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to shower enemy positions and men with shrapnel balls to kill the largest possible number with a single burst. When infantry moved into deep trenches, shrapnel shells were rendered useless, and high-explosive shells were used to attack field fortifications and troops in the open. The time fuses for
294:"jumping" 40 mm (1.6 in) caseless grenade, which contains a secondary charge to launch it up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) above its point of impact before the main charge detonates. Another recent development is a computer programmable
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set to cause an airburst over a target in very close proximity to the firing gun's position. Set properly, the shell would detonate approximately 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground at ranges of 200 to 1,000 m (660 to 3,280 ft).
264:, air bursting shells were used to great affect to defend bases. This tactic was known as "Killer Junior" when referring to 105 mm (4.1 in) or 155 mm (6.1 in) shells, and "Killer Senior" when employed with larger
392:" only occurs near ground level, exists around the entire perimeter of the expanding wave front near ground level, and is similar in shape to the letter Y when viewed from the side (see sliced view). Airbursting also minimizes
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rounds previously used against nearby enemy troops. The advantage of the Killer techniques over
Beehive is that the airburst projects fragments in all directions, and is able to wound enemies crawling or lying in
404:, an air burst 550 to 610 m (1,800 to 2,000 ft) above the ground was chosen "to achieve maximum blast effects, and to minimize residual radiation on the ground as it was hoped U.S. troops would
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driven explosion to bounce off the ground and back into itself, combining two wave fronts and creating a shockwave that is more forceful than the one resulting from a detonation at ground level. This "
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in the open or unarmored targets, as the resulting fragments cover a large area but will not penetrate armor or field fortifications.
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which developed the technique. The technique was later perfected by
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dean, commander of the 1st Battalion,
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device within the shell that caused it to explode when near the target. The idea was later adapted for use against ground targets.
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from touching the ground, limiting the amount of debris that is vaporized and drawn up in the radioactive debris cloud. For the
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was applied to this technique when used with 105 mm (4.1 in) or 155 mm (6.1 in) howitzers, and the term
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fuzing feature to prevent the backup contact fuze from detonating the weapon if the air burst fuzing fails.
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instead of on contact with the ground or target. The principal military advantage of an air burst over a
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the shells could be set to function on contact or in the air, or at a certain time after contact.
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used time fuses to function when they reached the estimated altitude of the target. During
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The air burst is usually 100 to 1,000 m (330 to 3,280 ft) above the
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Detonation of an explosive above a target for increased pressure wave damage
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581:"What is the difference between artillery shrapnel and shell fragments?"
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731:, Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, p. 61, archived from
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and harm inflicted by detonation, shock wave, and flying splinters.
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into the air, which detonates at waist level, increasing the blast
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of the
British Army in about 1780 to increase the effectiveness of
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Killers Junior and Senior were developed as alternatives to the
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In conventional warfare, air bursts are used primarily against
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A blast wave reflecting from a surface and forming a mach stem
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targeting, or airfields, radar systems and mobile ICBMs in
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is that the energy from the explosion, including any shell
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A relatively recent example of airburst munitions is the
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253:" was developed for antiaircraft use, controlled by a
711:(Report). Sandia National Laboratories. August 1968.
64:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
19:"Airburst" redirects here. For the video game, see
605:. Department of the Army. Washington, D.C., 1975.
27:. For the atmospheric explosion of meteors, see
23:. For the air burst problem of V-2 rockets, see
691:pages 175, 198, 223 (1987, Morrow, New York)
8:
438:from a nuclear explosion) such as cities in
143:missile detonates above a test target, 1986.
480:using a mechanical time–super quick (MTSQ)
616:"30mm & 20mm x 173mm Munition System"
124:Learn how and when to remove this message
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498:M115 203 mm (8.0 in) howitzer
468:air bursts, first developed during the
198:The airburst fuzing system on a modern
722:Major General David Ewing Ott (1975),
670:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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344:Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System
222:and stayed in use until superseded in
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62:adding citations to reliable sources
500:. The term "Killer" came from the
306:using this technology include the
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275:such as Germany's World War II "
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601:Major General David Ewing Ott.
352:developed air burst rounds for
49:needs additional citations for
757:Vietnam: A Visual Encyclopedia
1:
759:. Herron Books. p. 215.
587:. March 1952. Archived from
510:8th Field Artillery Regiment
496:applied to its use with the
461:are techniques of employing
411:Some nuclear weapons have a
233:Air bursts were used in the
200:Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
25:V-2 § Air burst problem
755:Gutzman, Philip C. (2002).
472:. The technique involves a
218:. It was used in the later
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725:Field Artillery, 1954–1973
603:FIELD ARTILLERY, 1954–1973
18:
478:high explosive (HE) shell
450:Killer Junior and Senior
224:Artillery of World War I
155:is the detonation of an
787:Aerial warfare strategy
228:fragments and splinters
514:25th Infantry Division
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585:Combat Forces Journal
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243:anti-aircraft warfare
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21:Airburst (video game)
591:on 10 February 2017.
406:soon occupy the city
340:Norinco LG5 / QLU-11
271:Some anti-personnel
202:High Explosive round
58:improve this article
709:History of the Mk28
689:The Road to Trinity
300:fire control system
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47:This article
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655:. Retrieved
648:the original
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624:. Retrieved
620:the original
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551:Toss bombing
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444:counterforce
440:countervalue
436:overpressure
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247:World War II
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114:January 2013
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56:Please help
51:verification
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516:Artillery.
470:Vietnam War
466:direct fire
446:targeting.
354:autocannons
350:Orbital ATK
262:Vietnam War
260:During the
184:ground zero
159:such as an
73:"Air burst"
781:Categories
766:1856486389
742:2020-06-19
657:2017-11-27
626:2017-11-27
567:References
374:hypocenter
84:newspapers
524:flechette
512:, of the
502:call-sign
488:The term
476:firing a
463:artillery
390:mach stem
378:shockwave
279:" fire a
266:howitzers
180:fragments
149:air burst
666:cite web
535:See also
529:defilade
474:howitzer
425:infantry
398:fireball
153:airburst
521:Beehive
506:battery
504:of the
419:Tactics
394:fallout
382:fission
380:of the
292:VOG-25P
281:grenade
190:History
170:in the
98:scholar
763:
695:
386:fusion
342:, and
336:QTS-11
285:radius
241:Early
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736:(PDF)
729:(PDF)
651:(PDF)
644:(PDF)
316:PAPOP
312:XM307
298:with
166:or a
105:JSTOR
91:books
761:ISBN
693:ISBN
672:link
457:and
324:XM25
308:XM29
206:The
77:news
430:In
408:".
384:or
332:K11
326:,
249:a "
172:air
151:or
147:An
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