US 10,502,537 B1Granted

Enhanced terminal performance medium caliber multipurpose traced self-destruct projectile

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army

InventorsNicole Sapp, Jeffrey Darbig, Jonathan Escobar

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Abstract

An ammunition round comprises an optimized projectile incorporating a hardened penetrator and an explosive self-destruct mechanism for a medium caliber high rate of fire round. The ammunition round incorporates a hardened segment penetrator followed by a pyrotechnically initiated high explosive warhead that substantially increases the effective range and terminal performance against RAM 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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A projectile for an ammunition round, the projectile comprising:

a nose assembly further comprising
a nose cap,
a hardened segmented penetrator positioned within the nose cap, and
a closure plug securing the hardened segmented penetrator within the nose cap;
a warhead assembly rearward of the nose assembly and further comprising
a body which partially receives the nose assembly, and
a dual purpose explosive charge assembly housed within the body for extending the ballistic effect of the projectile when a target is engaged and for self-destructing the projectile when a target is not engaged;
a tracer assembly housed within a cavity in the base of the body and further comprising
a tracer charge for tracing a projectile trajectory and initiating the dual purpose explosive charge when a target is not engaged;
and
wherein the closer plug further comprises a support rim in contact with the both for preventing rearward axial movement of the closure plug and upon impact with a target, the support rim is configured for shearing thereby allowing rearward axial movement of the closure plug such that after engaging a target, the explosive charge is initiated by impact with the closure plug.

8 more elements

A projectile for an ammunition round, the projectile comprising:

a nose assembly further comprising
a nose cap,
a hardened segmented penetrator positioned within the nose cap and further comprising a penetrator tip and one or more penetrator bases, the one or more penetrator bases defining a hollow interior, and
a closure plug securing the hardened segmented penetrator within the nose cap;
a warhead assembly rearward of the nose assembly and further comprising
a body which partially receives the nose assembly, and
a dual purpose explosive charge assembly housed within the body for extending the ballistic effect of the projectile when a target is engaged and for self-destructing the projectile when a target is not engaged;
a tracer assembly housed within a cavity in the base of the body and further comprising
a tracer charge for tracing a projectile trajectory and initiating the dual purpose explosive charge when a target is not engaged;
and
wherein the penetrator tip is hollow and aligned with the hollow interior of the one or more penetrator bases thereby forming an interior volume in the hardened segmented penetrator and wherein the interior volume is filled with an incendiary charge configured for facilitating initiation of the explosive charge assembly upon impact with a thin skinned target.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/165,366Filed 19 Oct 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 20 Oct 2017
Granted: 10 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F42B 12/208
Of high-explosive type: characterised by a plurality of charges within a single high explosive warhead
F42B 12/06
Of armour-piercing type: with hard or heavy core; Kinetic energy penetrators
F42B 12/207
Of high-explosive type: characterised by the explosive material or the construction of the high explosive warhead, e.g. insensitive ammunition
F42B 12/38
For dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information: of tracer type

Family

Application62/574,794Us provisional application · filed 20 Oct 2017
US 10,502,537 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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