81mm increased lethality projectile

Abstract

A mortar ammunition round which contains at least three fragment producing regions covered by a threadably removable aluminum cowling. Detachment of the cowling provides access to several of the fragment producing regions which are located on a removable cup device. A different cup device may then be selectively inserted and the cowling replaced, forming a new mortar round of different select performance capabilities.

Claims

1. A less sensitive greater effectivity mortar ammunition round comprising: a fuze (121) having external threads (122) at its lower extremities; a main piece (100), said main piece comprising a hollow fragmenting body, HF-1 steel casing having a top threaded region (120) which has both external threads (101) and internal threads (102) which internal threads (102) mate to the external threads (122) of the fuze (121), and; said main piece having an aerodynamically contoured section (103) below said top threaded region (120), and a straight cylindrical area (104) below said contoured section (103), and; a circumferential obturator slot (105) engraved circumferentially below said straight cylindrical area (104), and; a tapered down area (106) below said circumferential obturator slot (105), and; a bottom threaded region (107) having outer threads (108), and; a hollow tail piece (500) having a top tail piece (504) with internal threads (501) which mate to outer threads (108) of said bottom threaded region (107), and; a tail tube piece (505) having multiple holes (502) therein and having hollow propellant donuts (506) mounted thereon, and; a fin assembly (511) at base of said tail tube piece (505), said fin assembly (511) having five fins (503) thereupon, and; a fragment containing device (200) sized to be selectively emplaced over or selectively removed from, said straight cylindrical area (104) of said main piece (100) and said specially contoured section (103), said fragment containing device (200) comprising a lower hollow cylindrical cup area (201) and an upper rounded hollow piece (202), wherein a band (204) of vehicle or armor defeating metal ball fragments (208) are embedded within the outside surface of cup area (201) and a band (205) of personnel defeating metal ball fragments (209) are embedded within the outside surface of rounded hollow piece (202), and; a hollow spacer (300) sized to fit completely over or under the upper rounded hollow piece (202) of the fragment containing device (200), and; an aerodynamically shaped hollow aluminum cowling (400) having in its top part, internal threads (401) which are sized to screw down over outer threads (101) of the main piece (100), and; said round carrying a payload of insensitive IMX-104 high explosive (150) within.

2. A mortar ammunition round comprising a fragmenting warhead that may be customized for mission needs, said round comprising: a main piece (100), said main piece comprising a hollow fragmenting body, HF-1 steel casing, and; a fragment containing device (200) sized to be selectively emplaced over or selectively removed from said main piece (100), said fragment containing device (200) comprising a lower hollow cylindrical cup area (201) and an upper rounded hollow piece (202), wherein a band (204) of vehicle or armor defeating fragments (208) are embedded within the outside surface of cup area (201) and a band (205) of personnel defeating fragments (209) are embedded within the outside surface of rounded hollow piece (202), and; a hollow spacer (300) sized to fit completely over the upper rounded hollow piece (202) of the fragment containing device (200), and; an aerodynamically shaped hollow aluminum outer cowling (400) attached to cover over said main piece (100), said fragment containing device (200), and said hollow spacer (300); and, wherein said cowling (400), hollow spacer (300), and fragment containing device (200) are selectively removable so that said fragment containing device (200) may be replaced with different fragment bands (204) and (205) selected to fit changing mission needs.

3. The mortar ammunition round of claim 2 wherein fragments (208) and (209) are metal balls and wherein fragments (208) are larger than fragments (209).

4. The mortar ammunition round of claim 3 wherein the fragments are of steel.

5. The mortar ammunition round of claim 3 wherein the fragments are of tungsten.

6. The mortar ammunition round of claim 3 wherein the cowling (400) is made of a metallic, polymer, ceramic, or a composite material.

7. The mortar ammunition round of claim 3 wherein the fragments comprise geometric shapes other than balls.

8. The mortar ammunition round of claim 2 wherein the fragments (208) and (209) are of heavy metals.

9. The mortar ammunition round of claim 2 further including a fuze (121), and wherein fuze (121), said cowling, and said main fuze (100), are selectively attached together by screw threading means.

10. The mortar ammunition round of claim 9 wherein detaching said cowling provides access to said fragment bands (204), (205) and the possibility of changing the entire fragment containing device (200).

Description

LIST OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows the projectile main body piece 100 of a mortar ammunition round according to this invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a fragment containing device 200 sized to be selectively emplaced over or selectively removed from the projectile main body piece 100 of a mortar ammunition round, according to this invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a hollow spacer 300 sized to fit completely over an upper piece 202 of the fragment containing device 200 of a mortar ammunition round, according to this invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an aluminum cowling 400 which may be selectively emplaced over the fragment containing device 200 and projectile main body piece 100 of the mortar ammunition round, according to this invention.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a hollow attachable tail piece 500 which facilitates attachment of tail fins 503 upon fin assembly 511 of a mortar ammunition round, according to this invention.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of an M821A3E1-81 mm (ILP) Increased Lethality Projectile 600 according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows the projectile main body piece 100. Main body piece 100 is made by cutting and repurposing an HF-1 steel body casing as have been used on legacy M821 mortars. This means it is already designed to fragment into many heavy pieces which upon explosion of the mortar body are intended to rain down upon a designated ground target. This will be viewed as the first of three to even five different sources of fragments that are designated in this new mortar round to attack the intended target. Other bands of fragments 204 and 205 will later be described with respect to fragment containing device 200. Main body piece 100 contains a payload of high explosive 150 which for this round will be IMX-104 explosive. Although IMX-104 is more expensive than, e.g., current composition B, for instance, IMX-104 is a new less sensitive type explosive which is therefore considered safer. The round also Includes a fuze 121 mounted on a fuze adapter 153 which in turn has a bottom piece 155 which bottom piece has external threads 122 at its lower extremities. Cowling 400 (later described with reference to FIG. 4, has internal threads 401 mating with 122 to receive the fuze adapter piece 155. Cowling 400 abuts ledge 151 on the main piece when the cowling is snugly in place. Main piece 100 comprises a hollow fragmenting body, HF-1 steel casing, having a cylindrical top threaded region 120 which has both external threads 101 and internal threads 102 which internal threads 102 mate to the external threads 122 of fuze 121. The external threads 101 mate with internal threads 401 on cowling 400. The cowling 400 ultimately is screwed in place down to ledge 151 enclosing internal parts 200 and 300 (described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3) are emplaced. The main piece 100 has an aerodynamically contoured section 103 starting at line 154 which is bottom of said top threaded region 120, and a straight cylindrical area 104 below said contoured section 103. The aerodynamically contoured section 103 has specially chosen radii to best explode down upon the desired target. The main body piece 100 has a circumferential obturator slot 105 engraved circumferentially below said ledge 151 which ledge is at the bottom of said straight area 104. The main body piece 100 also has a tapered down area 106 below said circumferential obturator slot 105, which leads down to bottom line 152, below which is formed a cylindrical bottom threaded region 107. The bottom threaded region 107 has outer threads 108 which facilitate attachment of a hollow tail piece 500 (FIG. 5). Hollow tail piece 500 has a top tail piece 504 with internal threads 501 which mate to outer threads 108 of said bottom threaded region 107. Hollow tail piece 500 also has a tail tube piece 505 having multiple holes 502 therein and carries oversized hollow propellant bodies 506 mounted thereon, resembling donut shapes. Hollow tail piece 500 also has a fin assembly 511 at base of said tail tube piece 505, said fin assembly 511 having five fins 503 thereupon. FIG. 2 shows a fragment containing device 200 sized to be selectively emplaced over or selectively removed from, said straight area 104 of said main piece 100 and said specially contoured section 103. Said fragment containing device 200 comprises a lower hollow cylindrical cup area 201 and an upper rounded hollow piece 202 having special radius shape to agree to outer shape 103 of the main body piece 100, wherein a band 204 of vehicle/armor defeating large metal ball fragments 208 are embedded within the outside surface of cup area 201 and a band 205 of personnel defeating smaller metal ball fragments 209 are embedded within the outside surface of rounded hollow piece 202. FIG. 3 shows a hollow spacer 300 sized to snugly fit completely over the upper rounded hollow piece 202 of the fragment containing device 200. As shown, spacer 300 has a height equal to the height of 202 on cup 200 to insure a smooth contoured fit, and then the cowling 400 will be screwed down in place to snugly cover over elements 200 and 300 and snugly hold them in place. Though spacer 300 is shown here to lie over 202 on element 200, however in other embodiments, spacer 300 could be made to fit within upper rounded hollow piece 202 instead. Fragments 208, 209 lie within the surfaces of cup area 201 and 202 respectively but could also lie underneath, on top thereof, of some combination of all upper rounded hollow piece 202 three places depending upon the respective sizing thereof. The fragments may be made of heavy metals such as steel, tungsten, etc., and may have heavy 2.5 grain sized fragments. The fragments may be balls but may comprise other geometric shapes. Because sections 200 and 300 may be selectively removed, replaced, or refurbished, this makes for a round which is versatile in manufacturing. Most parts remain the same whilst sections 200 and 300 may alone be need to be changed. The 200 and 300 devices are covered over by an aerodynamically shaped hollow aluminum cowling 400 having in its top part, internal threads 401 which are sized to screw down over outer threads 101 of the main piece 100. The cowling reaches down to where obturator 105 is located and rests there when the cowling is fully screwed down. The cowling (400) may also be metallic, polymer, ceramic, or of a composite material.

(8) FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of an M821A3E1-81 mm Increased Lethality Projectile (ILP), 600. Here, a tungsten preformed fragmentation matrix 610 is mounted on the foreword body of the mortar round, overlaying an HF-1 steel shell body component 100. Spacer 300 provides partial support for the fragmentation matrix 610. Spacer 300 may lay over, or underneath the fragmentation matrix 610. Component 100 is made from a HF-1 mortar body, but turned around 180 degrees in direction, and cut to fit this application. Therefore, it is an inexpensive round body to obtain, and it also fragments as desired, to serve as a pusher for the fragmentation matrix 610. An aluminum cowling 400 overlays and covers, as a minimum, the fragmentation matrix 610. This round contains a payload of high explosive 150 of IMX-104 explosive, which is less sensitive though more expensive than Composition B explosive, e.g. Round 600 also contains a fuze 121 on an 1M fuze adapter 601. It has an engraved obturator notch 105 ahead of the backward tapered region 106 where found located are fins 503 on a fin assembly (M24 type), propellant charges 506, (modified M220 type), and ignition cartridge 606, (M299 type). The round 600 also has a booster 604.

(9) While the invention may have been described with reference to certain embodiments, numerous changes, alterations and modifications to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.