Abstract: A launcher for launching a flying vehicle, such as a projectile or missile, includes a cutter for cutting a line, such as an umbilical line, that is coupled to the vehicle prior to launch. An example of a line is a tube for providing cooling for onboard components of the vehicle, such as a seeker of the vehicle. The cutter may be part of a mount of the launcher for mounting the line and other components, such as a compressor. The cutter may be configured so that as the vehicle translates relative to the launcher during the initiation of launch, the line moves against the cutter, severing the line. The cutter may retract after severing the line, for example being pulled away from the vehicle (and into the mount) by a spring mechanism.

Abstract: A method includes removably coupling a projectile interface of a dongle to a dongle interface of a projectile. The method also includes loading a dongle code from the dongle onto the projectile. The dongle code identifies a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) code to be recognized by the projectile. The dongle code may be unique to an operator of the projectile. The method may further include, prior to loading the dongle code onto the projectile, loading an operator code onto the projectile, where the dongle code is loaded onto the projectile in response to the projectile authorizing the operator code. There may be a limited number of uses of the dongle code with different projectiles, and/or there may be a limited amount of time for using the dongle code. A companion electronic device may be used to authenticate the dongle.

Abstract: A thruster has an additively-manufactured housing that includes an integrally-formed nozzle with a burst disk in it. The housing is part of a casing that surrounds and encloses a propellant that is burned to produce pressurized gases that burst the burst disk and produce thrust. The thruster may be placed in a receptacle that defines a recess for receiving the thruster. The receptacle also may be additively manufactured. The thruster and the recess both may be cylindrical, with the housing being closely fit with the cylindrical walls of the receptacle. This may allow some of the structural loads on the housing, such as loads produced by the combustion of the propellant, to be transferred to the adjoining walls of the receptacle. This enables the housing to have less structural strength than if it were to have to contain the pressure from the propellant all on its own.

Abstract: An electrical device has device electrical contacts that are initially shunted together, to prevent accidental triggering or damage to the device, such as by electrostatic forces. The device is configured to be inserted into a receptacle, with parts of the receptacle disengaging the shunt and making electrical connection within the receptacle, such as with a shunt cutter. The receptacle may also include a pair of receptacle electrical contacts the electrically connect to the device electrical contacts. The configuration, where the shunt is only cut as part of the installation process, enables safer handling of initially-shunted devices, and can also facilitate making blind electrical connections. Making blind connection directly with parts of the receptacle also avoids the need to thread wires through the electrical receptacle and make electrical connections in another way.

Abstract: An explosive device, such as a munition or a part of a munition, has an explosive material surrounded by a casing that has one or more voids within the casing. The one or more voids define sizes and shapes of the fragments that the casing breaks into when the explosive material is detonated. The casing may be made using an additive manufacturing process, with the one or more voids fully between an inner surface of the casing and an outer surface of the casing. The voids may substantially define the size and shape of fragments making up a majority of the volume of the casing, such as 75% or more of the volume of the casing. The voids may change direction within the casing, for example branching and intersecting to define a plurality of rectangular (parallelepiped) or other shaped fragments.

Abstract: A method of making an electrical connection includes soldering using channels in a receptacle to direct hot air (or another hot gas) to effect soldering where the electrical connection is to be made. The connection may be made between device electrical contacts of an electrical device, and other contacts, such as receptacle contacts of the receptacle. The connection may be a blind connection, one in which the connected ends of the contacts are hidden or unable to be directly physically accessed, when the connection is made. The electrical connection may be made between device contacts of an electrical device that is inserted into the receptacle, and receptacle electrical contacts that are part of the receptacle. The channels for directing the hot gas to where the soldering occurs may be parts of the receptacle, for example being produced during additive manufacture of the receptacle.

Abstract: A liner includes a plurality of individual projectile cells and a web of joining material holding the plurality of projectile cells in a monolithic and continuous structure. The liner is cylindrical and formed of an additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: A thruster has an additively-manufactured housing that includes an integrally-formed nozzle with a burst disk in it. The housing is part of a casing that surrounds and encloses a propellant that is burned to produce pressurized gases that burst the burst disk and produce thrust. The thruster may be placed in a receptacle that defines a recess for receiving the thruster. The receptacle also may be additively manufactured. The thruster and the recess both may be cylindrical, with the housing being closely fit with the cylindrical walls of the receptacle. This may allow some of the structural loads on the housing, such as loads produced by the combustion of the propellant, to be transferred to the adjoining walls of the receptacle. This enables the housing to have less structural strength than if it were to have to contain the pressure from the propellant all on its own.

Abstract: An electrical device has device electrical contacts that are initially shunted together, to prevent accidental triggering or damage to the device, such as by electrostatic forces. The device is configured to be inserted into a receptacle, with parts of the receptacle disengaging the shunt and making electrical connection within the receptacle, such as with a shunt cutter. The receptacle may also include a pair of receptacle electrical contacts the electrically connect to the device electrical contacts. The configuration, where the shunt is only cut as part of the installation process, enables safer handling of initially-shunted devices, and can also facilitate making blind electrical connections. Making blind connection directly with parts of the receptacle also avoids the need to thread wires through the electrical receptacle and make electrical connections in another way.

Abstract: A method of making an electrical connection includes soldering using channels in a receptacle to direct hot air (or another hot gas) to effect soldering where the electrical connection is to be made. The connection may be made between device electrical contacts of an electrical device, and other contacts, such as receptacle contacts of the receptacle. The connection may be a blind connection, one in which the connected ends of the contacts are hidden or unable to be directly physically accessed, when the connection is made. The electrical connection may be made between device contacts of an electrical device that is inserted into the receptacle, and receptacle electrical contacts that are part of the receptacle. The channels for directing the hot gas to where the soldering occurs may be parts of the receptacle, for example being produced during additive manufacture of the receptacle.

Abstract: A heavy metal part and method of manufacturing includes a dense alloy or a metallic composite consisting of a plurality of dense metal particles formed of a first metal and a melted metal matrix that is a continuous phase of the first metal and a second metal having a lesser density than the first metal. The metal particles are a discrete phase within the continuous phase and the heavy metal part is formed by an additive manufacturing process of a powder feedstock comprising the metal particles coated with the second metal.

Abstract: A liner includes a plurality of individual projectile cells and a web of joining material holding the plurality of projectile cells in a monolithic and continuous structure. The liner is cylindrical and formed of an additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: An explosive device, such as a munition or a part of a munition, has an explosive material surrounded by a casing that has one or more voids within the casing. The one or more voids define sizes and shapes of the fragments that the casing breaks into when the explosive material is detonated. The casing may be made using an additive manufacturing process, with the one or more voids fully between an inner surface of the casing and an outer surface of the casing. The voids may substantially define the size and shape of fragments making up a majority of the volume of the casing, such as 75% or more of the volume of the casing. The voids may change direction within the casing, for example branching and intersecting to define a plurality of rectangular (parallelepiped) or other shaped fragments.