Last week I wrote about fuel-air and themobaric weapons, in which the warhead relies on taking oxygen from the surroundings to explode. But there's a German concept which turns this idea on its head: rather than having a warhead made of fuel which requires oxidiser, the warhead is the oxidiser and the target itself provides the fuel.
Described in a 1974 patent for Flammability promoting ammunition for use against airborne targets , the invention is intended to overcome the shortcomings of existing anti-aircraft warheads:
*When a round of ammunition strikes a target, we distinguish between the gas shock effect, the fragmentation effect and the incendiary effect produced. Due to the smaller caliber of the projectiles employed, the gas shock effect is generally not sufficient to break or destroy wings, fuselage or engine of the airplane, because of the limited amount of explosive. The fragmentation effect alone does not always lead to the complete destruction of the airplane...Experience has shown that planes exposed to the fragmentation effect alone often are able to return to their base or at least to a safe landing area. However,__ rapid destruction of an airplane is accomplished if it is set on fire, since it is rarely possible to extinguish a fully blazing fire.__ *
*Though an airplane has sufficient combustible material to support a fire, the problem still exists for anti-aircraft guns to ignite the material. Such ignition is possible only if the fuel and oil on board, such as propellents and lubricants, are caused to flow from their containers and pipes by the explosion of a shell..... It is particularly disadvantageous that the gas shock produced by the detonation of the explosive and producing low oxygen or inert gas clouds which displaces the air at the point of impact and, as a result, also displaces oxygen at the decisive moment of impact, and even if additional explosive is supplied, either no fire results or one of extremely short duration which is quenched by the impact force. Further, a direct hit in the fuel tank does not guarantee that a fire will develop. ...In summary, it can be stated that even at the present time the most reliable way of destroying an airplane, namely, by setting it on fire, is only possible with a certain degree of probability with the known types of ammunition used against an airborne target. *
*Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a type of ammunition which increases the likelihood of flammability of an airborne target if it is struck. In the present invention, the increased probability of flammability is provided by the use of oxygen releasing carrier material which releases oxygen when one or several explosive charges are detonated as a shell or round of ammunition strikes a target.... *
*In accordance with the present invention, the following substances are preferably used as oxygen releasing carriers: sodium nitrate (NaNO.sub.3) and/or potassium nitrate (KNO.sub.3) and/or potassium chlorate (KClO.sub.3) and/or potassium perchlorate (KClO.sub.4) and/or potassium permanganate (KMnO.sub.4), which release free oxygen during the detonation of the explosive due to the action of heat and pressure... *
*A special problem solved by the invention involves the manner in which the ammunition, after its detonation, (within the target, against the target, and before or during its flight over the target) provides splinters, oxygen releasing carriers and flammability producing material which acts against the target not only with each other but also in a time delay manner. *
The patent is assigned to German company Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH. I don't know whether any anti-aircraft warheads actually use this technology -- makers don't give away too many details -- but it shows that as with fuel-air weapons, it's possible to make something a lot more destructive than straight high explosives.
