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Old July 8th, 2005, 02:51 AM
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Default Re: UK IFV Warrior, new infomation.

Apparently one of the main advantages of a SLAT-type armor is that many low-level HEAT rockets have a thin enough fuze-tip for it to slip between two bars without hitting something that would cause the rocket to detonate. Then the sheer inertia and speed of the projectile will have it somehow crushed on the cage, the shaped-charge warhead warped so that it is inoperable.

Look at the early PG-7 rockets, and you'll see the point about rocket shape.

If you slope the bars, you will have nearly no space between them, in the incoming rocket direction, so the fuze is bound to hit something and ignite the charge. Of course you will have a sloped steel sheet and some air standoff to hinder the penetration, but no more of these numerous 'dud' cases, which are one of the best ways to prevent a round from penetrating your armour!

One more efficient measure in that style could be to fix together a SLAT-type armor with good standoff AND a sloped up-armouring similar to the EAAK you see on the AAV7,, or on Danish or NZ M-113s. Such a kit would work both ways, but also be twice as heavy.

I think you're right about light vehicles, Kevin, there is just no way of armouring a soft-skinned truck against HEAD rounds, since there is bound to at least some spray from the penetrator going through the SLAT armour, easily wreaking havoc on the unarmoured truck body. Armoured trucks are mainly meant to be protected against small-arms fire.
Besides, any type of RPG-fencing armor kit would be nearly as heavy as the truck it would be mounted on.

About tanks now, I guess the first thing is volume. A Stryker or a BRDM-2 are somewhat smaller AFVs, ut don't have the same mobility requiremnents as a truck forasmuch. As a stop-gap measure, SLAT armor on these is fine enough, but on a 3,5m (11+ ft) wide tank, one additionnal foot of armour on each side would be hell for the drivers in urban areas.
Still there is already some kind of SLAT armour on the turrets of most tanks, in the form of loadout baskets. They provide a primitive standoff protection over the weakest parts of the armor.
Anyway most tanks can stand RPG blows from nearly all angles without too much damage (at least Abrams can), so there is no point is uparmoring anything that much, particularly in the horizontal plane. They would gain more from an ERA pack fitted on the turret roof to shield against attacks from buildings.
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