In military

munition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weapo ...

s, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates function. In some applications, such as

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

es, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fuze designs can be seen in cutaway diagrams. A fuze is a device that detonates a

's explosive material under specified conditions. In addition, a fuze will have safety and arming mechanisms that protect users from premature or accidental detonation. For example, an artillery fuze's battery is activated by the high acceleration of cannon launch, and the fuze must be spinning rapidly before it will function. "Complete bore safety" can be achieved with mechanical shutters that isolate the detonator from the main charge until the shell is fired. A fuze may contain only the electronic or mechanical elements necessary to signal or actuate the detonator, but some fuzes contain a small amount of primary explosive to initiate the detonation. Fuzes for large explosive charges may include an explosive booster.

Etymology

Some professional publications about explosives and munitions distinguish the "fuse" and "fuze" spelling. The UK Ministry of Defence states ( emphasis in original): :Fuse: Cord or tube for the transmission of flame or explosion usually consisting of cord or rope with gunpowder or high explosive spun into it. (The spelling ''fuze'' may also be met for this term, but ''fuse'' is the preferred spelling in this context.) :Fuze: A device with explosive components designed to initiate a main charge. (The spelling ''fuse'' may also be met for this term, but ''fuze'' is the preferred spelling in this context.) Historically, it was spelled with either 's' or 'z', and both spellings can still be found. In the United States and some military forces, ''fuze'' is used to denote a sophisticated ignition device incorporating mechanical and/or electronic components (for example a proximity fuze for an artillery shell,

magnetic Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that are mediated by a magnetic field, which refers to the capacity to induce attractive and repulsive phenomena in other entities. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particles ...

/ acoustic fuze on a

sea mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...

, spring-loaded

grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade g ...

fuze, pencil detonator or anti-handling device) as opposed to a simple burning fuse.

Fuze categorization by munition type

The situation of usage and the characteristics of the munition it is intended to activate affect the fuze design e.g. its safety and actuation mechanisms.

Artillery fuze

Artillery fuzes are tailored to function in the special circumstances of artillery projectiles. The relevant factors are the projectile's initial rapid acceleration, high velocity and usually rapid rotation, which affect both safety and arming requirements and options, and the target may be moving or stationary. Artillery fuzes may be initiated by a timer mechanism, impact or detection of proximity to the target, or a combination of these.

Hand grenade fuze

Requirements for a hand grenade fuze are defined by the projectile's small size and slow delivery over a short distance. This necessitates manual arming before throwing as the grenade has insufficient initial acceleration for arming to be driven by "setback" and no rotation to drive arming by centrifugal force.

Aerial bomb fuze

Aerial bombs can be detonated either by a fuze, which contains a small explosive charge to initiate the main charge, or by a "pistol", a firing pin in a case which strikes the detonator when triggered. The pistol may be considered a part of the mechanical fuze assembly.

Landmine fuze

The main design consideration is that the bomb that the fuze is intended to actuate is stationary, and the target itself is moving in making contact.

Naval mine fuze

Relevant design factors in naval mine fuzes are that the mine may be static or moving downward through the water, and the target is typically moving on or below the water surface, usually above the mine.

Fuze categorization by activation mechanism

Time fuze

Time fuzes detonate after a set period of time by using one or more combinations of mechanical, electronic,

pyrotechnic Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition ...

or even chemical timers. Depending on the technology used, the device may self-destruct (or render itself safe without detonation) some seconds, minutes, hours, days, or even months after being deployed. Early artillery time fuzes were nothing more than a hole filled with gunpowder leading from the surface to the centre of the projectile. The flame from the burning of the gunpowder propellant ignited this "fuze" on firing, and burned through to the centre during flight, then igniting or exploding whatever the projectile may have been filled with. By the 19th century devices more recognisable as modern artillery "fuzes" were being made of carefully selected wood and trimmed to burn for a predictable time after firing. These were still typically fired from smoothbore muzzle-loaders with a relatively large gap between the shell and barrel, and still relied on flame from the

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate ( saltpeter) ...

propellant charge escaping past the shell on firing to ignite the wood fuze and hence initiate the timer. In the mid-to-late 19th century adjustable metal time fuzes, the fore-runners of today's time fuzes, containing burning gunpowder as the delay mechanism became common, in conjunction with the introduction of rifled artillery. Rifled guns introduced a tight fit between shell and barrel and hence could no longer rely on the flame from the propellant to initiate the timer. The new metal fuzes typically use the shock of firing ("setback") and/or the projectiles's rotation to "arm" the fuze and initiate the timer : hence introducing a safety factor previously absent. As late as World War I, some countries were still using hand-grenades with simple black match fuses much like those of modern fireworks: the infantryman lit the fuse before throwing the grenade and hoped the fuse burned for the several seconds intended. These were soon superseded in 1915 by the Mills bomb, the first modern hand grenade with a relatively safe and reliable time fuze initiated by pulling out a safety pin and releasing an arming handle on throwing. Modern time fuzes often use an electronic delay system.

Impact fuze

Impact, percussion or contact fuzes detonate when their forward motion rapidly decreases, typically on physically striking an object such as the target. The detonation may be instantaneous or deliberately delayed to occur a preset fraction of a second after penetration of the target. An instantaneous "Superquick" fuze will detonate instantly on the slightest physical contact with the target. A fuze with a graze action will also detonate on change of direction caused by a slight glancing blow on a physical obstruction such as the ground. Impact fuzes in artillery usage may be mounted in the shell nose ("point detonating") or shell base ("base detonating").

Proximity fuze

Proximity fuzes cause a

missile In military terminology, a missile is a missile guidance, guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously ...

warhead or other munition (e.g. air-dropped bomb or

) to detonate when it comes within a certain pre-set distance of the target, or vice versa. Proximity fuzes utilize sensors incorporating one or more combinations of the following:

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

, active

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects on ...

, passive acoustic,

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from aroun ...

, photoelectric, seismic or even

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

cameras. These may take the form of an anti-handling device designed specifically to kill or severely injure anyone who tampers with the munition in some way e.g. lifting or tilting it. Regardless of the sensor used, the pre-set triggering distance is calculated such that the explosion will occur sufficiently close to the target that it is either destroyed or severely damaged.

Remote detonators

Remote detonator Remote may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Remote'' (1993 film), a 1993 movie * ''Remote'' (2004 film), a Tamil-language action drama film * ''Remote'' (album), a 1988 album by Hue & Cry * Remote (band), ambient chillout band * ' ...

s use

wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is co ...

s or radio waves to remotely command the device to detonate.

Barometric fuze

Barometric fuzes cause a bomb to detonate at a certain pre-set altitude above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

by means of a

, barometric

altimeter An altimeter or an altitude meter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth under water. The m ...

or an

rangefinder.

Combination fuze

A fuze assembly may include more than one fuze in series or parallel arrangements. The RPG-7 usually has an impact (PIBD) fuze in parallel with a 4.5 second time fuze, so detonation should occur on impact, but otherwise takes place after 4.5 seconds. Military weapons containing explosives have fuzing systems including a series time fuze to ensure that they do not initiate (explode) prematurely within a danger distance of the munition launch platform. In general, the munition has to travel a certain distance, wait for a period of time (via a clockwork, electronic or chemical delay mechanism), or have some form of arming pin or plug removed. Only when these processes have occurred will the arming process of the series time fuze be complete. Mines often have a parallel time fuze to detonate and destroy the mine after a pre-determined period to minimize casualties after the anticipated duration of hostilities. Detonation of modern

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...

s may require simultaneous detection of a series arrangement of acoustic,

, and/or

pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country a ...

sensors to complicate mine-sweeping efforts.Frieden, David R. ''Principles of Naval Weapons Systems'' Naval Institute Press (1985) pp.405-427

Fuze safety/arming mechanisms

The multiple safety/arming features in the

M734 fuze The M734 multi-option fuzeTM 43-0001-28 "Army Ammunition Data Sheets,"Department of the Army, April 1977, p7-45. is a rangefinder and collision detection system used on 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar shells as a trigger to detonate the shells at ...

used for mortars are representative of the sophistication of modern electronic fuzes. Safety/arming mechanisms can be as simple as the spring-loaded safety levers on M67 or RGD-5

fuzes, which will not initiate the explosive train so long as the pin is kept in the grenade, or the safety lever is held down on a pinless grenade. Alternatively, it can be as complex as the electronic timer-countdown on an influence sea mine, which gives the vessel laying it sufficient time to move out of the blast zone before the magnetic or acoustic sensors are fully activated. In modern artillery shells, most fuzes incorporate several safety features to prevent a fuze arming before it leaves the gun barrel. These safety features may include arming on "setback" or by centrifugal force, and often both operating together. Set-back arming uses the inertia of the accelerating artillery shell to remove a safety feature as the projectile accelerates from rest to its in-flight speed. Rotational arming requires that the artillery shell reach a certain rpm before

centrifugal force In Newtonian mechanics, the centrifugal force is an inertial force (also called a "fictitious" or "pseudo" force) that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference. It is directed away from an axis which is parallel ...

s cause a safety feature to disengage or move an arming mechanism to its armed position. Artillery shells are fired through a

rifled barrel In firearms, rifling is machining helical grooves into the internal (bore) surface of a gun's barrel for the purpose of exerting torque and thus imparting a spin to a projectile around its longitudinal axis during shooting to stabilize the proj ...

, which forces them to spin during flight. In other cases the bomb, mine or projectile has a fuze that prevents accidental initiation e.g. stopping the rotation of a small

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

(unless a lanyard pulls out a pin) so that the striker-pin cannot hit the detonator even if the weapon is dropped on the ground. These types of fuze operate with aircraft weapons, where the weapon may have to be jettisoned over ''friendly'' territory to allow a damaged aircraft to continue to fly. The crew can choose to jettison the weapons ''safe'' by dropping the devices with safety pins still attached, or drop them ''live'' by removing the safety pins as the weapons leave the aircraft. Aerial bombs and

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use ...

s can be ''nose'' and ''tail'' fuzed using different detonator/initiator characteristics so that the crew can choose which effect fuze will suit target conditions that may not have been known before the flight. The arming switch is set to one of ''safe'', ''nose'', or ''tail'' at the crew's choice. Base fuzes are also used by artillery and tanks for shells of the 'squash head' type. Some types of armour piercing shells have also used base fuzes, as have nuclear artillery shells. The most sophisticated fuze mechanisms of all are those fitted to

nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

, and their safety/arming devices are correspondingly complex. In addition to PAL protection, the fuzing used in nuclear weapons features multiple, highly sophisticated environmental sensors e.g. sensors requiring highly specific acceleration and deceleration profiles before the warhead can be fully armed. The intensity and duration of the acceleration/deceleration must match the environmental conditions which the bomb/missile warhead would actually experience when dropped or fired. Furthermore, these events must occur in the correct order. Note: some fuzes, e.g. those used in air-dropped bombs and landmines may contain anti-handling devices specifically designed to kill

bomb disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...

personnel. The technology to incorporate booby-trap mechanisms in fuzes has existed since at least 1940 e.g. the German ZUS40 anti-removal bomb fuze.

Reliability

A fuze must be designed to function appropriately considering relative movement of the munition with respect to its target. The target may move past stationary munitions like

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automatic ...

s or naval mines; or the target may be approached by a rocket, torpedo, artillery shell, or air-dropped bomb. Timing of fuze function may be described as ''optimum'' if detonation occurs when target damage will be maximized, ''early'' if detonation occurs prior to optimum, ''late'' if detonation occurs past optimum, or ''dud'' if the munition fails to detonate. Any given batch of a specific design may be tested to determine the anticipated percentage of ''early'', ''optimum''. ''late'', and ''dud'' expected from that fuze installation. Combination fuze design attempts to maximize ''optimum'' detonation while recognizing dangers of ''early'' fuze function (and potential dangers of ''late'' function for subsequent occupation of the target zone by friendly forces or for gravity return of anti-aircraft munitions used in defense of surface positions.) Series fuze combinations minimize ''early'' function by detonating at the latest activation of the individual components. Series combinations are useful for safety arming devices, but increase the percentage of ''late'' and ''dud'' munitions. Parallel fuze combinations minimize ''duds'' by detonating at the earliest activation of individual components, but increase the possibility of premature ''early'' function of the munition. Sophisticated military munition fuzes typically contain an arming device in series with a parallel arrangement of sensing fuzes for target destruction and a time fuze for self-destruction if no target is detected.

Gallery

File:Bombing_up_106_Squadron_Lancaster_WWII_IWM_CH_12541.jpg, Avro Lancaster at

RAF Metheringham Royal Air Force Metheringham or more simply RAF Metheringham is a former Royal Air Force station situated between the villages of Metheringham and Martin, North Kesteven, Martin and south east of the county town Lincoln, England, Lincoln, Lincol ...

. Note the "Fuzed" status, chalked on the nose of each bomb File:British_20_mm_Oerlikon_shell_diagrams.jpg, Oerlikon 20 mm cannon fuze File:QF2pdrVickersHVShell1943.jpg, Cross-sectional views of QF 2-pounder naval gun shells, showing percussion fuzes. File:M107_Shells.JPEG, Fuzes fitted to M107 155mm artillery shells, c. 2000 File:White_Phosphorous_mortar_round.jpg, Fuzed 81mm

white phosphorus Elemental phosphorus can exist in several allotropes, the most common of which are white and red solids. Solid violet and black allotropes are also known. Gaseous phosphorus exists as diphosphorus and atomic phosphorus. White phosphorus Whi ...

mortar shell in 1980. Note spelling of "fuze" on adjacent boxes File:Multiple fuzes.gif, An assortment of fuzes for

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieg ...

and mortar shells File:British 4 inch 35 lb star shell 1943 diagram.jpg, British World War II 4-inch naval illuminating shell, showing time fuze (orange, top), illuminating compound (green) and parachute (white, bottom) File:No145MkIPercussionFuzeDiagram.jpg, Fuze for a Stokes mortar shell File:No63FuzeMkIC.jpg, British No. 63 Mk I Time and Percussion fuze, c. 1915, used in

shrapnel Shrapnel may refer to: Military * Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use * Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material Popular culture * ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics) * ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam ...

shells File:No100FuzeDiagram.jpg, British No. 100 Graze Fuze for high-explosive shell,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. File:No110MkIIIPercussionFuzeDiagram.jpg, British Percussion Fuze No. 110 Mk III, World War I, used in trench mortars File:No131DAImpactFuzeMkVIDiagram.jpg, British No. 131 D.A. (Direct Action) Impact Fuze, Mk VI,

, used in anti-aircraft artillery File:No16DMkIVNBasePercussionFuzeLarge.jpg, British No. 16 D Mk IV N Base percussion fuze, c. 1936 File:No45PDAImpactFuzeDiagram.jpg, British No. 45 P Direct Action Impact Fuze, World War I, used in howitzer shells File:Type_99_grenade.jpg, Cut-away diagram of Japanese Type 99 Grenade showing fuze mechanism. c. 1939 File:M2A4_mine_M6A1_fuze.jpg, Cut-away diagram of a US M2A4 bounding mine showing the M6A1 pressure/pull fuze. c. 1950 File:Russian_-_VPF_pull_fuze.jpg,

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

pull-fuze designed for booby-trap or anti-handling purposes. c. 1950s. Detonator assembly is inserted into explosives File:Russian_-_MUV_pull_fuze.jpg, Alternative design of USSR booby-trap pull-fuze, usually connected to a tripwire. c. 1950s File:Russian_MV-5_pressure_fuze.jpg, USSR pressure fuze for booby-trap purposes e.g. victim steps on loose floorboard with fuze (connected to TNT explosives) concealed underneath. c. 1950s File:TC24_Italian_landmine_cutaway.png, Italian TC/2.4 mine c. 1980s showing central location of mechanical pressure fuze File:Smine-diagram.jpg, German S-mine dating from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

showing fuze well into which a 3-pronged fuze would be screwed File:Smine-sensor.jpg, Fuze for a German S-mine, which would be screwed into the fuze well on the mine File:M1-M4_mine_cutaway.JPG, M4 anti tank mine, showing main fuze in the centre, plus 2 additional fuze pockets (both empty) which provide the option to fit anti-handling devices File:Landmine_anti-handling_devices.png, Typical configuration of a pull fuze and/or pressure-release fuze attached to M15 anti-tank landmines File:Torpedo exploder Mark 6 Mod 1.jpg, The problem-prone Mark 6 magnetic influence exploder for the Mark 14 submarine torpedo was secretly developed with limited testing between the world wars

References

;Notes ;Sources
Canada. Army Electronic Library. Field Artillery Volume 6. Ballistics and Ammunition. B-GL-306-006/FP-001 1992-06-01
*

External links

* ttp://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/bombfuzedata1945.pdf Bomb fuze data - US guide dated 1945br>Safing, Arming, Fuzing, and Firing (SAFF) info from Globalsecurity.orgInternal view of 1940s aerial bomb fuze, featuring 2 strikers held back by single screw-thread and 2 creep springs
- page on 81mm Mortar Fuzes *, cf 7, "Introduction to Fuzes" {{DEFAULTSORT:Fuze Fuzes Military slang and jargon Artillery Ammunition