What are HEAT projectiles designed to specifically attack?

Answer 1

D. tanks

HEAT - High Explosive Anti-Tank - projectiles are designed specifically for use against tanks and other armoured vehicles and fortifications. They're typically used in rifled tank guns, as smoothbore guns (such as those found on the Leopard 2, M1A1/A2, T-62, T-64, T-72, T-80, T-90, etc) use a kinetic energy projectile, rather than an explosive projectile.

Amendment:

The above is not strictly true. HEAT rounds work farbetter when fired from smooth bore guns (spinning a HEAT disperse the effect). The reason that that HEAT round were fired from rifled guns is that the smoothbore hadn't yet become a viable weapon.

Answer 2

If your question is aimed at the HEAT (high explosive anti-tank) round, this projectile is designed to defeat armor with explosive force. The key feature is what is called a shaped charge, so let's look at that.

Picture a cylinder of high explosive material. In the leading end of the cylinder, we shape the charge to include a cone that points inward toward the body of the charge. Then we put a "nosepiece" on the thing with the detonator on the end. When the charge is detonated, the "inward cone" (the "shaped" in shaped charge) acts like an explosive lens and directs the blast toward a "focal point" for maximum effect. Note that the shaped charge has a "critical distance" associated with it. Too close or too far away when detonated, and the lens effect is "out of focus" and less effective. A link can be found below for more information.

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Note also that the primary effect of a shaped charge in a HEAT projectile is NOT to increase blast (explosive) force. Rather, the shaped charge makes use of the Monroe Effect to cause a jet of molten metal plasma to form. This molten metal jet will then effectively melt/burn its way through the armor.

Answer 3

tanks.

More specifically, HEAT is designed to attack armored vehicles of all type, and is particularly effective against hardened steel. It is less effective against composite or compound armors. It can also be used to moderate effect against reinforced concrete or similar heavy building materials.

Answer 4

Heat seeking projectiles will seek heat - most likely jet exhaust if any, or other engines if not.