Editing Warhead

{{Short description|Section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic material}}{{Other uses}}
{{no footnotes|date=February 2014}}
[[File:B-61 bomb (DOE).jpg|thumb|300px|A [[B61 nuclear bomb]] in various stages of assembly; the nuclear warhead is the bullet-shaped silver canister in the middle-left of the photograph.]]

A '''warhead''' is the section of a device that contains the [[explosive]] agent or [[toxic]] (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a [[missile]], [[rocket (weapon)|rocket]],  [[torpedo]], or [[bomb]].

==Classification==
Types of warheads include:
*[[Explosive material|Explosive]]: An explosive charge is used to disintegrate the target, and damage surrounding areas with a [[blast wave]].
**[[Conventional weapon|Conventional]]: Chemicals such as [[gunpowder]] and [[high explosive]]s store significant energy within their molecular bonds.  This energy can be released quickly by a trigger, such as an [[electric spark]]. [[Thermobaric weapon]]s enhance the blast effect by utilizing the surrounding atmosphere in their explosive reactions.
***[[Blast wave|Blast]]: A strong shock wave is provided by the detonation of the explosive.
***[[Fragmentation (weaponry)|Fragmentation]]: Metal fragments are projected at high velocity to cause damage or injury.
***[[Continuous-rod warhead|Continuous rod]]: Metal bars welded on their ends form a compact cylinder of interconnected rods, which is violently expanded into a contiguous zig-zag-shaped ring by an explosive detonation. The rapidly expanding ring produces a planar cutting effect that is devastating against military aircraft, which may be designed to be resistant to shrapnel.
***[[Shaped charge]]: The effect of the explosive charge is focused onto a specially shaped metal liner to project a hypervelocity jet of metal, to perforate heavy [[armour]].
****[[Explosively formed penetrator]]: Instead of turning a thin metal liner into a focused jet, the detonation wave is directed against a concave metal plate at the front of the warhead, propelling it at high velocity while simultaneously deforming it into a projectile.
**[[Nuclear weapon|Nuclear]]: A runaway [[nuclear fission]] ([[fission bomb]]) or [[nuclear fusion]] ([[Thermonuclear weapon]]) reaction causes immense energy release.
*[[Chemical warfare|Chemical]]: A toxic chemical, such as [[poison gas]] or [[nerve gas]], is dispersed, which is designed to injure or kill human beings.
*[[Biological warfare|Biological]]: An infectious agent, such as [[anthrax disease|anthrax spores]], is dispersed, which is designed to sicken or kill humans.

Often, a biological or chemical warhead will use an explosive charge for rapid dispersal.

== Detonators ==
Explosive warheads contain [[Detonator|detonators]] to trigger the explosion.

Types of detonators include:

{| class="wikitable"

!Type
!Definition
|-
|Contact
|When the warhead makes physical contact with the target, the explosive is detonated. Sometimes combined with a delay, to detonate a specific amount of time after contact.
|-
|[[Proximity fuze|Proximity]]
|Using [[radar]], [[sonar]], a magnetic sensor, or a [[laser]], the warhead is detonated when the target is within a specified distance. It is often coupled with directional explosion control system that ensures that the explosion sends the [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|fragmentation]] primarily towards the target that triggered it.
|-
|Timed
|Warhead is detonated after a specific amount of time. 
|-
|Altitude
|Warhead is detonated once it falls to a specified altitude, usually in an [[air burst]].
|-
|Remote
|Remotely detonated via signal from operator. (Not normally used for warheads except for self-destruction)
|-
|Combined
|Any combination of the above.
|}

==See also==
*[[Guidance system]]
*[[List of aircraft weapons]]
*[[List of missiles]]
*[[Nuclear weapon yield]]
*[[Missile]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Warheads}}
#{{Cite web |date=9 January 2007 |title=The B61 (Mk-61) Bomb |url=http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B61.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130163335/https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B61.html |archive-date=Nov 30, 2023 |website=The Nuclear Weapon Archive}}
#{{cite web |website=GlobalSecurity.org |title=B61 |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm |date=April 16, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316070648/https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm |archive-date= Mar 16, 2023 }}
#{{Cite web |title=B61 Nuclear Gravity Bomb |url=http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/b61.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310070922/http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/b61.aspx |archive-date=Mar 10, 2012 |website=Brookings Institution}}
#Stephen I. Schwartz. "[http://www.brookings.edu/press/Books/1998/atomic.aspx Atomic Audit - The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940]". Brookings Institution Press, 1998.
#{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=B61 Thermonuclear Bomb |url=http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5707 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525134453/http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5707 |archive-date=May 25, 2011 |website=Hill Air Force Base}}
#{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2006 |title=NNSA Achieves Significant Milestone for B61 Bomb |url=http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/1032.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730194433/http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/1032.htm |archive-date=Jul 30, 2009 |website=NNSA}}
#Chuck Hansen, U.S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History, (New York: Orion Books, 1988), pp.&nbsp;162–164.

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[[Category:Ammunition]]
[[Category:Explosive weapons]]
[[Category:Missiles]]