Tandem-charge on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A tandem-charge or dual-charge weapon is an
BAE’s Lrod Cage Armour - Defense Industry Daily
/ref> The first stage of the weapon is typically a weak charge that either pierces the reactive armour of the target without detonating it, leaving a channel through the reactive armour so that the second warhead may pass unimpeded, or simply detonates the armour, causing the timing of the counter-explosion to fail. The second detonation from the same projectile (which defines it as a tandem charge) attacks the same location as the first detonation where the reactive armour has been compromised. Since the regular armour plating is often the only defence remaining, the main charge (second detonation) has an increased likelihood of penetrating the armour. An example of a tandem charge warhead is used by the 9M133M Kornet-M missile system However, tandem charges are more useful against explosive reactive armour, less so against the non-explosive reactive armor, since their inner liner is not explosive itself and thus not expended by the small forward warhead of tandem-charge attack. The PG-7VR warhead for the
Dual charges increase the effectiveness of warheads when used against structures (such as bunkers). Because the explosion of a unitary
explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...
device or projectile
A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found ...
that has two or more stages of detonation, assisting it to penetrate either reactive armour
Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour used in protecting vehicles, especially modern tanks, against shaped charges and hardened kinetic energy penetrators. The most common type is ''explosive reactive armour'' (ERA), but variants include ...
on an armoured vehicle or strong structures.
Anti-tank
Tandem
Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...
charges are effective against reactive armour
Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour used in protecting vehicles, especially modern tanks, against shaped charges and hardened kinetic energy penetrators. The most common type is ''explosive reactive armour'' (ERA), but variants include ...
, which is designed to protect an armoured vehicle (mostly tanks) against anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare refers to the military strategies, tactics, and weapon systems designed to counter and destroy enemy armored vehicles, particularly tanks. It originated during World War I following the first deployment of tanks in 1916, and ...
munitions./ref> The first stage of the weapon is typically a weak charge that either pierces the reactive armour of the target without detonating it, leaving a channel through the reactive armour so that the second warhead may pass unimpeded, or simply detonates the armour, causing the timing of the counter-explosion to fail. The second detonation from the same projectile (which defines it as a tandem charge) attacks the same location as the first detonation where the reactive armour has been compromised. Since the regular armour plating is often the only defence remaining, the main charge (second detonation) has an increased likelihood of penetrating the armour. An example of a tandem charge warhead is used by the 9M133M Kornet-M missile system However, tandem charges are more useful against explosive reactive armour, less so against the non-explosive reactive armor, since their inner liner is not explosive itself and thus not expended by the small forward warhead of tandem-charge attack. The PG-7VR warhead for the
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has t ...
rocket launcher and the PG-29V warhead for the more modern RPG-29
The RPG-29 "Vampir" is a Soviet Union, Soviet Reuse, reusable rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1989, it was the last RPG to be adopted by the Soviet Armed Forces, Soviet military before the Dissolution of the ...
rocket launcher are examples of tandem charges, but the technology is employed worldwide. Examples of missiles that use tandem charges include the BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW ("Tube-launched, Optically tracked, wire-guided missile, Wire-guided", pronounced ) is an American anti-tank missile. TOW replaced much smaller missiles like the SS.10 and ENTAC, offering roughly twice the effective range, a more ...
, FGM-148 Javelin
The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is an American-made man-portable anti-tank system in service since 1996 and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-f ...
and the Brimstone.
Penetrating weapons
Dual charges increase the effectiveness of warheads when used against structures (such as bunkers). Because the explosion of a unitary high explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
charge will follow the path of least resistance, much of the explosive power of a warhead will be lost to the air surrounding the target if detonated outside the structure. This effect can be countered by using heavily constructed gravity bombs with delay fuze
In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates its function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fu ...
s that penetrate the earth, concrete, etc. of the target before exploding—thus containing the explosion inside the structure and significantly increasing its effect.
Gravity bombs require aircraft to fly rather close to what may be a heavily defended target, which poses a significant risk to the launch aircraft. Cruise missiles equipped with large tandem-charge warheads can use the first charge to create a hole into which the missile flies before exploding the second charge, creating a similar effect of the delayed gravity bomb. An example of an anti-structure tandem-charge warhead is the BROACH
Broach may refer to:
* Broaching (metalworking), a machining operation that uses a metalworking tool with a series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel
* Broach (nautical), a sudden loss of control of a vessel caused either by wind actio ...
warhead.
See also
*High-explosive anti-tank
High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is the effect of a shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity ...
* Shaped charge
A shaped charge, commonly also hollow charge if shaped with a cavity, is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Different types of shaped charges are used for various purposes such as cutting and forming metal, ...
References
{{Reflist Explosive weapons Ammunition