Submissible air-to-surface warhead with propellant-diaphragm deployment mechanism

Claim 1

A submissile warhead, adapted for use with a parent air-tosurface missile structure from which said warhead is launched onto a designated ground target, comprising: a. a housing which includes: 1. a hollow open-ended cylindrical casing of frangible material; 2. a first circular end plate conneCted to and closing one open end of said casing; 3. a second circular end plate connected to and closing the other open end of said casing; b. a plurality of submissiles positioned within said housing, with each of said plurality of submissiles containing an explosive charge, and with the said plurality of submissiles circumferentially arranged, within said housing, in multiple radial layers; c. and, means, disposed within said housing, for ejecting said plurality of submissiles, simultaneously and at different velocities, from within said housing, with said means centrally located within said housing and radially surrounded by said plurality of submissiles, and wherein said means includes: 1. a rubber diaphragm in the unexpanded shape of a hollow close-ended cylinder having an aperture at each end, with said rubber diaphragm disposed within and concentric with said casing of said housing, and with said rubber diaphragm constrained and retained at each end by suitable means which also closes the apertures of said rubber diaphragm; 2. a soft aluminum alloy diaphragm in the unexpanded shape of a corrugated hollow open-ended cylinder, with said soft aluminum alloy diaphragm positioned internal of, concentric with, and abutting said rubber diaphragm, and with said soft aluminum alloy diaphragm disposed between and secured and closed at each end by suitable means; 3. a steel structural tube with a plurality of ports in its wall, with said structural tube positioned internal of, concentric with, and abutting said soft aluminum alloy diaphragm, and with said structural tube disposed between and secured and closed at each end by suitable means; 4. a steel propellant chamber tube with a plurality of ports in its wall, with said propellant chamber tube positioned internal of and concentric with said steel structural tube, and with said propellant fchamber tube disposed between and secured and closed at each end by suitable means; 5. and, a propellant charge explosive train, for generating gas, disposed essentially within said propellant chamber tube, wherein said propellant charge explosive train includes: aa. an igniter explosive charge; bb. an initiator explosive charge radially surrounding said igniter explosive charge; cc. and, a propellant explosive charge radially surrounding said initiator explosive charge; whereby when said submissiles are ejected from said housing, they form a controlled, large, uniform ground impact distribution pattern on the target.