Fuzes

Radar proximity fuzes were a big improvement over the mechanical (time) fuzes which they replaced.

Warheads Hydra 70 warheads fall into three categories: * Unitary warheads with impact-detonating fuzes or remote-set multi-option fuzes.

HBL’s technology for electronic fuzes has cost and integration advantages over imported supplies by competitors.

Airburst fuzes have to have the fuze length (running time) set on them.

Airburst fuzes usually have a combined airburst and impact function.

Armor- or concrete-piercing fuzes are specially hardened.

Early airburst fuzes used igniferous timers which lasted into the second half of the 20th century.

From about 1980, electronic time fuzes started replacing mechanical ones for use with cargo munitions.

Generally, torpedo mines incorporate computerised acoustic and magnetic fuzes.

However, base fuzes have been used with armour piercing shells and for squash head (HESH or HEP) anti-tank shells.

However, proximity fuzes can suffer premature detonation because of the moisture in heavy rain clouds.

Lifting meant that time fuzes settings had to be changed.

Mechanical time fuzes required an accurate calculation of their running time, which was affected by non-standard conditions.

Proximity fuzes have been of two types: photo-electric or radar.

Roberts, p. 116 The better-armoured German battlecruisers fared better, in part due to the poor performance of British fuzes (the British shells tended to explode or break up on impact with the German armour).

Shorter ranges meant the flat trajectories might not clear the firers' own parapets, and fuzes could not be set for less than 1000 yards.

The fuzes on influence mines allow many different permutations, which complicates the clearance process.

The fuzes were functioning correctly, and the bombs were simply released from too low an altitude.

The most modern is base ejection, which was introduced in World War I. Both base and nose ejection are almost always used with airburst fuzes.

The sophistication of influence mine fuzes has increased considerably over the years as first transistors and then microprocessors have been incorporated into designs.