What is the term for an explosive designed to cause maximum damage?

The term that best describes an explosive designed to cause maximum damage is fragmentation ordnance. This type of ordnance is specifically engineered to break apart upon detonation, creating numerous high-velocity fragments. These fragments spread out in various directions, significantly amplifying the area of impact and increasing the potential for inflicting harm on personnel and equipment in the vicinity.

Fragmentation ordnance is widely used in military applications due to its effectiveness in maximizing damage, particularly in combat scenarios where the objective is to neutralize enemy forces or destroy material resources. It operates under the principle that the more fragments produced and the higher their speed, the more lethal the weapon becomes.

While high-energy explosives are indeed powerful, they do not inherently focus on damage distribution in the form of fragments. Detonating devices serve more as mechanisms to initiate explosions rather than the explosives designed for damage. Shockwave ordnance, although involved in creating destructive wavefronts, does not specifically focus on fragmentation and its effects. Thus, fragmentation ordnance is the most accurate descriptor for an explosive optimized to cause extensive damage.