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From: terryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Fuel Air Munitions Questions
Message-ID: <1990Sep4.014613.25985@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 4 Sep 90 01:46:13 GMT
References: <1990Sep2.060830.2771@cbnews.att.com>
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From: terryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker)
In article <1990Sep2.060830.2771@cbnews.att.com> military@cbnews.ogi.edu writes:
>
>
>Can someone describe the characteristics of fuel air munitions.
>
A fuel air explosive (FAE) works by first dispersing an explosive
mist, and then detonating that mist.  In effect it is a poor man's
nuclear warhead.  The intent is to get the advantage of the blast
effects of a nuclear warhead without all the attendent problems, and
undesireable effects.  The overpressures achieved approach those of a
nuclear explosion, so the goal seems to be satisfied.

>What is the relative yield of a 1000 pound FAM vs 1000 # traditional explosive?
>
The destructive effect is different so I am not sure there is a
straightforward measure to compare the two weapons.  Part of the
problem is that the FAE mist will disperse over a wider area, and the
conventional HE will be concentrated.

>Do FAM's ever deploy a "shaped charge." 
>
Shaped charge in the context of FAE is meaningless.  To gain the
effect of shpaing the charge, you need to be able to shape the charge.
I am not sure how you would get the necessary concave dispersal of the
mist.  Since a FAE is a blast effect weapon you can take advantage of
the Mach stem effect first discovered in nuclear weapons.  If you use
an air burst (the weapon detonated a pre-defined distance above the
ground) with the altitude carefully set, the reflection of the shock
wave will constructively interfere with the shock wave, magnifying its
intensity.  

If you consider that there is a 3-6 psi overpressure concentrated into
a fraction of a second, the damage can be considerable.  The blast
wave can dislodge rotating components (such as turrets), and knock
over or break exposed antenna.  Being under cover does not necessarily
protect against the balst effect.


-- 
Terry Rooker
terryr@cse.ogi.edu