Re: Reprogrammable warhead for Tomahawk.


Kevin Brooks wrote:
> "Henry J Cobb" <hcobb@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:H8OdnTjewYrZWnTfRVn-vA@xxxxxxxxx
> > Andy Dingley wrote:
> >> On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 23:16:17 -0700, Henry J Cobb <hcobb@xxxxxx> wrote:
> >>>why not have a warhead that can reprogrammed in flight by the FAC to
> >>>match the exact target?
> >>
> >> It's already happening (as design studies, if not in service) but the
> >> limits are really just for large / small dispersal patterns for
> >> submunitions. A submunition is a submunition - they have a fixed
> >> dangerous radius and you can optimise their spacing for efficient
> >> results depending on how widespread your target is and what sort of
> >> density you'd like to cover. Well dug-in troops need them dense and you
> >> hope for a "golden BB", convoys of softskins or fuel dumps can be killed
> >> by a low density, but they're a larger target area.
> >>
> >> They're still the same submunitions though. You can't drop them in
> >> clusters and have them suddenly turn into armour-piercing munitions.
> >
> > Have HEDP submunitions, blow them up high for shrapnel or inches away for
> > HEAT work.
>
> LOL! So you figure that a lot of DPICM's going off simultaneously somehow
> equals the penetration capability of a larger shaped charge ("HEAT" only
> applies to killing tanks, Henry--that is what the "AT" part stands for,
> OK?)? You need to brush up on basic explosives and demolitions.
>
> >
> >> Other constraints are that the military still likes pyro delay trains,
> >> for their simplicity and reliability, so these often can only run at a
> >> single fixed interval (some have clever timing variations depending on
> >> which end you fire the train from)
> >
> > Just as electronics are now fast enough for software radios, it's about
> > time to consider a software warhead that uses multiple ignition points for
> > different effects.
>
> Why?
>
> >
> >> You're also unlikely to see this on a Tomahawk. That's an expensive
> >> precision-guided long-range munition, used only for high-value targets
> >> identified by good theatre surveillance. A reprogrammable cluster
> >> warhead is more of a weapon for tactical use and targets of opportunity.
> >
> > The Tactical Tomahawk is already designed to orbit around while waiting
> > for a target of opportunity, the only thing it can't do is change warheads
> > mid flight.
>
> And your "solution" does not do anything to change that fact.
>
> Brooks
>
> >
> > -HJC

Kevin, on this one we are in complete agreement. Henry also does not
understand the flight speed of the Tomahawk. It is not a "superweapon"
for FS. Takes far too long to arrive. Not only that, it is out of
date in that all the fancy (well at least the fancy ideas that really
work) ideas built into stealth aircraft need to be applied to cruise
missile technology to increase thier chance of successful infiltration
and point target destruction (this is the real mission of a tomahawk
Henry). If you want a super "reachback" or "standoff" missile for FS,
then you need a faster missile, maybe scramjet based? Even if you do
design a scramjet missile that sits in orbit untill called, what Henry
proposes for warheads is not feasable for the reasons that Kevin has
pointed out. Of course Henry also proposed B-2's to replace the DD(X).
On that note, my aplogize to Henry for the rude response in that
thread, and I hope you continue to develop your ideas.
SPC Reed Dyer

.

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