A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.

Classification

Types of warheads include:

Explosive: An explosive charge is used to destroy the target and damage surrounding areas with a blast wave.

Conventional: Chemicals such as gunpowder and high explosives store significant energy within their molecular bonds. This energy can be released quickly by a trigger, such as an electric spark. Thermobaric weapons enhance the blast effect by utilizing the surrounding atmosphere in their explosive reactions.

• Blast: A strong shock wave is provided by the detonation of the explosive.

• Fragmentation: Metal fragments are projected at high velocity to cause damage or injury.

• Continuous rod: Metal bars welded on their ends form a compact cylinder of interconnected rods, which is violently expanded into a contiguous zig-zag-shaped ring by an explosive detonation. The rapidly expanding ring produces a planar cutting effect that is devastating against military aircraft, which may be designed to be resistant to shrapnel.

Shaped charge: The effect of the explosive charge is focused onto a specially shaped metal liner to project a hypervelocity jet of metal, to perforate heavy armour.

• Explosively formed penetrator: Instead of turning a thin metal liner into a focused jet, the detonation wave is directed against a concave metal plate at the front of the warhead, propelling it at high velocity while simultaneously deforming it into a projectile.

• Nuclear: A runaway nuclear fission (fission bomb) or nuclear fusion (hydrogen bomb) reaction causes immense energy release.

  Chemical: A toxic chemical, such as poison gas or nerve gas, is dispersed, which is designed to injure or kill human beings.

• Biological: An infectious agent, such as anthrax spores, is dispersed, which is designed to sicken or kill humans.

Often, a biological or chemical warhead will use an explosive charge for rapid dispersal and enhanced damage.

Detonators

Explosive warheads contain detonators to trigger the explosion.

Types of detonators include:

See also

• Guidance system

• List of aircraft weapons

• List of missiles

• Nuclear weapon yield

• Missile

References

1. Stephen I. Schwartz. "Atomic Audit - The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940". Brookings Institution Press, 1998.

2. Chuck Hansen, U.S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History, (New York: Orion Books, 1988), pp.162–164.