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AGM-65 Maverick
- Thread starter Bjorn
- Start date
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
Yes, it would seem a truncated trumpet-shaped liner from the AGM-65 MAVERICK's shaped warhead, along with some other liners. Seeing as it would seem to be copper, it would from a later version of the warhead, as the original used an aluminium liner.
For those interested in a bit of history about the AGM-65's warheads, an except and image from the publication Tactical Missile Warheads (edited by Joseph Carleone), which is part of the Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics series (it's Volume 155), is below.
The MAVERICK has been mentioned in connection with its large axial shaped charge and its utility against both land and ship targets. The shaped charge is itself unique in its use of a trumpet shaped cast-aluminum liner. However, two other MAVERICK warhead versions should also be noted. The initial version of the MAVERICK shaped charge also employed a controlled fragmentation case in addition to a two-stage axial liner. Concern expressed by a potential user that fragments might intercept the launching aircraft resulted in the fragmentation capability being deleted from the Air Force’s specification. However, a subsequent “on-the-shelf” version that incorporated both a fragmentation case and metal incendiary [known as fragment-incendiary-shaped charge (FISC)] was developed, although it was never introduced into the USAF weapons inventory. Also at the time of the original shaped charge warhead development, it was suggested that the MK 19 BULLPUP warhead would be a suitable alternative for use against a part of the expected target spectrum where a SAP type would be superior. However, because this would have required an extension of several inches of missile length, the idea was dropped. Recently, a totally new SAP-type warhead was developed for the newer versions of MAVERICK.
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
No problem. I've got a load of reference material on the missile. I was going to rewrite the 'Janes Weapons: Air-Launched' (formerly and easier to say, Jane's Air-Launched Weapons) entry on the Maverick, but never got round to it as I resigned.
Seems to have some rather screwy data on the warhead... for example, quoting the site.
Warhead: Chamberlain shaped charge (83lb / 37.6kg) or Avco steel-case penetrator blast/frag
Err, the weight is roughly that of the Composition B fill, not the overall shaped charge warhead weight, which is about 125 lbs (57 kg). The penetrating (KE) / blast-frag warhead weighs about 300 lb (136 kg), its PBX-108 HE-fill weighing about 80 lb (36 kg).
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I've got that and a multitude of other electronic documents on shaped charges and warheads in general, such as: books; general overviews; scientific papers; weapon effects; and weapon design. Far too many to list.
Plus I have quite a lot of hard copy books that cover it directly, or as partly (Title - Editor's (s') Surname).
Armour - Hazel
Conventional Warhead Systems, Physics and Engineering Design - Lloyd
Explosive Effects and Applications - Walters and Zukas
Explosive Engineering - Cooper
Impact Dynamics - Curran, Greszczuk, Nicolas, Swift and Zukas
Missile Design and System Engineering - Fleeman
Tactical Missile Warheads - Carlenone
The Fundamentals of Shaped Charges- Walters And Zukas.
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
Ah, so copper plating, or maybe a lacquer coating? I can't really see the colouration of the torn part of the liners periphery. It's strange that they would plate/coat it as as Composition B, and it's components (TNT and RDX) are both used directly with powdered aluminium in aluminised explosives. The passivation layer of aluminium oxide that forms on the very fine aluminium particles being enough to stop any reaction. Maybe its so the explosive bonds better with the liner surface, or for impedance matching? Voids and/or discontinuities are the last things would want in the charge, or between it and the liner.
As to slugs, it's very dependant on the liner shape and initiation mode. The ogival liner of what is termed the 'K-Charge' by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems produces next to no slug for example. That, along with the material it's made from and its initiation mode, being why you get such phenomenal penetration, around 10-12 charge (well external liner) diameters.
I'm not sure if it is copper plating, or just a protective treatment of something else.
In my experience shaped charge slugs from conical liners have a very typical shape, at least the ones from copper. The Maverick is different, and I've seen a couple of the early steel ones that are different, the others all seem to follow the pattern. I've got 20-25 different ones, from Copperhead and Hellfire through M77. Is the K=charge conical, or something else? I've never seen a recovered slug from DU or glass, it would be interesting to see how they form. I've got one in tantalum, but it was an EFP and not a shaped charge.
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
Don't quote me on it, but I think the then RUAG Dynamics sold the rights of the K-Charge technology to GD-OTS, or at least licensed it to them at the time they exited (they are now part of SAAB).
I state this as I went to a RUAG weapons demonstration at the Oerlikon (now Rheinmetall's) Ochsenboden testing range (link) in Switzerland in 2005 and the charge was demonstrated there. I'm pretty sure it was for the abortive Precision Attack Missile (PAM), but again don't quote me on it.
The before firing plate array and warhead.
The penetrated plates arranged for viewing.
For note, each plate is about 80 mm thick, so you do the maths (math). Oh, and note, no slug in the 18th plate, well not much of one. The diameter of the holes is around 20 mm.
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Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
It was molybdenum. So advantageous as it has a higher density and a higher speed of sound.
For the former, as the speeds involved are very high (around 7-12 km/s, so approximately 23,000-39,500 ft/s, Mach 20-35), the penetration can be considered as hydrodynamic (fluid like). So the greater the density of the penetrator compared to the target, the deeper it will penetrate for a given length and speed.
For the latter, the higher the material's speed of sound, the faster a liner made from it can be driven together before jet instabilities, such as bifurcation (splitting into two jets), occurs.
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Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
It's certainly not an example of 'great in the lab, but no so great in the field' as such the technology has been used in a few US upgrades. This includes Javelin, as part of the Block I update, and Hellfire, as part of the AGM-114R.
Presumably the charge type has been integrated into other newer systems too? Looking at the reference material I have in my library, it was to go in quite a few. As I don't really keep abreast of the field all that much now, I'm not really sure what newer systems it's been integrated into.
The use of the K-charge means you can shorten the overall length of the charge and reduced its weight, but you still get the same or better performance. For the Javelin, this allowed for the use of a larger and heavier rocket motor assembly. This motor, along with software modifcations, gave it far longer range.
I'm not sure if a molybdenum liner was used in the Javelin, but it's likely main warhead AGM-114R Hellfire does. Molybdenum liners are certainly used in the precursor of the Javelin Block I, AGM-114K2, AGM-114L, AGM-114P and AGM-114R.
The K-charge in the AGM-114R is heavily modified with a protective nose assembly and thicker robust casing. Both of these allow, with advanced fuzing (precursor and main chare delay timing settings), for the main warhead to penetrate the target before its detonation. Some earlier imagery shows a MAC (metal augmenting charge) assembly at the rear, though I'm not sure if this was integrated in the final design?
If you want to know more about the K-Charge, try its patent.
https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1164348A2/en
As to the slug, I don't think you'll find much, just remnants. The way the K-charge works is by making sure nearly all the liner material forms part of the jet and that nearly all is travelling at a speed where its is capable of penetrating steel armour hydrodynamically. The slug is left in many older designs as it's not travelling at a speed at which it is capable of penetrating steel armour hydrodynamically. As such, its left in the hole formed by the part that can.
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Not to slight the systems mentioned, but the US adopting upgrades using a particular material or technique is not necessarily an identification of "great in the field". I've got enough years in both R+D and the field to understand that good does not always equal purchased, and purchased does not always equal good. Occasionally the system gets it right, and its good to see when it happens. At the same time there are a lot of crap systems out there that were supposed to be the "big new thing" but failed dismally. Everyone in the field has seen examples of what I'm talking about. I've read the patent, and it sounds interesting, but again, that does not necessarily transfer to the field.
No slugs is disappointing, but I'll settle for a good cone. Don't have any Javelin pieces yet other than a launcher, I'll have to keep my eyes open. In regard to the other slugs, you may find a few actually in the hole, but the vast majority seem to end up elsewhere. Maybe splattered, some certainly ricocheted off. I wouldn't think that many of the ones found actually penetrated, otherwise they would not be likely to retain the classic shape. I was out in a target area earlier this summer looking at AT-4 and TOW targets, nothing changed (need those slugs too).
Sounds like an interesting technology, thanks for the info, hope it works out.
No slugs is disappointing, but I'll settle for a good cone. Don't have any Javelin pieces yet other than a launcher, I'll have to keep my eyes open. In regard to the other slugs, you may find a few actually in the hole, but the vast majority seem to end up elsewhere. Maybe splattered, some certainly ricocheted off. I wouldn't think that many of the ones found actually penetrated, otherwise they would not be likely to retain the classic shape. I was out in a target area earlier this summer looking at AT-4 and TOW targets, nothing changed (need those slugs too).
Sounds like an interesting technology, thanks for the info, hope it works out.
Eggburt1969
Well-Known Member
Found these pictures in my archive
This is the entrance hole to the last plate (number 18). As mentioned, not really and slug left, though there's loads of molybdenum 'flashing' around the hole. I'm calling it 'flashing' as I can't remember the technical term used for the escape of the jet material in the gap between the adjacent plates.
And this is the rear of the same plate, no exit.
By the way, what's the unfuzed HEDP projectile with the spin-compensated (fluted) spit-back (point-initiate based detonate) modified liner? It's marked in the annotated version version of your image below.
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