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A B61 nuclear bomb in various stages of assembly; the nuclear warhead is the bullet-shaped silver cannister in the middle-left of the photograph.

For the Star Trek:Voyager episode, see Warhead

Typically, a warhead is the payload that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo. It consists of the explosive material, and a detonator.

The types of warhead are:

• Explosive: An explosive charge is used to disintegrate the target, and damage surrounding areas with a shockwave.
  • Conventional: Chemicals such as gunpowder store significant energy within their molecular bonds. This energy can be released quickly by a trigger, such as an electric spark. Thermobaric weapons are something of a special case.
  • Nuclear: See Nuclear weapon.

• Chemical: A toxic chemical, such as nerve gas is dispersed, which is designed to injure or kill human beings.
• Biological: An infectious agent, such as anthrax is dispersed, which is designed to sicken and kill humans.

Often, a biological or chemical warhead will use an explosive charge for rapid dispersal.

The types of detonators are:

• Contact: When the warhead makes physical contact with the target, the explosive is detonated. Sometimes combined with a delay, to detonate a specific amount of time after contact.

• Proximity: Using radar, sound waves, a magnetic sensor, or a laser the warhead is detonated when the target is within a specified distance. It is often coupled with directional explosion control system that ensures that the explosion sends the shrapnel primarily towards the target that triggered it.

• Timed: Warhead is detonated after a specific amount of time.

• Altitude: Warhead is detonated once it falls to a specified altitude. See air burst.

• Combined: Any combination of the above.

During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This was referred to as a peacehead. The explosive payload carried by weapons intended for use in combat became known as a warhead. The term peacehead subsequently fell into disuse.

• Guidance system
• Missile and List of missiles
• List of aircraft weapons
• Nuclear weapon yield