Warheads, munitions and methods for operating same

A modular warhead comprising:

• an outer warhead subassembly defining a core slot, the outer warhead subassembly including:
• a warhead body;
• and
• a warhead high explosive operative, when detonated, to drive fragments from the warhead body;
• and
• a core subassembly mounted in the core slot and including:
• a core tube formed of a non-explosive material;
• a forward effector in or on the core tube;
• and
• a core high explosive disposed in the core tube and operative, when detonated, to drive the forward effector.

A munition comprising:

• a munition platform;
• and
• a modular warhead on the munition platform for flight therewith, the modular warhead including:
• an outer warhead subassembly defining a core slot, the outer warhead subassembly including:
• a warhead body;
• and
• a warhead high explosive operative, when detonated, to drive fragments from the warhead body;
• and
• a core subassembly mounted in the core slot and including:
• a core tube formed of a non-explosive material;
• a forward effector in or on the core tube;
• and
• a core high explosive disposed in the core tube and operative, when detonated, to drive the forward effector.

A modular warhead comprising:

• a warhead body;
• a warhead high explosive in the warhead body and operative, when detonated, to drive fragments from the warhead body;
• a core slot in the warhead high explosive;
• and
• a forward effector system including:
• a core high explosive in the core slot;
• a tubular detonation wave shaping wall radially surrounding the core high explosive and interposed between the core high explosive and the warhead high explosive, wherein the detonation wave shaping wall is formed of a nonexplosive material;
• and
• a forward effector located at or proximate a front end of the detonation wave shaping wall;
• wherein the core high explosive is operative, when detonated, to generate a detonation shock wave that drives the forward effector;
• and
• wherein the detonation wave shaping wall is operative to shape the detonation shock wave.

A munition comprising:

• a munition platform;
• and
• a modular warhead on the munition platform for flight therewith, the modular warhead including:
• a warhead body;
• a warhead high explosive in the warhead body and operative, when detonated, to drive fragments from the warhead body;
• a core slot in the warhead high explosive;
• and
• a forward effector system including:
• a core high explosive in the core slot;
• a tubular detonation wave shaping wall radially surrounding the core high explosive and interposed between the core high explosive and the warhead high explosive, wherein the detonation wave shaping wall is formed of a nonexplosive material;
• and
• a forward effector located at or proximate a front end of the detonation wave shaping wall;
• wherein the core high explosive is operative, when detonated, to generate a detonation shock wave that drives the forward effector;
• and
• wherein the detonation wave shaping wall is operative to shape the detonation shock wave.