How does a continuous rod warhead work?

A continuous-rod warhead is a specialized munition that exhibits an annular blast fragmentation pattern, so that when it explodes it spreads into a large circle that cuts the target. It is used in anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles.

What are the different types of warheads?

4 WARHEAD TYPES. For convenience of discussion, warheads will be classified into five major groups: blast (including air and underwater burst), fragmentation, shaped charge, continuous rod, and special-purpose. A blast warhead is one that is designed to achieve target damage primarily from blast effect.

What is blast fragmentation warhead?

Traditional blast fragmentation warheads use high explosives and fragmenting metal cases to provide lethal effects against soft targets.

What is a high explosive warhead?

High-explosive dual-purpose Another variant of HEAT warheads has the warhead surrounded with a conventional fragmentation casing, to allow the warhead to be more effectively used for blast and fragmentation attacks on unarmoured targets, whilst remaining effective in the anti-armour role.

How do surface to air missiles explode?

Impact fuse The missiles that have impact fuses (also known as ‘contact fuses’) have to physically strike the target in order to detonate. If they fail to hit the target, then they explode whenever/wherever they strike a solid surface.

What is in a missile warhead?

Warheads and Targets Ballistic and cruise missiles can be armed with conventional or nonconventional warheads. Conventional warheads are filled with a chemical explosive, such as TNT, and rely on the detonation of the explosive and the resulting metal casing fragmentation as kill mechanisms.

What is a fragmentation missile?

Fragmentation missiles, also known as frag missiles, were a type of missile designed for use against large formations of lightly armored troops. Upon detonating, fragmentation missiles would spread shrapnel around the area of impact, causing injuries to anyone in the area.

What is annular blast fragmentation?

In some cases, the missile may go right up the target’s tailpipe, demolishing the aircraft from the inside. The WDU-17/B is referred to as an annular blast fragmentation warhead because the explosive force carries the metal fragments outward in all directions, in an annular, or ring-shaped, pattern.

What is an inert warhead?

The phrase inert metal refers to a metal that is not chemically active and therefore not part of the chemical reaction that causes the explosion, as opposed to some metals, such as aluminium, that do form part of the chemical reaction—e.g. in tritonal.

What are conventional warheads?

Conventional Warheads are highly explosive propelled munitions which are most useful against military targets including armor. Infantry, armor, aircraft, buildings, naval, helicopters and populations will all be affected if a Ballistic Missile is used. Warheads are produced in cities, like any other unit.

What type of explosive is used in missiles?

AP is used as both a propellant in solid fuel rocket and missile motors and as a high explosive in bombs, but its use outside of air weapons training is limited to ground burst and grenade simulators….Energetic Compounds.

Abbrev Name Applications
RDX 1,3,5-Trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine Compositions A, B, and 4, IMX-104

Why are warheads called warheads?

The name “Warheads” comes from the notion that the sour taste of the candies is akin to a real warhead going off in one’s mouth, and the brand’s mascot, Wally Warhead, is depicted as a boy with puckered lips and a small mushroom cloud emanating from the top of his head.