Prime Item Development Specification for the CATFAE Round; NWC xxx

Quantico, VA: Marine Corps Research, Development and Acquisition Command, Mobility and Logistics Division, 1987. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. Wraps. Cover plus 19 numbered pages. Figures. Tables. Ink notation at bottom of front cover. Distribution notice on front cover is understood to no longer apply do to the passage of time and advancement of technology. CATFAE stands for Catapult Launched Fuel-Air Explosive which is a land mine countermeasure. Prime Item Development Specifications is also known by the acronym PIDS. This document addresses military specification, Military standards, other relevant publications. It proves a general description of this all-up fuel-air explosive munition. It addresses ballistic dispersion, and launch velocity. It presents its physical characteristics and components and assemblies. It discusses the Preproduction sample and Preproduction verification, as well as quality assurance and preproduction inspections. Various aspects of testing and inspection are also discussed. Environmental factors, such as shipboard vibration and mechanical shock are also discussed. A thermobaric weapon is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, and in practice the blast wave typically produced by such a weapon is of a significantly longer duration than that produced by a conventional condensed explosive. The fuel-air bomb is one of the best-known types of thermobaric weapons. Most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix, whereas thermobaric weapons are almost 100% fuel, so thermobaric weapons are significantly more energetic than conventional condensed explosives of equal weight. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude, and in adverse weather. They are considerably more destructive when used against field fortifications such as foxholes, tunnels, bunkers, and caves—partly due to the sustained blast wave and partly by consuming the oxygen inside. Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers. Condition: Good.

Keywords: Catapult-Launched, Fuel-Air Explosive, Thermobaric, PIDS, Development Specification, CATFAE, Countermine, Weapon System, Military Specification, Military Standards

[Book #77613]

Price: $45.00