Fighter Combat

FIGHTER WEAPONS 45is sometimes called an "adaptive" fuze, which might alter fuze delaysduring the missile's flight based on projected intercept conditions calculatedfrom guidance data. Such a fuze might also "aim" the warhead tocause maximum destructive effects on the target side of the missile atintercept.Missile WarheadsThe warheads used in AAMs are typically blast-fragmentation types, incendiaryor explosive pellets, or expanding-rod types. Blast-fragmentationwarheads are intended to cause damage through the combined effects ofthe explosive shock wave and high-velocity fragments (usually pieces ofthe warhead casing). Pellet designs are similar, except some of the fragmentsare actually small bomblets that explode or burn on contact with, orpenetration of, the target. Because of the decreased air density at highaltitude, the damage to airborne targets from blast effect alone is notusually great unless the missile actually hits the target, penetrates, andexplodes inside. Fragments tend to spread out from the point of the explosion,rapidly losing killing power as miss distance increases. Explosive orincendiary pellets reduce this problem somewhat since a single hit can domore damage. The expanding-rod warhead also addresses this problem. Itis comprised of many short lengths of steel rod placed side by side in anannular arrangement around the explosive material. The rods are weldedtogether at alternate ends so that when detonation occurs they expandoutward in a solid, continuous ring, much like an expanding watch band,until reaching their maximum radius. In theory this continuous rod ismore likely to cut through control cables, hydraulic and fuel lines, andstructural members than are individual fragments. In addition, the lethalityof such a warhead should be maintained to greater distances, since thedamaging fragments do not spread apart. In practice, however, such expandingrods often separate early in the explosion, leaving large gaps ir thewarhead coverage.The lethality of a warhead depends largely on the amount of explosivematerial and the number and size of the fragments. Warheads should bedesigned with specific target types in mind, and they must complementthe missile guidance and fuze design. Larger expected miss distances andimprecise fuzes require bigger warheads.Fuzes must make allowance for the fact that the missile's forwardvelocity is imparted to the warhead fragments on detonation, so that asthey expand they are also moving forward, forming a cone-shaped lethalvolume ahead of the warhead detonation point. Warheads have been developedwhich can aim most of their fragments in the direction of thetarget based on fuze command. "Shaped charges" have been used to enhancetarget penetration, particularly with contact fuzes. Nuclear warheadsalso may be employed for special situations.Missile EmploymentEmployment of AAMs involves satisfying the requirements of the particularmissile in the given situation. Missiles are complicated systems com-