(a) Penetration of the metal jet; (b) propagation of the ballistic wave and shock wave; (c) bubble pulsation. The time t (in milliseconds) is labeled in the bottom right corner, which corresponds to ...

Tanks are built to survive explosions—but they’re no match for a weapon that uses geometry to create a hypersonic jet of molten metal. From the invention of the shaped charge to why cardboard and ...