Spaced armor

Spaced armor is a special type of armor that is intended to provide improved protection in armored vehicles compared to solid armor . In particular, protection against shaped charge projectiles and APDS ammunition is to be improved.

Structure and functionality

Spaced armor usually consists of several types of armor steel , which are arranged one behind the other with an air gap in between. Plates with high hardness are used on the outside, while plates with high ductility are used on the inside .

The principle of protection of the spaced armor against shaped charge projectiles is based on the fact that when the shaped charge spike penetrates the inside of each plate, deformations form that disrupt the rear part of the spike. In this way, the diameter of the penetration channel is gradually reduced. A design of several thin armor plates one behind the other offers a higher protective effect than a single thick plate.

Compared to APDS ammunition, the first layer of armor acts as a breaking stage, which is supposed to break the hard tungsten core of the projectile. In the air gap that follows, the splinters disperse and are caught by the other plates. However, the first armor plate must have a large thickness compared to the other plates in order to effectively break the bullet.

Spaced armor offers the advantage over solid armor that the weight is reduced with the same level of protection. However, more space is required for this, as there are gaps between the individual layers.

literature

• Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow. Concepts - Systems - Technologies. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02793-0 .