Reactive Materials for Enhanced Warheads

Reactive Materials (RMs) is currently considered the most relevant technology for the enhancement of the lethality of the future warheads (WH), such as multi-effect WHs, fragmenting WHs, penetrators etc. for defeating naval, air or ground targets. RMs are able to improve the WH lethality thanks to the release of additional energy that enhances the blast and/or penetration effect through their high energetic chemical reactivity. This reaction may be induced by a shock, an instantaneous increase of temperature or a high-speed impact of fragments. RMs should have mechanical properties suitable for the metal parts of warheads (casing, fragments, liners). If inert metallic parts of WHs were replaced by RMs, additional energy would be quickly released enhancing the blast and/or penetration effect of the WH.

The project ERICA aims to develop warheads that are based on Reactive Materials, unlike the inert ones currently used. Warheads based on Reactive Materials release additional energy that enhances the blast and/or penetration effect of the weapon system. Reactive Materials can potentially be used to increase lethality, reduce collateral damage risk, and/or enable a reduction in weight / volume of the WHs for equivalent performance. Types of Reactive Materials include inter-metallic, Metastable Intermolecular Compounds (MICs) and Metal Halogen Compounds (MHCs) among the most promising. Short-term objectives are to establish the RMs technology along the MSs by exploring the properties of several materials, the type of reaction through small and large scale characterization; to accurately model lethality and simulate the behaviour of materials when they react; to initiate structural, mechanical and compatibility study to determine where the specific formulation of Reactive Materials may be applied. Long-term objectives are to develop Reactive Materials WHs and consolidate their production technology; to fill the technological gap between EU and foreign countries; to provide solutions for the design of future weapon systems and industrial scale-up.

This project is funded by the European Defence Agency under contract B.PRJ.RT.1101