The folks at the USAF do seem to spend a suspiciously large amount of time talking about "penetrators", don't they?Penetrate faster, harder with new AFRL weapon
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An Air Force Research Laboratory fact sheet with a 2011 time-stamp for public release approval tells us that a 2,000lb-class weapon with 5,000lb-class penetration capability could be available within three years.
"Future fighters will be able to deliver bunker-busting capabilities currently associated with the bomber fleet," the fact sheet says.
I found the fact sheet for the High Velocity Penetrating Weapon (HVPW) in the AFRL munitions directorate booth at the Air Warfare Symposium a few days ago. The document reveals the USAF has shifted its focus on next-generation penetrator technology on a couple of different levels.
BTW, running the numbers, the kinetic energy of a 2500 kg system at 300 m/s (about 650 mi/h), is 112.5 MJ, so for a 1000 kg system, you would need a velocity of only (475 m/s) 1800
(added correction in red D'oh!!!)
4 comments :
Your calculation is off. Since energy in linear in mass and quadratic in velocity, a reduction of 2.5 in mass would require an increase of sqrt(2.5) = 1.6 in velocity to offset.
Ummmm..Ke=1/2MV^2.
It's the 2nd power, not the 4th.
Yes...
A 2.5Mg projectile as 300m/s (=671 mph) has as much kinetic energy as a 1Mg projectile at 300 * sqrt(2.5) m/s = 474.3 m/s (=1061 mph).
Not so?
Hmmm...I think that I left off a step.
Rounding
300 m/s = 1080 km/hour = about 650 mph
475 m/s = 1760 km/hour = about 1050 mph.
I see my mistake. My 1800 m/s should be 1800 km/hour. I F%$#ed up and called km/h m/s. Will correct.
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