Civil engineer guide to fighting positions, shelters, obstacles

AFH 10-222 Volume 14 1 August 2008 90
4.5.3. Predetonation Screens. Predetonation screens are used to detonate
antitank weapons and dissipate the effects between the area where the screen
is constructed and the weapons’ primary target (Figure 4.17). The screen can
be constructed of wood, solid fencing material, etc. It is usually constructed
between 10 to 40 feet from the structures it is intended to protect. For additional
information on constructing and siting predetonation screens, refer to
UFC 4-020-03FA. A predetonation screen may have several effects. Hopefully,
it will damage the fuze on the weapon, causing it to dud. The structure
being protected must still be capable of defeating the kinetic energy of the
fired round. The primary purpose is to detonate an antitank rocket when it
strikes the screen. In this case, the combination of standoff distance and the
construction of the protected facility must defeat the gas jet from the shaped
charge. Antitank rounds emit a concentrated stream of molten metal upon
detonation (known as shaped charge) capable of penetrating several inches of
steel. The predetonation screen must cause the round to detonate far enough
from the asset to mitigate the damage from the molten material and spent
rocket engine.
Figure 4.17. Predetonation Screening.