Electric Armor

[jahcs]

Anti RPG Electric Armor



The jist of the article is that additional outer armor is placed on the vehicle and can be electrified - which nullifies the jet of metal that RPG's use to penetrate armor.

This was shown to me by a friend. Interesting if it's true. Anyone "in the know" ever hear of this before?


edit: just preventing a nit: additional outer armor is placed ON a vehicle, not IN a vehicle :blush:

[Baajikiil]

Anti RPG Electric Armor
The jist of the article is that additional outer armor is placed in the vehicle and can be electrified - which nullifies the jet of metal that RPG's use to penetrate armor.

This was shown to me by a friend.  Interesting if it's true.  Anyone "in the know" ever hear of this before?
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A friend of mine is currently involved in military research. One of the things he mentioned that they are really looking for is a way to defend against RPGs. I forwarded this link to him, perhaps it could be of use.

Just a quick glance at this system makes me wonder how useful it will really be. One of the main problems with these inexpensive RPGs is that they are being fired from unexpected places. If some civilian opens up with one from somewhere unexpected, how do you know to trigger your 'electric armor'? It can't be running all the time can it?

They really need an advanced detection system to go along with this armor to make it truely effective. If it's inexpensive and small enough though, it looks like it's better than nothing.

EDIT: Forgot to remove picture from quote.

[Baajikiil]

This was shown to me by a friend.  Interesting if it's true.  Anyone "in the know" ever hear of this before?

My friend responded that he had never heard of this eletric armor. He asked his boss though, and he knew all about it. The US Army is definitely looking closely at this technology.

[Occhidiangela]

Anti RPG Electric Armor

Dstl scientists have recently demonstrated an armoured troop carrier protected by Electric Armour, in which, when danger threatens, an outer skin of metal plates can rapidly be electrified to several thousand volts. When hit by a RPG or other shaped charge warhead, the incoming copper jet has to pass through the electrified layers, where it has to endure the passage of many thousands of amperes of current.
-Professor Brown explains:
“As is well known, a current of just thirteen amps is sufficient to 'blow' and disintegrate the fuse of a household electrical appliance.  Similarly, the high speed copper jet from a shaped charge anti-tank warhead is virtually instantaneously dispersed by the high temperatures and powerful fields generated by the so-called 'Pulsed Power' System carried by the vehicle.  Any residual debris is absorbed by the vehicle’s ordinary armoured hull.”

In an urban, non permissive, peace enforcement environment, which is what Iraq is more or less these days, the problem is "when do you turn on the Juice?" If you leave it on all the time, a casual passery by can easily cook himself by touching the armored vehicle. Someone could push someone else into the side of a Bradley and cook them if it is known that "shields up" posture is activated. This can be exploited for political gain in the media. I expect that even a modestly cheap IR binoculars can tell the difference between "shields up" and "Shields down" by lookig for heat signature changes, but I am guessing.

Neat idea, but not worth much in MOUT if it is not on all the time. Most attacks by RPG are surprise. Why? Light infantry/partisan against armor is a bad match when armor knows where you are.

Occhi

[Selby]

Anyone "in the know" ever hear of this before?

Let's just say a friend of mine works in this field and my degree is the same as his. That friend has also tried to hire me as well. It's a very neat concept, although what they don't tell you is about the cutting edge research: it's much cooler according to those "in the know." And that article is quite dumbed down in it's explanation of the system and doesn't go into any details that anyone outside of the pulsed power field might know ;-)

[jahcs]

As it should. No need to spread secrets around :shuriken: