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Innovation in History: How the U.S. Army Reduces Risk in Training Using Fragmentable Warheads
As training and tactics evolve, the U.S. military continues to seek new ways to improve safety and effectiveness. Among them, the emergence of fragmentable warheads is precisely to address the risks that may be faced in training and actual combat. This design allows the bullet to quickly disintegrate into small fragments when it hits the target, reducing penetration and thus reducing the possibility of accidental injury.
The information-based design of the fragmentation warhead reduces the possibility of causing damage at greater distances from the target.
The main characteristic of a fragility bullet is that it fractures brittlely when impacting a hard target, which effectively avoids the bullet rebounding compared to traditional lead or copper bullets. This feature is particularly important in U.S. military training, especially in printing and training environments, which can effectively reduce the risk of accidental shooting or accidental injuries.
The manufacturing process of the fragmentation warhead
The manufacturing process of fragmentation bullets is more modern and diversified than that of traditional ammunition. Powder metallurgy technology is usually used, which is a process that presses powdered metals (such as tin, copper, zinc and tungsten) into a high-density material at room temperature and combines the metals by mechanical locking and cold welding. This manufacturing method not only increases the density of the warhead, but also reduces the risk of rebound when facing hard targets.
The design of these bullets not only improves safety when shooting, but also allows troops to train in a more flexible environment.
The impact of warheads on targets
The disintegration mechanism of a fragile bullet is adjusted according to the energy transferred upon impact. At higher velocities, part of the bullet may even be vaporized upon impact. While the use of high-velocity bullets can achieve this effect, in most cases training rounds rely on other mechanisms for effective disintegration. The characteristics of the target also have an important impact on the performance of the warhead. For example, flexible or low-density materials may not be able to effectively decelerate the warhead, thus affecting its disintegration effect.
In addition, under high-velocity loading, these bullets often need to be designed with non-fragmentative jackets to protect their cores and prevent them from disintegrating before hitting the target. Proper design enables these warheads to maintain integrity during transport and launch, and then perform optimally in the face of the target.
The historical evolution of fragmentation warheads
The history of frag bullets dates back to the 20th century, when injuries from lead shrapnel at playground shooting ranges led to a need for ammunition that reduced the risk of rebound. Over time, the design of this type of ammunition has gradually matured. For example, the M22 fragmentation bullet that the United States began to use has shown reliable performance in multiple tests and can effectively reduce the risk of injury in different situations.
As more research was done into frag munitions, they became standard issue for military training.
Use of fragmentation warheads
As training requirements change, fragmentation warheads play an important role in specialized combat simulation training. In this type of training, shooters must face multiple targets in a fast and constantly changing environment, which makes traditional ammunition a great safety hazard in the teaching process. By using fragmentable warheads, the military can effectively reduce these risks and ensure the authenticity and safety of training.
As a technological innovation, the development of fragmentation warheads demonstrates the importance of military technology in improving personnel safety and combat efficiency. The design and application of these ammunition not only affects the way the military trains, but may also change the basic mode of future combat. In this context, we should think about how future combat training will benefit from such technological innovations?
