Rotating warhead

US4657208A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Walter E. Miller, Jr. · Huntsville, US
• Robert R. Mitchell · Huntsville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 10, 1985
• Grant date: Apr 14, 1987
• Expiry date: Jun 10, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F42C13/026
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The method achieves a top soft armor attack with the favorable attack ang In addition it eliminates the wiping motion. This is accomplished by a small upward exhausting thruster over the warhead. This thruster, activated on command from the launch station, institutes a rapid pitch down rotation of the missile imparting an angular momentum. This angular momentum produces a jet wiping effect in the opposite direction of that produced by the missile forward flight.