it has penetrated a target, ensuring safety for land-based operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If current medium caliber rounds are used for personnel targets, then they can engage soft targets, but they lack armor piercing capabilities and outdated components
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile combines a hardened segmented penetrator for armor penetration with a fragmenting warhead containing high explosive. This configuration enables the single round to effectively engage both armored materiel targets (using the penetrator) and personnel targets (using the fragmenting explosive), replacing the need for separate ammunition types.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a mixed belt of ammunition is carried to engage both personnel and materiel targets, then target coverage is improved, but engagement time increases and ammunition weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile combines a hardened segmented penetrator for armor penetration with a fragmenting warhead containing high explosive. This configuration enables the single round to effectively engage both armored materiel targets (using the penetrator) and personnel targets (using the fragmenting explosive), replacing the need for separate ammunition types.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of anti-personnel and anti-materiel ammunition into a single projectile design. The nose assembly with penetrator and the fragmenting warhead are combined in one cartridge, allowing the weapon system to use a single belt of ammunition for both target types, reducing weight and eliminating the need to switch ammunition types during engagement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly enhances the lethality and accuracy of medium caliber ammunition, ensuring effective penetration and detonation only upon target engagement, reducing collateral damage and enabling a single round to address multiple threat types, thereby improving terminal performance and reducing the weight and complexity of ammunition loads.
Implementation Method 1
upon impact with a target, the support rim is sheared thereby allowing the hardened penetrator to translate rearward
Implementation Method 2
upon impact with a target, the support rim is sheared thereby allowing the primary striker to translate rearward
Implementation Method 3
the explosive charge is housed within the fragmenting body
Implementation Method 4
fragmenting body defines a main cavity
Data Source
AI summary
An ammunition round comprises an optimized projectile incorporating a hardened penetrator and a dual safe-fuze for a medium caliber high rate of fire round packaged into a form factor smaller than currently available multi-purpose rounds. The ammunition round incorporates a hardened segment penetrator followed by a point detonated high explosive warhead that substantially increases the terminal performance against both materiel and personnel targets. The hardened segment penetrator localizes the kinetic, energy of the projectile to increase target penetration prior to the initiation of the high explosive warhead.