Abstract
In order to gain access to the booster and main explosive charges of PLAB-250-120 aerial depth bombs, i.e. the TNT charge and the TGAF-5M explosive composition of TNT, hexogen (RDX), aluminum powder and phlegmatizing agent respectively, Explosively Generated Plasma (EGP) devices were used to perforate their steel bodies. EGP devices were made in two versions. The first used a cylindrical TNT charge, while the second used a cylindrical charge shaped from SEMTEX PW4 plastic explosive. The explosive charges were supported by waveguides with conical cavities tapering towards the bomb. The structural components of the EGP devices, i.e. the bodies housing the explosive charges and the waveguides, were made of plastic by 3D printing. The effects of the EGP on the bomb were studied depending on the explosive material used, its mass and the distance of the EGP device waveguide from the side surface of the bomb. Simultaneous firing of an array of two EGP devices inserted with SEMTEX PW4 explosive, contacted their waveguides with the bomb, resulted in its detonation, while simultaneous firing of the analogous array of the same type two EGP devices inserted with SEMTEX PW4 explosive, with their waveguides at a distance of 10 mm from the bomb, resulted in perforation of two circular through-holes in the bomb body. Firing single EGP device inserted with TNT, being in contact through its waveguide with the body of the bomb, resulted in local rupture of the bomb body with crushing the bomb explosive charges, so allowing easy access to bomb explosive charges and sampling them.