Abstract <p>Experiments have shown that preheating a shaped-charge liner can enhance the penetration capability of the charge. The reason for this enhancement is the increased ultimate elongation of the shaped-charge jet formed due to thermal softening of its material. We consider the possibility of heating the jet itself in free flight by thermal radiation from a tube located in front of the shaped charge with heat release in the tube provided by a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis reaction. The heating of shaped-charge jets by thermal radiation is investigated by analytically solving a one-dimensional axisymmetric unsteady heat conduction problem for a uniformly elongating cylindrical bar. It is shown that before plastic failure of copper shaped-charge jets occurs, they can be radiatively heated in free flight to a temperature sufficient to expect an increase in the jet penetration capability.</p>