Warhead Design Facility

This facility is unique to the DOD for chemical energy warheads. The Lab has the capability to design new warhead concepts (including classified) on the computer using the latest 2D and 3D hydro codes. It optimizes warhead designs for increased lethality using these codes. Associated on site facilities exist for machining the metal parts, explosive loading and test firing these designs against a variety of targets. Within this facility state-of-the-art Shaped Charges and Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) can be designed and tested. New explosives can be loaded and tested in warheads to optimize the explosive/metal interaction. This facility has complete computational capabilities for the design of anti-armor, blast, fragmentation, and multipurpose warheads to defeat the full spectrum of threats as well as for demolition and Active Protection applications. There are capabilities to develop advanced equations of statefor new explosive formulations and liner materials that are essential for the highest fidelity modeling required for rapid design development. In addition, there are ARDEC developed warhead design codes incorporating numerical optimization capability for the most accurate and fastest development cycles which minimize costly fabrication and test phases. These codes produce the most accurate warhead simulations within the DOD. This design capability is supported by state of the art warhead linermachining and explosive loading facilities as well as indoor all weather fully instrumented test facilities. This combination is unique within the DOD.