A closed, self-contained ballistic apogee detection module for use in a projectile, such as a rocket, mortar round, or artillery round, fuses data from multiple built-in sensors, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope, and processes the data using a microprocessor through a custom quaternion extended Kalman filter to provide accurate state and orientation information about the projectile so as to accurately predict apogee. The module outputs a signal indicating apogee detection or prediction which they projectile uses to initiate fuze arming, targeting control, airbody transformation, maneuvering, flow effector deployment or activation, payload exposure or deployment, and/or other mission activity. Because the system and method of the invention does not rely on external environmental data to detect apogee, it need not use a pressure sensor and can be completely sealed in and closed without requiring access to air from outside the projectile for barometric readings.

Disclosed is a rifle grenade using a bullet trap. A propellent assembly is formed with a first housing configured to house a trapping unit that traps a bullet shot from a gun to travel from rear to front and absorbs kinetic energy of the bullet, and a second housing configured to house a propelling unit that is disposed in front of the first housing, and is activated by the kinetic energy of the bullet which is absorbed into the trapping unit to provide a propelling force in a trajectory direction of the rifle grenade.

Various embodiments of optimized subsonic projectiles are provided along with related methods. For example, one exemplary subsonic projectile can include an elliptical nose cone, a cylindrical body and a boattail with various design features that can be used in a subsonic ammunition cartridge where the subsonic projectile is stabile throughout at least a segment of a flight allowing for better accuracy, maintaining low drag, maximizing range and achieving desired performance while ensuring the projectile stays below the speed of sound and lowering a noise profile of projectile and a launcher firing the projectile.

The archery arrow having improved flight characteristics of the present invention is designed to improve the accuracy of the arrow which is equipped with a dampening medium within the central bore of the arrow shaft. The dampening materials in an embodiment may include, but not be limited to, silicon, epoxies or urethanes and selection of various dampening materials may provide for varying degrees of stiffness. The dampening effects of internal dampening materials decrease the initial deflection distance of the arrow and also serves to decrease the deflection with each oscillation. In addition, the dampening medium adopted in the present invention provides for an arrow having a selectable center of gravity location that has improved flight characteristics. Thus, the dampening materials adopted in the present invention provide for a selected location of center of gravity and a desired attnuation of oscillations.

The archery arrow having improved flight characteristics of the present invention is designed to improve the accuracy of the arrow which is equipped with a dampening medium within the central bore of the arrow shaft. The dampening materials in an embodiment may include, but not be limited to, silicon, epoxies or urethanes and selection of various dampening materials may provide for varying degrees of stiffness. The dampening effects of internal dampening materials decrease the initial deflection distance of the arrow and also serves to decrease the deflection with each oscillation. In addition, the dampening medium adopted in the present invention provides for an arrow having a selectable center of gravity location that has improved flight characteristics. Thus, the dampening materials adopted in the present invention provide for a selected location of center of gravity and a desired attnuation of oscillations.

A projectile includes an ordnance portion configured to impact a target and a communication apparatus positioned rearward of the ordnance portion. The projectile is configured to rotate about and travel along a longitudinal axis after launch.

A fragmentation warhead with a flexible liner enables increased control of the warhead's fragmentation pattern. The flexible liner is fixed to a rigid portion of the warhead housing. Explosive material is contained in the housing. A fluid is disposed between the explosive material and the flexible liner to function as a shock transition material. The fluid is contiguous with and bears on an inner surface of the flexible liner. A plurality of rigid fragments or a plurality of explosively formed projectile (EFP) liners are fixed to an outer surface of the flexible liner opposite the fluid. Initiation of the explosive material propels the fragments or EFP liners in directions that may be varied by varying the shape of the flexible liner.

Kits or sub-systems that include sensors to measure a projectile's condition at muzzle exit. The kits or sub-systems are coupled to ballistic calculators or fire control systems that calculate aiming and programming solutions to improve shot placement, reduced dispersion and improve terminal performance. Where airburst munitions are used, the projectile is programmed when reaching a programming station beyond the barrel and the projectile is programmed with a solution that adjusts the burst location based on the measured muzzle velocity. Sub-systems, processes and sub-routines optimize post-shot programming using certain non-linear methods that are incorporated into fire control systems and ballistic calculators. These non-linear sub-routines are useful in establishing the optimum terminal effect of such airburst projectiles. The sub-systems are used separately or are incorporated into the weapons, to reduce dispersion and improve the terminal effects of the projectiles.

Improvements in a less-lethal force device are disclosed. The less-lethal projectile device generally comprising a projectile, such as a rubber-encapsulated metal block, that is mated to a docking base by way of a mounting pins or base. The projectile may be made with a cavity located in its rearward section for enabling the projectile to fit onto the mounting pins portion of the docking base through compression or interference fit. The projectile captures a fired bullet and is propelled along the original path of the bullet at a less lethal velocity. The disclosed system results in converting a normally lethal weapon into a less-lethal blunt impact system. The mounting pins are configured to provide clearance to the sighting mechanism on the firearm.

Multi-charge munition suitable for defeating a concrete target consists of a detonatable array of hollow primary charges (14) of explosive supported laterally of a line of target penetration on which is disposed a secondary explosive charge (48). Simultaneous detonation of the primary charges in the array causes jet penetrators to be projected together towards the target which produce wide boreholes in concrete suitable for the subsequent emplacement and detonation of the secondary charge. The munition may be an aerially-deliverable bomb or submunition. In one preferred embodiment, the primary charges (14) are positioned in a convergent configuration behind a forwardly-tapered secondary charge (48). Detonation of the primary charges projects penetrators forwardly passed the sides of the secondary charge and thrusts the secondary charge into the borehole produced in the target by the penetrators.