What about the following proximity detonators: sonar/acoustic, altimeter-based and magnetic? They used to be used. Are they still? --rmhermen
Sonar / acoustic and perhaps magnetic are still probably used, and should be mentioned regardless. Magnetic was most often used on ship mines, though.
Altimeter-based fusing is primarily used with bombs, which I tend to distinguish from warheads. Most nuclear warheads are air-burst, so it may be that some of them used altimeter-based fusing. I think they're all radar based now, but I can't confirm that.
In my mind at least, a bomb isn't the same as a warhead, though they both explode. I consider a warhead to always be a part of a weapon, with it's own delivery system. -- ansible
Actually I was thinking of torpedoes. How would they fit? - they are self-propelled. --rmhermen
I'm not quite sure what you mean there.
At any rate, all these things are self-propelled delivery vehicles:
- rockets
- missles (tactical, cruise, ballistic)
- torpedos
Therefore, the explosive part of these devices is called a warhead.
These things don't have warheads:
- mines (land, sea)
- bombs
- demolition charges, depth charges, etc.
They do indeed explode, but they don't go to the target by their own power.
--
ansible
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