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Biography
Other usesmultiple issues|unreferenced =February 2008|cleanup =March 2008|lead too short = July 2009The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile , rocket , or torpedo .
Classification
Types of warheads include:
Explosive material|Explosive : An explosive charge is used to disintegrate the target, and damage surrounding areas with a shock wave .
* Conventional weapon|Conventional : Chemicals such as gunpowder and high explosive s store significant energy within their molecular bonds. This energy can be released quickly by a trigger, such as an electric spark . Thermobaric weapon s are something of a special case.
**Blast: A strong shock wave is provided by the detonation of the explosive
** Fragmentation (weaponry)|Fragmentation : Metal fragments are projected at high velocity to cause damage or injury.
** Continuous rod warhead|Continuous rod : Metal bars welded on their ends forming a compact cylinder of interconnected rods, which is violently expanded into a contiguous "zig-zag" shaped ring by an explosive detonation. The rapidly expanding ring produces a unique planar "guillotine" effect that is particularly devastating against military aircraft, which are designed to be resistant to traditional shrapnel.
** Shaped charge : The effect of the explosive charge is focused onto a specially shaped metal liner to project a hypervelocity jet of metal, to perforate heavy armour .
*** Explosively formed penetrator : Instead of turning a thin metal liner into a focused jet of metal plasma, the shaped charge is directed against a concave metal plate at the front of the warhead, propelling it at super high-velocity while simultaneously deforming it into a dense ogive projectile
* Nuclear weapon|Nuclear : A runaway nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reaction causes immense energy release.
Chemical warfare|Chemical : A toxic chemical, such as poison gas or nerve gas , is dispersed, which is designed to injure or kill human beings.
Biological warfare|Biological : An infectious agent, such as anthrax disease|anthrax spores , is dispersed, which is designed to sicken or kill humans.
Projectile#Kinetic_projectiles|Kinetic : Collides with the target at high speed. A detonation is not necessarily required.
Often, a biological or chemical warhead will use an explosive charge for rapid dispersal.
Type
Definition
Contact
When the warhead makes physical contact with the target, the explosive is detonated. Sometimes combined with a delay, to detonate a specific amount of time after contact.
Proximity
fragmentation primarily towards the target that triggered it.
Remote
remotely detonated via signal from operator (Not normally used for warheads except for self-destruction)
Timed
Warhead is detonated after a specific amount of time.
Altitude
specified altitude .
Combined
Any combination of the above.
See also
Guidance system
List of aircraft weapons
List of missiles
Nuclear weapon yield
Missile
References
#The Nuclear Weapon Archive. The B61 (Mk-61) Bomb - Intermediate yield strategic and tactical thermonuclear bomb. http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B61.html#GlobalSecurity.org The B61 thermonuclear bomb. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm#The Brookings Institution. B61 Nuclear Gravity Bomb. http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/b61.aspx#Stephen I. Schwartz. Atomic Audit - The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940. Brookings Institution Press 1998 c. 700pp. http://www.brookings.edu/press/Books/1998/atomic.aspx#Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah. B61 THERMONUCLEAR BOMB. http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp? id=5707#National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). NNSA Achieves Significant Milestone for B61 Bomb. June 30, 2006. http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/1032.htm#Chuck Hansen, U.S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History, (New York: Orion Books, 1988), pp.& nbsp;162–164.
