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U.S. successfully tests new explosive material

Researchers expect five-fold increase in the strength of weapons

The U.S. Office of Naval Research has successfully tested a new type of explosive material that researchers say will dramatically increase the power of its weapons. Missiles made with the material can explode with up to five times the impact of existing armaments. The substance is made from mixed metals and polymers, and scientists say it has the density of steel and the strength of aluminum. The researchers also contend that weapons made with the new explosive material are less likely to kill innocent bystanders because they will only explode upon contact with a target. Upon impact, the material “liberates chemical energy, and this chemical and kinetic energy combined gives you the enhanced effect,” researcher Clifford Bedford told the BBC. The material has been in development for more than five years. Bedford says the material will likely first be used in projectiles used in missile defense systems.

BBC News

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