An improved armor piercing and pyrotechnic projectile for use in .50 military caliber rounds. Such projectiles contain a core, jacket, a base and a hollow nose housing pyrotechnic mixtures composed of sodium periodate and magnalium. The improved projectiles exhibit increased luminosity, and are non-toxic, safer, and environmentally benign compared to current state-of-the-art projectiles.

A munition, such as a warhead, includes a penetrator casing for penetrating hard targets, such as a fortification or inforced building or other structure, with the penetrator casing having reduced-thickness portions. The munition also includes a shock-resistant fuzewell for absorbing shocks during the penetration, to allow a fuze within the fuzewell to survive hard target penetration. The fuzewell may have one or more shock-absorbing features, such as having a ring surrounding a central housing, with flexible spokes connecting the ring to the central housing. The shock-absorbing features may allow the fuze to withstand the penetration into a hard target, with the fuze subsequently being used to detonate an explosive of the munition.

A munition, such as a warhead, includes a penetrator casing for penetrating hard targets, such as a fortification or inforced building or other structure, with the penetrator casing having reduced-thickness portions. The munition also includes a shock-resistant fuzewell for absorbing shocks during the penetration, to allow a fuze within the fuzewell to survive hard target penetration. The fuzewell may have one or more shock-absorbing features, such as having a ring surrounding a central housing, with flexible spokes connecting the ring to the central housing. The shock-absorbing features may allow the fuze to withstand the penetration into a hard target, with the fuze subsequently being used to detonate an explosive of the munition.

A munition has a penetrator casing that houses a fuel-oxidizer mixture within the casing. A height of burst fuze is operatively coupled to the fuel-oxidizer mixture, to ignite the fuel-oxidizer mixture before impact with the target. By igniting the fuel-oxidizer mixture before target impact, the munition avoids the problem of the impact potentially causing damage to the fuze that would leave the fuze in operable. The fuel-oxidizer mixture may cause injury and damage into a space that has been breached by the penetrator casing, for example by expelling lethal combustion products (hot gases) into a hard target, such as a building or bunker, that has been breached by the penetrator casing. The hot gasses may also have the advantage of maintaining an opening that the penetrator passes through, with for example the hot gases glassifying the edges of a hole formed by the penetrator, such as through soil.

A munition has a penetrator casing that houses a fuel-oxidizer mixture within the casing. A height of burst fuze is operatively coupled to the fuel-oxidizer mixture, to ignite the fuel-oxidizer mixture before impact with the target. By igniting the fuel-oxidizer mixture before target impact, the munition avoids the problem of the impact potentially causing damage to the fuze that would leave the fuze in operable. The fuel-oxidizer mixture may cause injury and damage into a space that has been breached by the penetrator casing, for example by expelling lethal combustion products (hot gases) into a hard target, such as a building or bunker, that has been breached by the penetrator casing. The hot gasses may also have the advantage of maintaining an opening that the penetrator passes through, with for example the hot gases glassifying the edges of a hole formed by the penetrator, such as through soil.

A weapon and weapon system, and methods of manufacturing and operating the same. In one embodiment, the weapon includes a warhead including destructive elements and a guidance section with a seeker configured to guide the weapon to a target. The seeker includes a detector configured to receive a distorted signal impinging on an objective lens from the target, memory configured to store target criteria and a correction map, and a processor configured to provide a correction signal based on the distorted signal, the target criteria and the correction map to guide the weapon to the target.

A weapon and weapon system, and methods of manufacturing and operating the same. In one embodiment, the weapon includes a warhead including destructive elements and a guidance section with a seeker configured to guide the weapon to a target. The seeker includes a detector configured to receive a distorted signal impinging on an objective lens from the target, memory configured to store target criteria and a correction map, and a processor configured to provide a correction signal based on the distorted signal, the target criteria and the correction map to guide the weapon to the target.

A projectile including a reactive composition is disclosed. The reactive composition includes at least one fuel comprising a titanium-boron composite, at least one oxidizer, and at least one metal hydride. When the projectile penetrates through a surface of a target having a volume of 0.2 m.sup.3, the reactive composition is configured to cause, behind the surface of the target, at least one of an overpressure of greater than 36 pounds per square inch (psi) or an incendiary effect duration of greater than 70 milliseconds. The reactive composition may be configured to partially or entirely surround a pin or penetrator. The projectile may lack a pin or penetrator, and the reactive composition is contained within a metal tube or cup configured to travel toward, within, and/or behind a surface of the target, wherein the process produces a punch out from the target, thereby acting as a second projectile, which enhances lethality.