Patent ID: 8640624

Claim:
A kinetic energy penetrator having a longitudinal axis, said penetrator including no energetic material, the penetrator further comprising: a forward segment having a lateral surface, a rear surface, and at least one air bleed channel extending from the lateral surface to the rear surface; a second segment disposed aft of and torsionally engaged with the forward segment, the second segment including a front surface adjacent the rear surface of the forward segment; the forward and second segments each being asymmetric about the longitudinal axis of the penetrator; wherein, when the penetrator is in flight, the emergence of impinging air flow will bleed air through the at least one air bleed channel and with such bled air flow on the front surface of the second segment, the second segment separates from the front segment, and kinetic energies of each of the forward and second segments are less than about 75 joules upon impact with a ground surface, and; wherein the second segment includes a lateral surface, a rear surface, and at least one bleed channel extending from the lateral surface to the rear surface, the penetrator further comprising a third segment disposed aft of the second segment, the third segment being torsionally engaged with the second segment, the third segment including a front surface adjacent the rear surface of the second segment, the third segment being asymmetric about the longitudinal axis of the penetrator, wherein, when the penetrator is in flight, the emergence of impinging air flow will bleed air through the at least one bleed channel of the second segment and with such bled air flow on the front surface of the third segment, the third segment separates from the second segment, and a kinetic energy of the third segment is less than about 75 joules upon impact with the ground surface.