The present invention is directed to composite projectiles and the manufacture thereof for a wide range of purposes and applications through variation of the composite makeup of such composite projectiles. Embodiments of the invention include composite projectiles configured for manufacture using melt-flow manufacturing methods use-cases and composite projectiles having specialized performance for more effective use in specific use-cases.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a munition assembly, arranged to be launched from a gun, the assembly comprising: a carrier for a submunition, the carrier comprising a cavity in which the submunition is located; and a submunition, carried by the carrier in the cavity, the submunition arranged to be controllably expelled from the carrier; the submunition comprising: a submunition explosive charge; and a submunition fuze, wherein: the munition assembly is adapted to be launched, into the air, from a gun barrel, where the submunition is then arranged to be controllably expelled from the carrier and enter a body of water; and the submunition fuze is adapted to trigger the submunition explosive charge under water.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a munition assembly, arranged to be launched from a gun, the assembly comprising: a carrier for a submunition, the carrier comprising a cavity in which the submunition is located; and a submunition, carried by the carrier in the cavity, the submunition arranged to be controllably expelled from the carrier; the submunition comprising: a submunition explosive charge; and a submunition fuze, wherein: the munition assembly is adapted to be launched, into the air, from a gun barrel, where the submunition is then arranged to be controllably expelled from the carrier and enter a body of water; and the submunition fuze is adapted to trigger the submunition explosive charge under water.

Asteroid redirection and soft-landing systems are provided that use cosmic ray and muon-catalyzed micro-fusion. These systems include a micro-fusion propulsion system providing thrust for redirecting a small asteroid, as well as providing a particle cushion at a landing site for a soft-landing. The systems deploy deuterium-containing fuel material as a localized cloud interacting with incoming ambient cosmic rays to generate energetic fusion products. Dust or other particulate matter in the fuel material converts some cosmic rays into muons that also catalyze fusion. The fusion products provide thrusting upon the asteroid. The fusion products also aid deceleration of incoming asteroids to be mined for a soft landing upon a lunar or planetary surface.

A projectile with a projectile casing and at least one pyrotechnic charge incorporated in the projectile casing is proposed, wherein the projectile has an open projectile base with a destructible membrane and the pyrotechnic charge burns away at a defined rate during the flight of the projectile, and so the projectile loses mass in such a way that a predetermined effective range is not exceeded. As a result, safety and a nonlethal effect are achieved, in particular outside the effective range.

A projectile with a projectile casing and at least one pyrotechnic charge incorporated in the projectile casing is proposed, wherein the projectile has an open projectile base with a destructible membrane and the pyrotechnic charge burns away at a defined rate during the flight of the projectile, and so the projectile loses mass in such a way that a predetermined effective range is not exceeded. As a result, safety and a nonlethal effect are achieved, in particular outside the effective range.

A projectile for firearms comprises a body defining a generally cylindrical base portion opposite an ogive. The body further defines a longitudinal axis. A plurality of pairs of adjacent flutes are defined in the ogive. Each flute has a radius of curvature which decreases along the longitudinal axis from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the flute. The adjacent flutes of each pair define and are substantially symmetrical about a central ridge. Each ridge is coplanar with the longitudinal axis and has a lesser depth than a bottom surface of each flute relative to a curved outer surface of the ogive. Each ridge has a radius of curvature which decreases along the longitudinal axis from an origin to a terminus of the ridge. The decreasing radius of curvature of the flutes prevents the projectile from over penetrating human-sized soft tissue targets without sacrificing energy transfer to such targets.

A projectile for firearms comprises a body defining a generally cylindrical base portion opposite an ogive. The body further defines a longitudinal axis. A plurality of pairs of adjacent flutes are defined in the ogive. Each flute has a radius of curvature which decreases along the longitudinal axis from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the flute. The adjacent flutes of each pair define and are substantially symmetrical about a central ridge. Each ridge is coplanar with the longitudinal axis and has a lesser depth than a bottom surface of each flute relative to a curved outer surface of the ogive. Each ridge has a radius of curvature which decreases along the longitudinal axis from an origin to a terminus of the ridge. The decreasing radius of curvature of the flutes prevents the projectile from over penetrating human-sized soft tissue targets without sacrificing energy transfer to such targets.

Composite projectiles include various material compositions, diameters, and cavities within the projectiles having a variety of cavity diameters, sidewalls, and bottoms selected and formed to induce different levels of penetration and disintegration of the composite projectiles upon impact with targets.

The inventive subject matter is directed to systems and apparatuses that are designed to work in cooperation with a firearm such that the firearm can fire a less lethal projectile. Systems can include a mounting device that clips onto a firearm, where that mounting device also include mounting posts. The mounting posts protrude from an end of the mounting device, and the mounting posts are designed to couple with mounting holes on an associated slug. Slugs of the inventive subject matter thus feature mounting holes and a center-bored hole that is designed to capture a bullet that is fired from a firearm that the system is coupled to. When a bullet is captured by a slug, an inelastic collision takes place that causes the slug to leave the firearm at around 20% of the bullet's original speed.