WARHEADS, propulsion, guidance

Question 1

blast warheads

Answer 1

initial blast produces heat overpressure, followed by suction under pressure. ex: SLAM-ER, TLAM, Harpoon, Torpedo

Question 2

underwater blast

Answer 2

warhead detonates beneath hull, steam bubble expands and lifts hull which weakens keel, steam bubble collapses and breaks keel

Question 3

fragmentation warheads

Answer 3

blast energy is transferred to casing fragments. Nearly 30% of the energy released during detonation fragments the warhead. fragments propelled at very high velocities. allows for targeting inaccuracies

Question 4

blast fragmentation examples

Answer 4

Advanced medium range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), Standard Missile (SM-2,3,6), rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), Sidewinder (AIM-9), Sea Sparrow (RIM-7), Evolved Sea Sparrow (RIM-162)

Question 5

NATO sea sparrow missile (RIM-7)

Answer 5

radar -guided surface-to-air missile. self-defense against anti-ship cruise missiles. semi-active homing missile. annular blast fragmentation. used on CVN and LHA/LHD

Question 6

rolling air-frame missile (RAM) (RIM-116)

Answer 6

lightweight, quick reaction, fire and forget point-defense missile designed to destroy. surface to air missiles, blast fragmentation warhead. passive radio frequency, infrared homing or infrared only.
Platforms: CVN, LHA/LHD, LCS

Question 7

shaped charged warheads

Answer 7

used against hardened targets (armored vehicles). detonation collapses the metal cone liner at the apex. Ejecting a continuous high velocity solid jet of metal weakening the metal target. slug then penetrates the weakend armor

Question 8

hellfire missile

Answer 8

laser guided, air-to-ground significant antitank, anti-structure/bunker capacity. Air-to-air helos, slow fixed-wing aircraft
Platforms: MH-60R/S

Question 9

special purpose warheads

Answer 9

thermal warheads, biological & checmical warheads

Question 10

nuclear warheads

Answer 10

Trident II

Question 11

launching systems requirements

Answer 11

speed, reliability, safety, compatability

Question 12

types of launchers

Answer 12

Gravity, impulse, reaction

Question 13

gravity launchers

Answer 13

gravity delivers weapon to target, used on slower airborne platforms

Question 14

impulse launchers

Answer 14

gun-type launchers, propellant powder launches weapon or projectile. 5” MK-45 gun, Close-In Weapon System (CIWS)

Question 15

CIWS (MK-15)

Answer 15

last line of defense missile, good against anti-ship missiles. rapid fire 20mm 4500 rounds per minute. Platforms: CVN, CG, DDG-51, LHA/LHD, LPD,LSD

Question 16

MK-45 caliber gun (5”)

Answer 16

shipboard gun mount, surface, air and shore-based targets. platforms: CG(fore and aft) DDG-51 (fwd)

Question 17

MK-110 caliber gun (57mm)

Answer 17

shipboard gun mount, high rates of fire with extreme accuracy, surface, airborne, and shore-based targets.
Platforms: LCS (both variants)

Question 18

impulse launchers

Answer 18

uses high pressure gases from a compressed air supply. ensures the weapon safely clears the delivery vehicle ex: MK- 32 SVTT

Question 19

reaction launchers (canister)

Answer 19

launch rail/tube and storage container in one. Ex: VLS, Harpoon, ASROC, NATO BOX LAUNCHER, ABL (tomahawk)

Question 20

MK-41 (VLS) vertical launching system

Answer 20

below deck missiles, missiles in tube called all-up rounds (AUR). launches SM-2,SM-3,SM-6, ESSM, tomahawk land attack missile (TLAM), anti-submarine rocket (ASROC)
platforms: CG, DDG, DDG 1000

Question 21

Zero length launchers

Answer 21

MK-26, MK-13, all aircraft missiles

Question 22

phases of guidance

Answer 22

boost phase, midcourse phase, terminal phase

Question 23

boost phase

Answer 23

weapon receives launch signal and launches, gets weapon up to speed, weapon reaches cruising altitude, receives target info

Question 24

midcourse phase

Answer 24

not all weapons have midcourse, weapon closes on target, often the longest in time and range

Question 25

terminal phase

Answer 25

must have high degree of accuracy, requires max maneuverability, evasive maneuverability

Question 26

guidance control

Answer 26

homing guidance, command guidance, self contained guidance

Question 27

homing guidance

Answer 27

active, semi-active, passive. RF, IR, LASER, sound, visible light

Question 28

active homing

Answer 28

weapon contains transmitter and receiver, target echo travels same path as transmitted energy, use most often in terminal phase. Ex: Harpoon, AMRAAM

Question 29

semi-active homing

Answer 29

target “illuminated” by a tracking radar, weapon equipped with receiver only. Ex: Hellfire, SM-2,SM-3, SM-6, Sea Sparrow, Evolved Sea Sparrow

Question 30

Passive Homing

Answer 30

target is sole source of tracking energy. weapon generates its own correction. reduces counter-detection. susceptible to decoy r deception Ex: sidewinder, HARM, RAM, Torpedo

Question 31

Command Guidance

Answer 31

outside guidance, embedded receiver, receives instructions from ships, aircraft, ground stations. wire or radar, examples: MK-48, SLAM-ER

Question 32

Self-Contained Guidance systems

Answer 32

fixed target weapons, preset, flight path is predetermined, inserted in weapon before launch. Navigational guidance systems: inertial, terrestrial, GPS