Patent ID: 8082847

Claim:
A projectile that is capable of moving underwater and that is structurally adapted to establish and sustain a cavity-running mode, wherein the projectile comprises: a body having a first diameter; a cavitator coupled to the body, wherein the cavitator has a second diameter, and wherein the body and cavitator are suitably dimensioned and arranged, including a suitable ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter, to generate an air cavity underwater, thereby establishing the cavity-running mode, and further wherein the air cavity has a third diameter that is greater than the first diameter; and first cavity-enhancing feature for increasing the size of the air cavity or maintaining the size of the cavity when prevailing ambient conditions would otherwise cause a decrease in the size of the cavity, wherein the first cavity-enhancing feature comprises a modification to the cavitator that increases the friction that is generated upon impact of the cavitator with water relative to the friction that is generated by the cavitator in an unmodified state.