23 January 2009



Seems likely that the Israelis used DIME munitions in Gaza, to reduce collateral damage ie far-field damage from shrapnel and the traditional blast wave. Shrapnel greatly expands the lethal field because it couples with the explosive energy better and travels farther than the blast. That's why ball-bearings, nuts, etc are packed around the explosive charge in eg suicide vests and HE warheads. (There was a video about Hamas making candy-rocket engines and they show the lining of the warhead with a layer of bearings-in-plastic.)

In DIME munitions you cut the explosive amount, mix in dense metal powder, and package in something that doesn't lead to shrapnel. Then the metal powder couples the explosive pressure and temperature, but stops after a certain more limited distance. Pretty clever. Of course the survivors don't think so.

Anyway here's an air force paper on it that has been pulled by the AF, it was originally
04-MN-16.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20060613210452/http://www.afrl.af.mil/technologymilestones/2004/support_war/04-MN-16.pdf