Re: New 'electrical active' Armour to defeat hand held anti-tank rounds

Simon Brodie wrote:

>You are indeed correct here.  The HESH round 'folds' against the
surface 
>and then detonates, fragmenting the internal structure and sneding it 
>blasting through the internal spaces of the tank, dicing any organic 
>material ont he way.  This is fairly easily defeated by using ERA 
>(Explosive Reactive Armour) which is fitted to the outside of the
vehicle 
>and detonates as soon as the round impacts, focusing the blast away
from 
>the vehicle skin.

ERA defeats HESH by acting as a spaced armour, but a simple stand-off
plate 
works just as well - you don't need any explosives for this.

>This new 'electric' armour is designed to defeat the shaped charge
rounds 
>(not KE rounds) by setting up a massive voltage differential between
the 
>armour plates.  As the shaped-charged round detonates, it releases a
jet 
>of 'plasma-like' molten metal

<sigh> There is nothing "plasma-like" about the metal jet from a HEAT
round.

>(which would normally slice through the vehicle skin and
blast-incinerate 
>everything inside),

That's the theory, yes. The practise is usually somewhat different,
unless 
the warhead is very big - particularly that "everything" bit :-/

>the plasma 'makes' the electrical circuit which then disrupts the
plasma 
>jet to such an extent that its effectiveness is significantly degraded.

Once again, there is no such thing as a "plasma jet" from a HEAT
warhead. 
Fortunately for the operation of this electrical armour, metal doesn't
need 
to be in a plasma state in order to close a circuit.

Regards,

Oerjan
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry