Variable output warhead

This invention involves a hard target penetrating warhead designed to produce a variable explosive discharge. A standard warhead casing is divided into several compartments with each compartment separated by a shock-absorbing shield. Explosive fill in contained within each compartment. The shock-absorbing shield inhibits the dynamic shock produced by detonating a compartment, thus preventing sympathetic detonation of adjoining compartments. As a result, the size of an explosive blast is controlled by detonating the explosive fill, in a set number of compartments. Each compartment also contains an igniter element, which initiates a slow burn of undetonated explosive fill.

MICROFICHE APPENDIX
 Not Applicable.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates to warheads intended for destruction of targets
 using strategic precision. Specifically, this invention relates to missile
 warheads designed to control an explosive blast.
 2. Description of the Related Technology
 Missiles and warheads are used in a variety of demanding applications
 ranging from air to air and ground combat applications to structural
 demolition applications. Such applications often require missiles with
 warheads that can effectively and consistently penetrate and explode
 within hard targets with a great deal of accuracy.
 A typical hard target missile includes an explosive warhead enclosed within
 a steel case. A fuze serves to ignite the explosive warhead following
 target impact. When a warhead penetrates a target, the fuze detonates a
 booster or explosive lead, which in turn detonates the explosive fill in
 the warhead. The explosive fill may be comprised of many different
 chemical compositions, depending upon the desired effect of the warhead.
 The amount or type of explosive placed in the warhead controls the
 intensity of the explosion. As a result, generally, the intensity of the
 explosion is set when the warhead is constructed.
 Detonators contained within the housing of a fuze contain a primary
 explosive. Primary explosives in the fuze, are kept out-of-line with the
 secondary explosives until a pre-described series of events occurs which
 allows the fuze to progress to the "ARMED" condition. The fuze initiates
 the detonator cord leading to a secondary explosive in the explosive fill.
 Examples of secondary explosives are boosters and explosive leads.
 As warfare becomes more focused on isolating and destroying specific
 targets, while limiting the damage to any adjacent area, the need for
 weaponry arises that enables the military to eliminate targets with a
 great precision. Ideally, the military seeks to limit casualties in the
 civilian population, as well as, damage to non-military targets such as
 schools, hospitals and places of worship. To ensure this type of surgical
 precision, the size of any explosion must be controlled to some extent.
 Hence, a need exists in the art for a safe and cost effective warhead,
 which possesses the capability to create an explosion with varying degrees
 of intensity, while limiting the possibility that unused explosive fill
 will undergo sympathetic detonation.
 Sympathetic detonation is an explosive chain reaction that occurs when one
 device or round (often referred to as a "donor explosion") initiates a
 shock wave that results in the high-order detonation throughout adjacent
 explosives. Sympathetic detonation has been addressed in related
 technology. One method of mitigating the effect of the dynamic shock which
 causes sympathetic detonation uses ground or crushed compressible pumice
 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,173 issued Oct. 27, 1992 to Halsey, et
 al. and assigned to The United States of America as represented by the
 Secretary of the Navy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,173 discloses a material for
 absorbing the dynamic shock of an explosion to prevent sympathetic
 detonation of adjacent explosives. The material comprises a filler
 material for damping an explosive shock. The filler means is collapsible
 and capable of absorbing an explosive shock and is also nonflammable in an
 aggressive thermal environment. A binding means allows the filler to cast
 into a self-supporting shape. A relatively compressible volcanic material,
 that is, a pumice is provided with a binder of a casting plaster.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The variable output warhead of the present invention addresses the need in
 the art. The current invention was devised to provide a warhead or missile
 that may be set at varying degrees of explosive intensity to minimize
 damage to the area adjacent to an intended target.
 In the invention, a standard warhead casing is divided into compartments,
 which contain explosive fill. A shock-absorbing shield is located between
 each compartment to mitigate the dynamic shock of an explosion that may
 cause sympathetic detonation. An explosive lead is located in each
 compartment and a separate shielded detonation cord runs from the fuze to
 each explosive lead. In an alternative embodiment, an igniter is located
 in each compartment. The igniter is intended to eliminate the danger of
 the undetonated explosive fill by initiating deflagration, low-order burn.
 One object of the present invention is to create a warhead that can be set
 to varying degrees to control the size of an explosion.
 Another object of the invention is to create a warhead that can produce
 explosions of varying degrees, which allows a reduction of collateral
 damage to objects adjacent to the target.
 A still further object of the invention is to create a warhead that
 minimizes the hazard of unexploded high explosive by inducing deflagration
 in unused explosives.
 A still further object of the invention is to prevent sympathetic
 detonation of adjacent explosive fill within the warhead.
 The invention addresses the need for a missile, which can be selected for
 desired explosive output. This allows "dialing in" (by pre-setting the
 fuze) the missile for a broader range of targets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 While the present invention is described herein with reference to
 illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be
 understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having
 ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will
 recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within
 the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention
 would be of significant utility.
 Referring more specifically to the drawing, for illustrative purposes the
 present invention is embodied in the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. The
 warhead 1 includes a casing 2 divided into compartments 3 and a fuzewell 8
 at one end. Explosive fill 4 is located within each compartment 3. A
 shock-absorbing shield 5 is located between each compartment 3. An
 explosive lead 6 is located in each compartment 3. Each explosive lead 6
 acts as the terminal end of a shielded detonation cord 7, which originates
 at the fuzewell 8.
 The invention is initiated by a fuze 9 in the fuzewell 8. The fuze 9 is
 selected for an explosive output from 0 to 100%. When the fuze 9 is
 initiated, it activates one or more lengths of shielded detonator cord 7.
 The selected detonator cords in turn initiate pyrotechnic igniter elements
 10 embedded in the explosive fill 4 of each compartment 3 until the
 detonation reaches the end of the shielded detonator cord 7 where it
 initiates an explosive lead 6 booster charge and in turn the explosive
 fill 4. A shock-absorbing shield 5 is used between each compartment 3
 prevent sympathetic detonation of an adjacent compartment. The pyrotechnic
 igniter elements 10 insure that the unselected explosive fill 4 reacts
 with less than a high order detonation. Common examples of explosive fill
 are CH6 and PBXN-7.
 In the preferred embodiment, the shock absorbing shield 5 is constructed of
 ground or crushed compressible pumice as described in U.S. Pat. No.
 5,158,173 issued Oct. 27, 1992 to Halsey, et al. and assigned to The
 United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy. U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,158,173 is incorporated herein by reference.
 Although the description above contains many specificities, these should
 not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely
 providing an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of the
 invention. Thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the
 appended claims and their legal equivalents.