Research on Damage Effectiveness of Fragmentation-Explosive Warheads Against Drone Swarms

doi:10.12382/bgxb.2025.0583

Abstract

Abstract:

Addressing challenges in drone swarm damage assessment—such as unclear component-level damage mechanisms and insufficient understanding of formation configuration effects—this study proposes an evaluation method integrating high-fidelity component-level damage modeling with formation dynamics analysis. By establishing a damage calculation chain of “physical damage → component failure → functional damage” for quadrotor drones, the structure-effect relationship of target vulnerability is analyzed. Combined with a fragmentation-explosive warhead blast field model, this quantifies the dynamic impact of different damage elements on drone functionality. Furthermore, considering four typical swarm formations (one character, V character, snake, round), multi-scenario simulations were conducted using the standard damage percentage criterion and warhead-target encounter conditions. Results indicate that: For single-drone targets, the number of effective fragment hits negatively correlates with burst distance; Blast waves demonstrate superior damage efficacy at close ranges, with detonation below the drone yielding optimal results; Swarm damage outcomes are influenced by both detonation position and formation type, with formation being the dominant factor—circular formations sustain the highest damage, while serpentine formations exhibit the lowest. This research provides methodological support for damage assessment of fragmentation warheads against drone swarms and offers theoretical insights for tactical formation selection.

Key words: fragmentation-explosive warhead, drone swarm/UAV swarm, damage effectiveness, vulnerability-structure relationship, formation configuration, simulation experiment

ZHANG Kefan, ZHANG Zixuan, LI Weina, DUAN Angxuan. Research on Damage Effectiveness of Fragmentation-Explosive Warheads Against Drone Swarms[J]. Acta Armamentarii, 2025, 46(10): 250583-.

Figures/Tables 16

Fig.1 Research ideas of UAV cluster damage assessment method

Fig.2 Target characteristics of four-rotor UAV

Fig.3 Structure-effect relationship of target vulnerability of four-rotor UAV

Fig.4 S Four-rotor UAV cluster formation type

Table 1 Simulation test condition design of single UAV

序号	目标位置	爆距/m	爆点位置
1	[0,0,0]	1.5	[0,1.5,0],[0,-1.5,0],[1.5,0,0],[-1.5,0,0],[0,0,-1.5],[0,0,1.5]
2	[0,0,0]	5	[0,5,0],[0,-5,0],[5,0,0],[-5,0,0],[0,0,-5],[0,0,5]
3	[0,0,0]	10	[0,10,0],[0,-10,0],[10,0,0],[-10,0,0],[0,0,-10],[0,0,10]
4	[0,0,0]	15	[0,15,0],[0,-15,0],[15,0,0],[-15,0,0],[0,0,-15],[0,0,15]
5	[0,0,0]	20	[0,20,0],[0,-20,0],[20,0,0],[-20,0,0],[0,0,-20],[0,0,20]

Table 2 Structural parameters of fragment warhead

装药密度/ (g·cm^-3)	炸药爆速/ (m·s^-1)	壳体质量/kg	壳体厚度/mm	壳体内径/mm
1.722	6700	13.75	12	81

Fig.5 Results of FEM

Table 3 Comparison of finite element calculation and engineering algorithm results

爆距/m	FEM结果/个	工程算法结果/个	差值
1.5	18	16	2
5	13	12	1
10	2	2	0
15	1	1	0
20	1	1	0

Table 4 Comparison of efficiency between finite element calculation and engineering algorithm

爆距/m	有限元计算时长/s	工程算法计算时长/s
1.5	600	0.2
5	1140	0.2
10	1920	0.3
15	2580	0.3
20	3060	0.3

Fig.6 Encounter state of drone swarm simulation test

Table 5 Simulation test condition design of UAV swarm

编队队形	爆点方位	爆距/m	爆点坐标
	质心	0	[0,0,0]
	质心右侧	1.5	[0,1.5,0]
	质心上方	1.5	[0,0,1.5]
一字型,Ⅴ字型,蛇型,圆型	质心前方	1.5	[1.5,0,0]
	质心右侧	5	[0,5,0]
	质心上方	5	[0,0,5]
	质心前方	5	[5,0,0]

Fig.7 The proportion of fragments with various blasting distances

Fig.8 Damage results of fragments and shock waves on various components under different detonation distances

Fig.9 The influence of explosion point orientation on the damage result of UAV

Fig.10 The damage results of drone swarm under different conditions

Fig.11 Damage results of UAV swarm under different test conditions

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