Penetrating Munitions

Ammunition capable of penetrating hardened targets such as tanks or bunkers and causing more serious internal damage than conventional munitions. Penetrating munitions come in a variety of forms, including artillery shells, bombs, rockets, and missiles.

The earliest penetrating munitions were developed in rudimentary form during World War II. Allied forces used powerful dambuster bombs in an attempt to penetrate the concrete structures of dams along the Rhine River. By collapsing the dams, the Allies hoped to flood important industrial and agricultural regions of Germany, hampering its war effort. Although the bombs did breach some dams, the widespread damage anticipated by the Allies failed to occur.

Today's penetrating munitions awaited technological developments that allowed for more precise targeting and better penetration of hard surfaces, thereby increasing their effectiveness during conflict. Tungsten, a superhard metal, has been used in penetrating munitions since the 1960s. More recently, penetrating artillery and armor-piercing rounds have been designed using depleted uranium, or DU, a radioactive material that is extremely dense. The invention of microelectronics and laser guidance enabled the incorporation of sophisticated targeting systems inside shells and bombs. These targeting systems produced a revolutionary improvement in the ability to strike an intended target.

Penetrating artillery shells and antitank weapons typically consist of a long, thin rod called a fléchette surrounded by a casing (or sabot) that allows the round to fit into the barrel of the firing weapon. After the round is fired, the sabot falls away and the fléchette continues to the target. Upon impact, the nose of the fléchette splits in a way that allows it to remain sharp. The energy released at impact disintegrates the fléchette as it bores through the surface of the target. This disintegration creates a hot ball of dust and gas that ignites upon contact with the air inside the vehicle, killing its crew and igniting the ammunition and fuel.

Another type of penetrating munition is the so-called bunker-buster bomb. The bunker buster is similar in configuration to penetrating shells, with a long, narrow body. The bunker buster is loaded with explosives and equipped with a fuse that delays its explosion until after the bomb penetrates its target. More complicated weaponry can even count the number of floors in a building or bunker it has penetrated and, after a specified number, detonate the explosives. Because it is dropped from extremely high altitude, a bunker buster must be laser-guided to its target by the [Page 575]pilot of the aircraft. Bunker busters were used extensively during the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003.