Explosive separating joint

A separation joint system comprising:

• a pair of deformable and separable joint portions extending circumferentially on a pair of separable vehicle portions, the pair of separable joint portions defining a cavity therein;
• a mild detonating fuse contained in an expandable metal tube conformingly positioned in the cavity;
• a manifold comprising a body, the manifold having a mild detonating fuse port with a boss for receiving the expandable metal tube and having a mild detonating fuse passageway with a mild detonating fuse port axis extending linearly into the manifold body, the manifold further having an initiating ordnance port having an initiating ordnance passageway with an initiating port axis extending linearly into the manifold body perpendicularly with respect to the mild detonating fuse passageway, the initiating port passageway being in communication with the mild detonating fuse port passageway;
• the mild detonating fuse having at least one end portion extending out of the expandable metal tube and extending into the mild detonating fuse port, the end portion having a mild detonating fuse booster attached thereto;
• an initiating ordnance having an end portion with an end tip positioned in the initiating ordnance port;
• a transfer booster positioned intermediate the initiating ordnance end tip and the mild detonating fuse booster attached to the end portion of the mild detonating fuse, the transfer booster spaced from and in axial alignment with at least one of the mild detonating fuse port and the initiating ordnance port whereby detonation of the transfer booster by the initiating ordnance causes detonation of the mild detonation fuse booster and detonation of the mild detonation fuse thereby expanding the tube, deforming and fracturing the joint whereby the joint portions separate from one another.