Complex sentence: ERWs were first deployed for anti-ballistic missiles (ABM), with the intention that the burst of neutrons would cause nearby warheads to undergo partial fission, preventing them from exploding property.
Split into simpler sentences: ERWs were first operationally deployed for anti-ballistic missiles (ABM). In this role the burst of neutrons would cause nearby warheads to undergo partial fission, preventing them from exploding property.