Posted on 02/29/2008 4:44:34 AM PST by Renfield
February 29, 2008: The U.S. Air Force has conducted a successful test of its new deep penetration warhead. Carried by cruise missiles, the tandem warhead first detonates a shaped charge, which can penetrate 35 feet of limestone, or 20 feet of reinforces concrete. Right behind the shaped charge comes a 500 pound explosive, which detonates inside the hole, preferably inside an enemy bunker that the first charge has penetrated. The recent test only went through 19.5 feet of the hardened concrete, so a second test, with a more powerful shaped charge, will be conducted. The new warhead will be used for the new AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missile) or the older BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile. The new warhead will be in service by 2011, or sooner (if there is an urgent need).
Can people use it to hydrofrac a well?
All of us Appreciate Artful Alliteration
It especially excites elite educators.
Just for a frame of reference, the 40-ton blast doors covering ICBM silos in the US are 10 feet thick and made of pre-stressed, steel reinforced, hand-troweled concrete. They were built to withstand a near miss by a 1 MT nuclear device.
Accident investigations have shown that the in-silo explosion of a Titan-2 missile can propel the payload package through the blast door quite easily.
We’re going after BIG game with these babies.
CJ,
I hope I do not violate the loose lips rule, but aren't we retrofitting 4 boomers from Nuke to an exclusive Cruise Missile platform?
These will carry Tactical-Tomahawks which can be converted to this config, if I am reading it right.
Wackmadimijod Checkmate.....
If they need any help finding these bunkers, I am ready and willing to serve.
BD
Anyone care to explain how these things work?
I was never good at this stuff, but I don’t see how a missile could penetrate layers of rock and concrete and THEN explode.
It’s not like the leading edge of the missile is a diamond saw and drills down...
Just add BACON
The explosive charge is heavily shielded from damage (titanium alloy and carbon fiber) and propelled through the solid rock, reinforced concrete, whatever by a rocket motor. It then detonates based on either a timer (X seconds after impact) or a predetermined distance of penetration (X meters farther from the GPS satellite than point of impact.)
It doesn’t sound that complicated but it IS Rocket Science.
Aliteration, schaliteration. I prefer posting a pleasing pontification praising the possibly perfect punctuation proffered in this presumably penned-for-profit piece.
LOL Well done.
Thanks.
Amazing that they can design something that is strong enough to smash through concrete while still protecting the warhead.
I guess Obama will use these against members of the VRWC.
“Hold your nose and vote McCain!”
Shaped charge pentration holes are usually small. But this thing makes a hole big enough to put in a follow-on 500 lb charge? Something is not adding up here. (This is surprising because Jim Dunnigan is a pretty good source for this type of info.)
You’re right you are not very good at this. Study shape charges for a while, then maybe you’ll understand.
That’s the reason why I asked the question.
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