The present invention relates to a safety and arming unit for initiation of underwater charges, comprising: a housing; a detonator; an interrupter slidable within the housing from a first position in which a firing chain from the detonator to a charge is interrupted, to a second position, in which the firing chain is complete; a first member configured to cooperate with the housing and the interrupter to form a first interlock, wherein, upon the first member being in a first position, said interlock locks said interrupter in said first position, and upon the first member being in a second position, said interrupter is free to slide relative to said first member; a second member configured to cooperate with the housing and the interrupter to form a second interlock, mechanically independent of said first interlock, wherein, upon the second member being in a first position, the interlock locks said interrupter in said first position, and upon the second member being in a second position, said interrupter is free to slide relative to said second member; and a plurality of electrical switches arranged in series, switchable from a first configuration in which the detonator is electrically isolated from a remote initiation firing system, to a second configuration in which the detonator is in electrical communication with a remote initiation firing system; wherein, upon the first member being in the second position, and the second member being in the second position, the interrupter is slidable from the first position to the second position upon being subjected to an external water pressure of at least a predefined threshold value. Upon the interrupter being in the second position, the interrupter acts on the plurality of electrical switches to switch said plurality of switches to said second configuration.

An igniter device (10) operable to remediate a floating oil spill in a body of water is provided. The device (10) comprises a pyrotechnic device (28) that is actuated through an actuator assembly (20) comprising time delay circuitry (24). Upon actuation, the time delay circuitry (24) begins a countdown permitting the device (10) to be safely deployed from an aerial vehicle. The pyrotechnic device (28) ignites a fuel source (38), which in turn ignites the floating oil spill.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a programmable system for a munition, comprising: an electroacoustic transducer, arranged to receive an acoustic signal comprising data, and convert that signal into an electrical signal comprising data; a processor, arranged to receive and process the electrical signal comprising data, and to use that data in programming of the programmable system.

The present invention relates to a safety and arming unit for initiation of underwater charges, comprising: a housing; a detonator; an interrupter slidable within the housing from a first position in which a firing chain from the detonator to a charge is interrupted, to a second position, in which the firing chain is complete; a first member configured to cooperate with the housing and the interrupter to form a first interlock, wherein, upon the first member being in a first position, said interlock locks said interrupter in said first position, and upon the first member being in a second position, said interrupter is free to slide relative to said first member; a second member configured to cooperate with the housing and the interrupter to form a second interlock, mechanically independent of said first interlock, wherein, upon the second member being in a first position, the interlock locks said interrupter in said first position, and upon the second member being in a second position, said interrupter is free to slide relative to said second member; and a plurality of electrical switches arranged in series, switchable from a first configuration in which the detonator is electrically isolated from a remote initiation firing system, to a second configuration in which the detonator is in electrical communication with a remote initiation firing system; wherein, upon the first member being in the second position, and the second member being in the second position, the interrupter is slidable from the first position to the second position upon being subjected to an external water pressure of at least a predefined threshold value. Upon the interrupter being in the second position, the interrupter acts on the plurality of electrical switches to switch said plurality of switches to said second configuration.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an object for moving through a fluid, the object comprising: an outer housing, arranged to be exposed to a hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid; a strain gauge, arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure, wherein a first part of the strain gauge is arranged to be in contact with the outer housing, such that the strain gauge is arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure by obtaining an indication of the strain on the housing.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a fuze arming system for a submunition, comprising: a first stage, arranged to detect launch of the submunition and its associated carrier; a second stage, arranged to detect expulsion of the submunition from the carrier, and to at least partially arm a submunition fuze based on such detection; wherein the second stage is unable to at least partially arm the submunition fuze without the first stage detecting launch of the submunition and its associated carrier.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a fuze arming system for a submunition, comprising: a first stage, arranged to detect launch of the submunition and its associated carrier; a second stage, arranged to detect expulsion of the submunition from the carrier, and to at least partially arm a submunition fuze based on such detection; wherein the second stage is unable to at least partially arm the submunition fuze without the first stage detecting launch of the submunition and its associated carrier.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an object for moving through a fluid, the object comprising: an outer housing, arranged to be exposed to a hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid; a strain gauge, arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure, wherein a first part of the strain gauge is arranged to be in contact with the outer housing, such that the strain gauge is arranged to obtain an indication of the hydrostatic pressure by obtaining an indication of the strain on the housing.

An underwater vehicle includes a plurality of releasable panel members that are initially in a storage state in which the releasable panel members form a closed housing and the underwater vehicle is neutrally buoyant, an actuatable effector that is retained in the closed housing. The effector has an anchor and a positively buoyant upper unit opposite the anchor. When the plurality of releasable panel members are released to open the closed housing, the effector is separable from the releasable panel members and maintained in a vertically downward direction by the anchor and the positively buoyant upper unit.

An underwater vehicle includes a plurality of releasable panel members that are initially in a storage state in which the releasable panel members form a closed housing and the underwater vehicle is neutrally buoyant, an actuatable effector that is retained in the closed housing. The effector has an anchor and a positively buoyant upper unit opposite the anchor. When the plurality of releasable panel members are released to open the closed housing, the effector is separable from the releasable panel members and maintained in a vertically downward direction by the anchor and the positively buoyant upper unit.