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A Really Nice Shaped Charge
June 26, 2007: One of the more useful new weapons
developed for Iraq, was designed to cause less, not more, damage, when
destroying roadside bombs. It's the PSCA ("Plastic Shaped Charge
Assembly"). Before PSCA came along,
roadside bombs were destroyed by placing an explosive charge next to it, and
blowing it up. This created a lot of debris, and, in effect, two large
explosions. PSCA uses a shaped charge (explosives backed by a concave holder,
that forms a pencil size jet of super hot gas that can burn through anything,
and is usually used to penetrate vehicle armor). PSCA uses a plastic concave
holder for the explosives, thus generating relatively harmless debris. The
plasma jet of super hot gas can penetrate earth, for bombs that are buried. EOD
(Explosives Ordnance Disposal) technicians can pack as much C-4 (plastic
explosives) as they think they'll need (more for a PSCA that has to penetrate
ground) into the PSCA container. A robot then takes the loaded PSCA to the
roadside bomb, places it just so, and the EOD guy sets off the explosive
remotely (via a wire or wirelessly). Much less damage, and safer for all
concerned. It's one of those few weapons that most people like, except the
terrorists who planted the bomb.
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