The invention relates to a process for forming a pre-defined recess in a cured or cast explosive composition comprising the steps of: i) providing a female mould, ii) providing a male former, and locating said male former proximate to the female mould to create a gap between said male former and female mould, iii) forming an admixture of a curable/castable explosive composition, charging the gap with the admixture of explosive composition, causing the cure or cast of said curable/castable explosive composition, removing the male former to furnish a cured or cast explosive composition with a pre-defined recess.

A deliverable weapon, such as a missile, an artillery round, an aerial bomb, or a mortar round, having an explosive warhead, utilizes concentric annular sleeves that upon detonation provide placement of smaller fragments of an inner annular sleeve interstitially with respect to larger fragments of an outer annular sleeve in an expanding fragmentation curtain that contains expanding gases to increase the pressure of the explosion and the kinetic energy transferred to the fragments. In embodiments, the sleeves are comprised of ordered layers of spherical metal fragments encased in binder material and an outer casing.

A non-destructive inspection method that comprises obtaining one or more images corresponding to an X-ray, scanning electron microscope, or CT scan of an object, assigning numeric values to pixels of the images, comparing the numeric values to reference numeric values, and identifying an anomaly in the object based on the comparison. A non-destructive inspection system that comprises at least one processor, a memory in communication with the processor and storing instructions that causes the processor to obtain an image corresponding to an X-ray, scanning electron microscope, or CT scan of an object, assign numeric values to pixels of the image, compare the assigned numeric values to reference numeric values, and identify an anomaly in the object based on the comparison.

Described is a shaped charge warhead comprising an axially symmetric fragmentation casing designed to define a containment space and having in a base portion a casting hole for the explosive, a detonator housed in the casting hole and a conical liner of the shaped charge positioned inside the containment space.

The casing and the conical or hemispherical liner, with a variable thickness, if necessary, are made in a single piece.

The casing extends along a respective axis of extension in such a way as to also define a standoff of the charged warhead.

An explosive device, such as a missile, artillery round, aerial bomb, mortar round, or mine, that utilizes a wall structure that upon detonation provides displacement of smaller fragments interstitially between larger fragments. The displacement of the smaller fragments into the interstitial spaces at detonation creates an expanding fragmentation curtain that momentarily contains expanding gases to increase the impulse pressure of the explosion, thereby increasing the kinetic energy imparted to the fragments. In some embodiments, the wall structure includes ordered layers of preformed metal fragments encased in binder material that suspends the fragments in a desired arrangement prior to detonation.

A non-destructive inspection method that comprises obtaining one or more images corresponding to an X-ray, scanning electron microscope, or CT scan of an object, assigning numeric values to pixels of the images, comparing the numeric values to reference numeric values, and identifying an anomaly in the object based on the comparison. A non-destructive inspection system that comprises at least one processor, a memory in communication with the processor and storing instructions that causes the processor to obtain an image corresponding to an X-ray, scanning electron microscope, or CT scan of an object, assign numeric values to pixels of the image, compare the assigned numeric values to reference numeric values, and identify an anomaly in the object based on the comparison.

Described is a shaped charge warhead comprising an axially symmetric fragmentation casing designed to define a containment space and having in a base portion a casting hole for the explosive, a detonator housed in the casting hole and a conical liner of the shaped charge positioned inside the containment space. The casing and the conical or hemispherical liner, with a variable thickness, if necessary, are made in a single piece. The casing extends along a respective axis of extension in such a way as to also define a standoff of the charged warhead.