AN UPPER LIMIT FOR THE PENETRATION PERFORMANCE OF SEGMENTED RODS WITHSEGMENT-L D LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-1/

This study investigates the question of whether the penetration perfor mance of a segmented rod penetrator with segment-L/D less-than-or-equa l-to 1 can exceed that of a uniform density continuous rod of equal ma ss, length (including spaces), diameter and velocity (''comparison rod ''). The answer, based on experimental, computational and analytical d ata published to-date, is negative. The well-known fact that segmented rods penetrate better than their so-called ''parent rods'' (rods of e qual mass, diameter and velocity and a length equal to the sum of segm ent lengths only), together with findings presented here, limits the p enetration performance of segmented rods to P(parent rod) < P(segmente d rod) < P(comparison rod). The limitations of the data base used here may limit the generality of the findings: in particular, the database is fairly small, only unyawed, normal impacts at velocities of 2 km/s and higher are included, and, with few exceptions, only tungsten segm ents and steel targets were studied.