Smart stuff 5

Swingfire K19A3 Practice warhead less the nose fairing. The yellow markings indicate the high explosive filling of the command break-up unit (CBU), a charge of maybe 2 ounces that is enough to down the missile on demand or on wire break in flight. The CBU facility is particularly useful if the missile suddenly turns through 180 degrees and comes back at the firer - I kid you not, I have seen it happen. Before firing the gap at the right is covered by the safety & arming mechanism (S & A Mech = Fuze) access band. Removal of the band reveals a window that shows the state of arming of the S & A Mech, and a coloured diagram that indicates what that means. The Prac head model number was up to K19A4 by the time I left the army in 1993.See http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/72347-Swingfire for photos.

only ever found one undamaged nose fairing...all the rest were as flat as a pancake!