Bunker buster bombs made headlines last June, when USA used for the first time in combat GBU-57 in the Operation Midnight Hammerin which, together with Israelattacked Iran to destroy their underground nuclear facilities. The MOPMassive Ordnance Penetrator or massive ammunition penetrator, weighs more than 13 tons, can only be launched from a bomber B-2 Spirit and it is the greatest exponent of this type of ammunition, but not the only one, given that not all bunker-busting warheads need to be able to penetrate up to 60 meters underground and 18 meters through concrete before exploding. The United States now has a new, much more manageable weapon of this type that can be launched from low-cost drones.
The warhead, called BRAKER (Bunker Rupture and Kinetic Explosive Round) was successfully tested at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on March 26. The test was carried out just a few weeks after the initial design and after rapid creation of several prototypes in a short period of time.
The BRAKER project aims to create a light, powerful and lethal warhead that can be deployed from a small, agile drone. To attach the ammunition to a drone, the Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit (CLIK), a method designed and developed by engineers from the Weapons Center of the Combat Capabilities Development Command of the US Army
New bunker-busting warhead developed in just two weeks
‘Our Picatinny team went from concept to live fire in two weeks. BRAKER demonstrates our ability to rapidly develop and safely deliver devastating effects from small unmanned aerial systems. “We are now creating the architecture with the CLIK and the small universal payload interface so that the industry can scale this critical advantage for the warfighter,” said the colonel. Vinson Morris in a statement.
In early March, engineers from the Armament Center began designing the warhead, pressing the explosive, manufacturing the casing and integrating it for use. in a low-cost and expendable unidirectional attack drone. Shortly thereafter, transfer and compatibility tests were carried out at the Picatinny Arsenal and it was assembled. a dozen warheadsone of which was tested in a makeshift bunker at a proving ground.
According to Army Recognition, the warhead casing was manufactured using additive manufacturing, that is, 3D printing. This approach, other key components of the BRAKER were also printed, allowed Accelerate the move from design to test.
Developed for integration into small and agile drones, BRAKER ammunition combines kinetic penetration with a subsequent explosive effect. On impact, the warhead uses its speed and mass to pass through protective layers, such as soil or reinforced structures, before detonating within the target. This approach concentrates the explosion in closed spaces, which increases destructive efficiency against bunkers and field fortificationswhile limiting external energy dissipation.
After validating its effectiveness, the warhead prototypes left the Picatinny Arsenal, in New Jersey, for the Redstone Arsenal, where a live demonstration was held for Army officials, according to the statement.
‘Rapid demonstrations of overwhelming lethality, such as BRAKER, are attributable to years of continued technological investment and the core technical competencies and facilities of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Weapons Center,’ he says. Anthony Sebastoexecutive director of the Munitions Engineering and Technology Center.
The US Army highlights that the successful detonation of a target using a device attached to a drone demonstrates a powerful new capability for modern warfare. It also illustrates how quickly engineers can design, manufacture and integrate hardware to respond to urgent needs.