CHAPTER 8 AIRCRAFT ORDNANCE INTRODUCTION As   an   Airman,   you   might   be   assigned   to   the armament branch of an aircraft squadron, the weapons department of a naval air station, or an aircraft carrier. Regardless of where you are assigned, you will work around aircraft armament systems and various associated weapons. Aviation     Ordnancemen     (AOs)     handle     aircraft ordnance. They work with aircraft guns and pyrotechnics.    They    also    maintain    bombs,    rockets, missiles,   mines   and   torpedoes.   They   maintain   the aircraft  weapons  releasing  and  launching  equipment necessary for disbursing such items. AOs are familiar with   the   safety   precautions   for   working   with   such material.    Personnel    directly    involved    in    ordnance handling must be qualified and/or certified according to the Navy's current qualification/certification program. You  may  not  be  assigned  in  an  area  that  requires direct contact with ordnance. You must still be familiar with the basic characteristics of ordnance and hazards peculiar to aircraft ordnance. GENERAL TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS LEARNING  OBJECTIVE:  Recognize common terms and definitions associated with aircraft ordnance. AOs    use    special    terminology    on    the    job.    To understand this chapter, you should know these terms. A few of the more common terms and definitions are as follows: Ordnance.    Military    material    (such    as    combat weapons of all kinds) with ammunition and equipment required for its use. Ordnance includes everything that makes up a ships or aircraft's armament. This includes guns, ammunition, and all equipment needed to control, operate, and support the weapons. Propellant. The material that provides the energy for  propelling  a  projectile.  Specifically  an  explosive charge for propelling a bullet, shell, or the like. It may also  be  a  fuel,  either  solid  or  liquid,  for  propelling  a rocket or missile. Pyrotechnics.   Ammunition   containing   composi- tions that produce illumination. Examples are colored lights or smoke for marking or signaling, or incendiary effects of smoke screens. Ammunition.   A   device   charged   with   explosives, propellants,   pyrotechnics,   initiating   composition,   or chemical material. Bomb-type ammunition. Bomb-type ammunition is characterized   by   a   large   high-explosive   charge-to- weight ratio. Examples are aircraft bombs, mines, and warheads  used  in  guided  missiles  and  rockets.  This ammunition has destructive blast effect at or near the target. Cartridge-activated device (CAD).     Explosive- loaded   devices   designed   to   provide   the   means   of releasing  or  harnessing  potential  cartridge  energy  to initiate a function or a special-purpose action. Aircraft equipment,   such   as   ejection   seats,   canopy   ejection systems, aircraft bomb racks, and launchers, use CADs. Chemical ammunition. Chemical ammunition consists   of   a   variety   of   items   that   depend   upon   a chemical    filling    for    its    effect    rather    than    upon explosives    or    shrapnel.    An    explosive    or    ignition element must activate this ammunition. Inert ordnance. Actual size ammunition items with working  mechanisms  used  for  training  exercises  but having no explosive materials. Guided missile. An unmanned vehicle designed as a  weapon  that  travels  above  the  surface  of  the  earth. This vehicle follows a course or trajectory that is guided by   an   automatic   or   remotely   controlled   mechanism within the vehicle. Incendiary. A chemical used to ignite combustible substances. Practice/training    ammunition.    An    ammunition item that looks and acts just like the service item. It may be    a    modification    of    a    service    (tactical)    item    or something  designed  specifically  for  practice.  Used  in training associated with all types of ordnance. Practice ammunition may either be expendable or recoverable, depending upon the device involved. 8-1