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ArmouredVehicle Protection

2013

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Cover Compendium Armoured vehicle1.qxp:Armada 3/29/13 12:59 PM Page 3

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01Compendium Armoured Vehicles Protection 2013

Agood case study for an integratedsurvivability approach is that of theCV-90 developed by BAE Systems.Compared to the original vehicle

the current CV-90 Mk3 is entirely new in

terms of mobility and protection, but most ofall in terms of digitisation, allowing to easilyadd new sensors and systems to improve crewsituational awareness. BAE Systems aims atproviding the crew with the tools needed tosee first, understand what happens, andpossibly infer what will happen. Stealthiness isanother key factor, and includes not only

hardware, fromevolved camouflagesystemstorubber tracks, but also training, since specifictactics can help in avoiding detection. If oneis seen, soft-kill systems are key to evade thethreat. Hard kill active defence systems canintercept the approaching round at a distance.Then comes the armour in its various forms,reactive or passive the latter being normally

Paolo Valpolini

Vehicle Survivability,A Holistic ProblemThe survivability of a vehicle is not the sum of the various protection systems available,but more the smart integration of all those components to use the quintessenceof their characteristics, as illustrated in this BAE graph. While the “survivability onion”concept remains valid in terms of sequence if seen from the attacker’s standpoint,see – acquire – hit – penetrate – kill, looking at survivability from the defender’sstandpoint brings in other elements that are not necessarily linked to the vehicle, such asintelligence and training, while many others may impact survivability in different ways.


the current choice for avoiding perforation.Reducing the perforation effect is theresponsibility not only of liners and firesuppression systems, but also of anappropriate design that allows to decoupledangerous materiel from the crew.

Dealing with the whole set of systemsand concepts involved in vehicle protectionand survivability would exceed theboundaries of a Compendium. Hence weshall try to depict the current state of the artin some of those fields, such as evolvedcamouflage, soft and hard kill and passivearmour, knowing perfectly that whenapproached on the subject of protectionmost companies are not that talkative. Othersystems, such as 360° situational awarenesssensors, have already been discussed inrecent articles while others, such astransparent armour, will be the subject offorthcoming articles.

I CAMOUFLAGE AND DISGUISINGThe best way of avoiding detection is to mergethe vehicle with its background, in all spectra.Passive systems, such as camouflage painting,camouflage nets, infrared painting and radarabsorbing coatings work to some extent.However, with the increase in technology onthe battlefield a comprehensive approach tocamouflage has to be taken. In the visual field,Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes (PLED) and

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) are among themost promising technologies. A recentexample of a “camouflaged” vehicle was seenwhen a car manufacturer launched anadvertisement in which its car was made“invisible” thanks to the use of several mats oflight-emitting diodes on the driver’s side,while on the opposite side a video camera wasused to pick the background to be mimickedby the diodes. Defence companies areworking on similar solutions, with theaddition of the considerable challenge ofproviding an all-spectrum camouflage, notonly in the visual one.

How much adaptive systems willcompletely take over from current systems isopen to discussion. According to officialsfrom Saab Barracuda, one of the leadingcompanies in camouflage, many situationscan still be covered with current “static”systems: thermal or infrared can be handledby systems in 90 per cent of the cases, theremaining 10 per cent being definitely bettertreated with active systems. Currently SaabBarracuda’s top product for vehicles is the

Mobile Camouflage System (MCS), intendedprimarily for protection during movementand in combat. The MCS can be applied in anumber of configurations and providesstealth capability in the visual, near-infrared,thermal infrared and broadband radarwavebands. It consists of interlocked panels,attached using a variety of techniques, none ofwhich require modification to the vehicles.Saab Barracuda is, however, already looking atthe future and with 20 per cent of its turnoverdevoted to R&D, a lot of work goes into thefield of new materials, new solutions inchemistry, and nanotechnologies. Thecompany thinks that in the mid-term newsystems will emerge allowing real-termadaptable camouflage systems both in thevisual and in the thermal fields.

Intermat of Greece, known for itsChameleon camouflage painting, hasrecently introduced a self-adhesive visualand infrared camouflage system known asChameleon Skin. A new camouflage layercan be rapidly installed by non-specialisedpersonnel at the lowest echelon allowing toquickly adapt the vehicle pattern to thelandscape.

Some companies have already started toreveal some new products. In 2006, UnitedStates-based BAE Systems Land &Armaments requested a patent for an all-spectrum camouflage system based on aseries of reflective layers controlled byapplying different voltages. What happenedto that programme and how much it mighthave impacted other programmes withinthe company is unclear, but BAE Systems isdefinitely involved in active visual

02 Compendium Armoured Vehicles Protection 2013

Adaptive camouflage systems are still farfrom being a practical reality, but in themeantime Saab Barracuda offers theMobileCamouflage System, which according to theSwedish company coversmost current needsin the infrared spectrum. (Saab Barracuda)

This close-up of the CV90 displayed atDSEi in 2011 reveals the shape of the

thermo-variable tiles that compose theAdaptive camouflage. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)


camouflage, and has recently confirmedthat a multispectral camouflage system willbe available “in some years”.

Where work appears to be mostadvanced, however, is in the field ofinfrared. At DSEI 2011 the companyunveiled the Adaptive, a fifty-fiftyinvestment between industry and theSwedish military: hexagonal tiles based ona semi-conductor that acts as a heat pumpare each linked to a computer that alsoreceives the data from a thermal sensorlooking at the background (in other words180° away from the face of the tiles),enabling adapting each tile temperature to

optimise the merging of the vehicle thermalsignature into that of its own background.The tiles are roughly 150 mm across. Some450 are thus required to cover the side of aCV90. The time needed to vary the tiles’temperature affords a “camouflage on themove” capability of up to 30 km/h.Dimensions are optimised for obtaining anIR stealth effect from 500 meters hence. Todisrupt the opponent’s intelligence cycleAdaptive can also be used as a deceptionsystem, as it allows to show an IR shape of a

wholly different type of target. According toBAE Systems the IR Adaptive also embodiesgood radar absorbing features.

Another company active in infrared activecamouflage is Eltics of Israel. Its Black Foxmulti-spectral stealth technology is nowmature and the company was granted twopatents, while some more are on the way. TheBlack Fox sensor suite is based on twocameras which scan the surroundings on 360°providing the thermal scenario to thecomputer which in turn provides the correct

These infrared pictures show the Adaptive non activated (left), in operation to blend into itsbackdrop (centre) and, supreme refinement, in operation tomimic an ordinary saloon car. (BAE)



orders to the rigid panels installed on thevehicle in order to merge its signature withthe background. Each panel acts as a pixelcanvas surface, temperature being set fordefeating thermal imagers working both inlong- (8-12 µm) and mid-wave (3-5 µm)infrared. Eltics underlines how muchmimicking other vehicles, in order to denyintelligence to the enemy and confuse itsintelligence process, might be even moreimportant in terms of overall survivability, thecompany having developed a network centricstealth and deception system that allows theHQ to control and monitor the camouflagepattern of friendly vehicles on the battlefield tooptimise the deception effect.

Eltics also developed a technology thatallows one to obtain the same effect ofstealth panels on transparents to ensureview from inside – something quite usefulfor wheeled armoured vehicles with largearmoured glass surfaces. The company isnot very forthcoming about its programmesas it is in the process of moving fromlaboratory stage to marketing. Severalpossibilities are envisaged, such asestablishing a partnership with a majorinternational company with production andmarketing capabilities, or by selling thetechnology to a major company.

Noise is another important issue, soundsignature being able to give away thepresence of a vehicle that managed to escapeall other sensors. Engine noise can belimited but not wholly suppressed, whilewheeled vehicles are inherently less noisythan their tracked counterparts. For thelatter, rubber tracks are being developed,Soucy of Canada being the leadingcompany, providing as it does CV90s withsuch a solution. Norway was one of the firstcountries to explore the rubber band option,initially with M113s and then with CV90s.Rubber tracks are being developed withincreasing gross weight allowances: 28tonnes CV90s are fielded in Afghanistanand trials are underway at 35 tonnes. Notonly do they reduce noise signatures(currently by 10 dB), but they also cut downvibrations by 65 per cent, and therebyincrease crew endurance and subsystemlives. They also play a major role in theeffectiveness of seismic sensors.

Although it will be impossible to make avehicle completely invisible, reducing thedistance at which the enemy will track it willreduce the opponent’s reaction time andhence increase chances to engage himbefore he even noticed the threat.

The fact that those will sooner or laterbe used against western nations’vehicles engaged in some operations isonly a matter of time. Passive solutions

have been adopted to counter the threat andonly Israel uses an active protection systemon its Merkavas, as western armies await tohave full certainty that such systems do notcause any collateral damage even in the mostremote opportunity. The feeling is thatnations’ legal systems tend to be morecautious about collaterals than about theprotection of their own troops.

A few years ago active protection systems,or APSs, were in their infancy, but nowadayssome of them have been optimised andreached sufficient maturity to allow theirintegration on current and future armoured

vehicles. A formal evaluation of activeprotection systems by the US Army isawaited for 2013, the German Bundeswehralso awaiting to take a decision, as well asmany other forces. This year might thusmark a definite step forward.

The Raytheon Quick Kill, thedevelopment of which was part of theFuture Combat Systems programme, is theonly one to employ vertically mountedeffector launchers. It is based on amultifunction electronically scanned radararray installed over the vehicle ensuringdetection and tracking of the incomingmissile. The computer establishes the speed,trajectory and intercept point and cues theeffector. This is ejected using a soft-launchmethod that allows its installation on light

Actively KeepingThreat at BayKilling the round before it hits the vehicle is still the bestway of protecting a crew. The control over the newestversions of the most lethal antitank weapons has goneastray due to many recent events in North Africa and theMiddle East. Kornet AT-14 missiles were used in Libya andare being supplied to Syrian rebels. The latter looted SyrianArmy depots capturing quantities of RPG-7s, RPG-29sand Kornets, and the number of MBTs and IFVs of Russianorigin destroyed daily in that war is considerable.

This still fromahigh velocity film (hencethe poor quality) showing a Panzerfaust 3warhead being intercepted by the effectorlaunched by aDiehl Defence AVePS activeprotection system. (Diehl Defence)


vehicles. The 480 mm long effector thenpitches over and accelerates towards thepoint of impact against which it fires itswarhead that generates a focused blastdestroying the incoming missile in mid-air.The vertical launch system provides a 360°coverage and ensures multiple hit capabilitybecause launchers are not assigned a specificsector. The Quick Kill demonstrated itsmulti-threat capability by defeatingsimultaneously two incoming missiles,multi-tracking and multi-engagement beingpart of the core system. The latest testingcampaign was conducted in December 2012and involved an extended set of threats,including one of the most lethal RPGswhich was destroyed in mid-flight.

With the acquisition of 51% of Virginia-based Artis, Plasan Sasa not only increasedits footprint in America, but also entered theactive protection system business. Artis isthe leading company in the development ofthe Iron Curtain under the auspices of theDarpa and is teamed with the MustangTechnology Group that provides the C-band low-cost radar that, with innovativesignal processing, determines range, rangerate, angle and timing for each incomingprojectile. It works as follows: the radaractivates the system to a ready state, opticalsensors classifying the threat anddetermining the aiming point with a 10 mm

accuracy: one of the countermeasuresmodules is then activated, the system firing itdownwards in order to minimise collateraldamage to the vicinity. The Iron Curtainprogramme is aimed at US use only, and theDarpa as well as the two companies involveddecline to comment on its status. What isclear is that it has been merged with the

Crosshairs acoustic threat detection andcountermeasures system, and that theresulting system should have been deployedto Afghanistan as a prototype during 2012.This has however not been confirmed byany official source.

In 2011 Rheinmetall's stake in ADSGesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme


Operating sequence of theRaytheonQuick Kill. The company

carried out a further series of successfultests in late 2012. (Raytheon)

A pictorial of the Crosshair – Iron Curtain system that puts together an active defence systemand an acoustic location system, developed under the auspices of the Darpa. According to someinformation the systemhas been tested in Afghanistan. (Darpa)



increased to 74%, the remaining shares beingheld by IBD Deisenroth. Its Amap-ADS(Advanced Modular Armour Protection -Active Defence System) is based on ladarsensors connected via optical fibre to anelectronic control that provides data to theeffectors located around the vehicle. With asystem response time of less than amillisecond it can react to weapons launchedfrom less than two metres, less than theaverage warhead activation distance.Effectors generate “focused blades ofconcentrated energy” intercepting theincoming round at 1.5 or 2 metres from thevehicle. If installed with overlapping arcs theyprovide multi-hit capacity. Quickreplacement of effectors allows to rapidly re-establish the vehicle protection after anattack. The system can intercept approachingmissiles travelling at 2,000 m/s, which meansthat it can also be effective against 120 mmKE long-rod rounds providing the actualarmour can withstand the residual kineticenergy. As for collateral damages thecompany states that these will be containedwithin a radius of 5 metres around thevehicle. The latest version shown in 2012 wasintegrated on a truck cabin and is known asADS CAB; the number of sub-system ischanged to achieve the desired protectionsolution, this capability being known as Plug& Safe. The costs are estimated at a four-zero€ figure. Such a solution has a weight of 70-90 kg and a power consumption of 150 W.

Those values increase to 100-200 kg and 250-300 W for a light vehicle, 200-350 kg and 350-600 W for a medium vehicle, and 400-600 kgand 600-800 W for a heavy vehicle. Of coursecost can differ by one order of magnitudefrom the simplest configuration to the mostcomplex solution. The ADS is now fullyqualified and in series production forundisclosed customers. Deliveries are alreadyunderway to one customer while others areworking on system integration on theirplatforms for qualification purposes. TheADS is being qualified against a broadspectrum of antitank shoulder-launchedrockets and guided missiles, and in generalterms showed its ability to handle up to threehits on the same spot and more than onethreat at a time.

Diehl Defence has concentrated ondeveloping active stand-off protectionsystems. Today´s launcher-based AVePSprototype comprises a radar/infrared sensorsystem, a fire control computer, a multiplelauncher including a fragment-free effectoras well as safety electronics. Sensors providethreat detection and tracking up to adistance of several hundred metres and

enable to pinpoint the opponent’s firingposition, data of which, fed to an RCWS,allows immediate firing reaction. TheAVePS provides hemispherical 360° andtop-attack protection for the carrier vehicleas well as vehicles in its vicinity, whish is aquite unique feature amongst activeprotection systems. Even if the same part ofthe vehicle is targeted repeatedly, no gaps inprotection occur. By employing fragment-free blast effectors, collateral damages arelargely ruled out. The safety conceptprovides high reliability and optimalprotection against random triggering. TheAVePS can engage the entire range of RPGsand modern anti-tank missiles, includingthe tandem hollow charge variety. Likewise,the effectiveness of large-calibre KEpenetrators can be reduced decisively. TheAVePS can be integrated on a variety ofplatforms, from light to heavy. Theprototype is available in two systemconfigurations: a single launcher version (<350 kg) for light armoured vehicles and atwin-launcher configuration (< 500 kg) forheavy vehicles. Diehl is awaiting a decisionon APS by the German Army.

One of the latest entries in the activeprotection system field is Krauss-MaffeiWegmann whose Aktives Schutzsystem wasunveiled at AUSA 2012. Sensors come in theform of radars operating in the 25-35 GHzband, which is the optimal frequency toobtain the ±10 cm accuracy required to

A German Fuchs equipped with the DiehlAVePS active protection system, the launcherof which is seen standing on the roof of thevehicle. The system, currently at prototypestage, is awaiting a decision from theGerman Bundeswehr. (Diehl Defence)


RUAG Schweiz AG | RUAG DefenceAllmendstrasse 86 | 3602 Thun | SwitzerlandPhone +41 33 228 22 65 | [email protected]

Saving soldier’s lives: Protection systems by RUAG.

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properly activate the effectors. A typicallayout on a Dingo would see one radar ateach corner and one on each side. Opticalsensors may also be used to further improvethe system. Thirty centimetre-wide effectormodules are arranged around the vehicle’sroof. Upon detection of the threat three suchmodules are detonated directing a blastdownwards to intercept the warhead. Theeffectors have an effective range of between 4cm and 2.5 metres and contain a minimalcharge and no metal. Dismounted infantrysafety range around the vehicle can thus beevaluated at about three metres. KMWdeveloped the basic elements of its system,work having started over eight years ago,and AUSA was the opportunity to getfeedback from potential customers beforeinvesting in a full technology demonstratorand system qualification. According toKMW about two years would be needed tomature the Aktives Schutzsystem toproduction level.

Another company awaiting a decisionfrom Germany is Cassidian, whichdeveloped the Muss (MultifunktionalesSelbstschutz-System). For the time being thecompany does not communicate on thismultispectral soft-kill system aimed atneutralising laser guided missiles. The Muss isbased on the Cassidian ElectronicsAN/AAR-60 P-Milds missile warning systemand on Colds laser detection system, installed

on a same sensor head, four of which aremounted on the vehicle to provide 360°coverage. Effectors come in the form ofgrenade launchers, either 76 or 81 mm, able tofire IR obscurant grenades, and of an activeIR jammer. How much recent eye-safedazzling systems might be integrated into theMuss remains unclear. In its current form theMuss has been integrated into a Leopard 2A4tank and demonstrated over ten years ago.

Oto Melara is working on the Scudo, andis looking at ways of installing its sensorslinked to a data gathering system ontovehicles that are deployed downrange.Discussions are underway with the ItalianMoD regarding this new approach: thecompany would like to install its sensors –sans actuators – probably on a few Freccia8x8s in order to obtain real-life data about

false alarm rates and sensor effectiveness.The Scudo features four continuous wavedual frequency radar sensors that cover 90°in azimuth and 60° in elevation, with adetection range in excess of 600 metresagainst antitank threats. They each weighfive kilos. They are installed around thevehicle or turret, or on a column over theturret. Alert level and non-active arcs of firewill be dynamically established thanks tothe integration with the Soccona C2 andnavigation system and the Forza-NECdigitised battlefield system data. As for theactuators Oto Melara has already developeda two-layer system consisting of grenadesfor 100 to 250-metre engagements on theone hand, and of active tiles mounted on thevehicle with a 6 to 15-metre range on theother. Their respective engagement times

Israel is the first nation to deploy anactive protection device in the form of RafaelTrophy-H, which has been installed onMerkava 3 and 4MBTs. (Rafael)

An IDFMerkava 4 equippedwith the Rafael Trophy-H active protection system is here seen duringtrainingmanoeuvres. The Trophy has successfully proved its worth in real-life action. (Rafael)



are of 350 and 150 milliseconds. Uponcompletion of sensor evaluation thecompany will consider various optionsincluding the integration of third-partyactuators, should the latter prove to be moreeffective than in-house developments.

Known in the past as the Aspro, theRafael APS family for armoured vehiclesnow comes under the Trophy brand nameand includes three versions, namely the HV(Heavy Vehicle), MV (Medium Vehicle) andLV (Light Vehicle). The first two use thesame technologies while the light versionmaintains algorithms and logics of theheavier systems, but with threatneutralisation based on a wholly different

physical principle. The Trophy-HV is fullyqualified and in service with Israeli Merkava4s and Merkava 3s. Declared operational bythe Israeli Defence Forces in 2009, it wasproven in combat in several engagementsfrom March 2011. It weighs 850 kg and isbased on a radar, two launchers equippedwith an automatic reloading system andassociated electronics. Key to the system isthe IAI/ELTA ELM-2133 WindGuard pulseDoppler aesa radar that provides incomingmissiles cueing. Four bullet and fragment-proof antennae each covering 90° arelocated on the vehicle ensuring full 360°upper hemisphere coverage. Maximalaccuracy in tracking, identifying, classifying

and verifying the incoming threat areneeded as the effector adopted does not useexplosive energy to neutralise the incomingwarhead. Known as MEFP (MultipleExplosive Formed Penetrators) it generates alimited number of EFPs that are aimed atspecific points of the warhead in order todisintegrate it without detonation at a rangeof 30 to 60 metres with a 90 per cent killprobability. Safety, collateral damages andlegal issues were among top priorities duringdevelopment, and it took four years to obtainthe safety certification. Lessons learned led toincreased attention to radiations, fragmentsand software design, though softwaredevelopment with a view to improving thesystem is a never-ending process.

The Trophy HV was successfully tested inthe US where it was considered for its lowcollateral damage features and maturity.Currently three Merkava battalions areequipped with the Trophy, which according toRafael proved to be very reliable in terms ofMTBF in three years of operational life. Thecompany is ready to satisfy a UOR with arelatively short delivery time should acustomer choose the Trophy HV.

The MV version leverages recent trendsin miniaturisation, tipping the scales at 520kg. Rafael is awaiting a launch customer tocomplete qualification, which requiresadditional investments. It remains to be

The Trophy-L has been developed to answer the protection needs of light vehicles, and itseffectors bear no resemblancewith those used in the heavier versions of the system. Thesepictures offer a clear view of the sensors installed at the four corners of the roof and of thedownwards-looking (and firing) effectors. (Rafael)

In this still froma high speed film ofthe Trophy-L in action, one can see the bladeof energy that is directed downwardsto neutralize the incoming RPG. (Rafael)



seen, however, whether the company willpropose this version for the new round oftesting by the Israeli Defence Forces in viewof the selection of a next-generation activeprotection system.

The LV version, finally, comes in the formof a roof-mounted system with a main alertsensor also mounted on the top of thevehicle. Further sensors around the vehicle,probably electro-optical, are used toaccurately evaluate the position and time ofimpact of the incoming warhead, those datatriggering the activation of the concernedenergetic blade effector focused downwardsto intercept and neutralize the round. With aweight of 200 kg for a Hummer-class vehicle,

the Trophy-LV is optimised for counteringRPG-type threats. The LV version hassuccessfully passed the test phase and is nowawaiting a launch customer beforeundergoing the final qualification.

First shown in 2006 at Eurosatory byIsrael Military Industries, the Iron Fist hasevolved into a soft/hard kill system that canbe installed onto vehicles of differenttonnage, from light to heavy. Laser jammerscan counter antitank missiles guidancesystems, instantaneous smoke screens canimpede target acquisition or tracking, and ahard kill system can neutralise the incomingthreat. The main sensor is the RPS-10software-defined compact hemispheric

radar developed by Rada, This provides a120° coverage in azimuth and 90° inelevation and was developed from theground up as an armoured system, itsantenna being protected against gunshotsand splinters. An all-in-one systemweighing 17 kg, three such units allow full360° coverage. Infrared sensors integrate thedata provided by the radar. The activeelement comes in the form of a twin-tubelauncher using soft-launch techniques todeploy a fin-stabilised canister which, tominimise potential collateral damage,generates only blast (the case is fullycombustible). Triggered by a proximity fuse,it destabilises the incoming round – RPG

fired at short range, missile or even a KEround alike. A full system normally includestwo turrets, although a light solution forsmaller vehicles based on a single turret isalso available. (A recent Bright Arrowversion, with two launchers and IR sensorsalso carries a 7.62 mm machine gun withoptronics, merging the functions of the APSwith those of an RCWS for a weight penaltyof 250 kg without weapon and ammo).

In mid-2011 the Iron Fist was successfullytested in America on board an MRAP usingboth soft- and hard-kill capacities againstmissiles and KE rounds, while previouslytesting were also conducted in Germany. Inthe United States IMI has teamed with

General Dynamics Armament andTechnical Products to act as “prime” for thenational market. The Iron Fist was selected byIsrael for its Namer infantry fighting vehicle,based on the Merkava 4 MBT chassis.

Saab Electronic Defence Systems ispromoting its Leds (Land Electronic DefenceSystem), which consists of a sensor suite, acentral active defence controller, high-speeddirected launchers and countermeasureoptions (featured on our cover). The Leds-50laser detection system ensures 360° coverageusing four LWS-310 sensors while theaddition of an LWS-500 top-attack and anti-reflection sensor ensuring full hemisphericalcoverage. Sensors are linked to the Active

Defence Controller (ADC) that providesthe cueing of the potential threat associatedwith the laser emission allowing the crew totake action.

The first reaction normally comes in theform of soft-kill solutions, exploiting theLeds-100 that integrates infrared jammersand high-speed directed launchers loadedwith fast multi-spectral smoke ammunitionthat deny acquisition, tracking, ranging andguidance. This however works only againstlaser-guided threats. To counter other typesof threats such as RPGs Saab developed theLeds-150 that includes active (radar) andpassive (IR) sensors and a hard-kill effectorin the form of Saab Avitronics Moongoose1 mini-missile.

The main sensor is the Reutech RadarSystems frequency modulated continuous

A CV90 prototype equippedwith Saab Leds sensors. The protection device’s hard-kill effector isthe Saab AvitronicsMoongose 1missile. (Saab)


wave staring array radar. This is able todetect an RPG within 5.2 milliseconds fromlaunch, providing an accurate trackingwithin 14.3 ms. Knowing that an RPG willtake some 190 ms to reach a target at 20metres and considering the systemsreaction time, that RPG can be neutralised ata distance of six metres from the vehicle. InMarch 2012 Saab underwent further testingwith a new launcher known as DSL-306

developed in co-operation with Curtiss-Wright Antriebstechnik of Switzerland.This was designed in order to ensure fullhemispherical coverage and multiple-shotcapacity, while reducing weight, size andpower consumption. Apparently Saab EDSis looking at further developments of itsLeds family, capable to deal withmultispectral threats as well as with kineticenergy antitank rounds.

Currently marketed by Ukraine Microtek,the Zaslon is based on models containing twoeffectors each under the form of a telescopedgrenade launcher. Each warhead is equippedwith a Doppler radar sensor covering 150 to180° in azimuth and –60° to +20° inelevation. The radar continuously emits andhas a range of 2.5 meters. When an incominground is detected the relevant shaped chargewarhead is detonated and neutralises thehostile warhead. The Zaslon technologyallows to shorten reaction time down to a fewmilliseconds. Once the first ammunition isfired the second is readied. To ensuremaximum protection a main battle tankrequires up to six modules, however three ofthem can already be sufficient. The Zaslon iseffective against RPGs, antitank missiles andanti-armour rounds up to 1,200 m/s. A lightversion known as Zaslon-L is also availablefor light armoured vehicles integration.

Seen here during testing, the Leds-150uses a 81mmcalibremissile that neutralises anRPG launched froma range of 20metres,sixmetres away fromwhat should have beenits point of impact. (Saab)


12

Put in simple words, activelycountering the effects of a mine orof a buried explosive would meanthat the protective system would

have to a) deny penetration, b) limitdeformation, c) reduce the accelerationsinflicted to the crew and d) minimise theheight at which the vehicle is raised.

Passive systems can cope with anunderbelly blast but implies a number ofpenalties, the main one being an increase inground clearance, since maximal pressuredecrease proportionally with the squarepower of that distance. Another factor is theshape, the typical “V” allowing to deflect blastand pressure. Energy-absorbing armourlocated under the vehicle also comes to therescue in reducing the blast effect, a trade-offbetween thickness and weight being thenorm in order to avoid cumbersome

Compendium Armoured Vehicles Protection 2013

One of the main threats to military vehicles comes fromunderneath. An explosion under the vehicle belly canhave two types of effect: the first is to perforate thevehicle’s floor, thus killing the occupants, or to damage itto a point that serious injuries occur even withoutpenetration, the second being the tendency tolift the vehicle from the ground leading to the so-called“drop down effect”, often more dangerous thanthe explosion’s own induced acceleration.

Underbelly ProtectionGoing Active?

This Discovery had a six-kilomine set offunder its floor pan, but its ABBS system

totally annihilated all upward accelerationsand stabilised the floor. (ABBS)


solutions. To maintain a good groundclearance while combining those threesolutions leads to an overall height increase,which in turn means greater visibility and ahigher centre of gravity that impairs stability.

If upwards and downwards forces on asheet of metal are equally balanced this wouldnotbudgenordeform.Puttingthis theory intopractice is no easy task, especially when theup-thrust is caused by a mine explosion thatleaves virtually no time to react. However, toRoger Sloman, managing director ofAdvanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) inBritain, “notime”waswrongasheunderstoodwhile watching a slow motion video of a blast.He found that the 5 to 6 milliseconds thatelapsed between the moment the shockwavehit the vehicle’s bottom and the moment thevehicle started to move and lift-off weresufficient to trigger a reaction force – basicallyapply sufficient downforce. With weight anddimensional factors in mind, energeticsolutions had to be found, either based onrecoil systems or rocket motors, the latterbeing the preferred solution. With Ministry ofDefence funding, ABBS started developing adiversified family of products, including theVGAM (Vehicle Global AccelerationMitigation) and the VAFS (Vehicle ArmouredFloor Stabilisation).

The number of effectors variesaccording tovehicle type and the desired effect. Pressureand acceleration sensors provide thecomputer with all needed parameters toensure that every motor is activated at theright moment, with the right thrust and forthe right period of time, to cope with the blastlevel and impulse duration, and with theposition of the explosive under the belly.Weight and volume are both sensible issues.However, according to ABBS, the VAFStechnology would permit reducing the “V”angle allowing to lower the floor and thus thecentre of gravity, and thereby reduce vehicleprofile or conversely increase internalvolume, an overall positive trade-off for thepresence of the columns containing orsupporting rocket engines and redistributingforcesonthefloor.TheVAFSmayalsoallowtocrush the floor in order to avoid contact withoccupants’ feet and reduce loose objects’acceleration, honeycomb material beingadded between the V underbelly and thefloor. All energetic material used is insensitivemunition (IM) grade and rocket bodies arebullet proof. Initial testing confirmed thesystem’s principles and ABBS is now seekingpartnership for shifting from concept toproduction. The company is planning to

demonstrate the technology’s capability in an8kg under-belly test involving a Jankel Jeep 8with near production-standard motors andcontrol system around the time these lines areprinted. ABBS expects the three-tonnearmoured SUV-type vehicle to stay either on,or very close to, the ground with minimal ornil internal floor deformation.

TenCate Advanced Armour developedtogether with ABDS A/S of Denmark theActive Blast Defence System (ABDS).Development started in 2010 and in March2011 first tests were carried out. In late 2011TenCate acquired all the shares of ABDS A/Sgiving birth to TenCate Active ProtectionApS. Not many details are known, but ABDSshould be based on two mobile masses thatare accelerated downwards to reduce thevehicle’s upwards acceleration, thus reducing

the transfer of blast energy to the occupants.The system is installed under the vehicle bellyand includes a purposely designed Triggerand Activation System (TAS). This provides astable, secure, high speed, automated firecommand to actuate the proprietarycountermeasures and yield a preciseprogrammed structural and biomechanicalresponse mode. A thorough test campaignwas carried out including testing on an 15-tonne M113. According to TenCate theABDS can increase anti-mine protection up toLevel 5 and 6 and be retrofitted to a widerange of light, medium and heavy platforms.

A different solution was developed byDrehtainer of Germany. Its Zero ShockSystem is based on a second floor that hangs

up on steel cables within the vehicle orshelter; the floor is located 200 mm from thearmoured floor, considered sufficient todecouple it from main floor deformation.Upon explosion, sensors activate airbag-likepin pullers that react in less that 0.4milliseconds, the floor “floating” for a timesufficient to considerably reduceaccelerations. According to Drehtainer theforces on the floor are 20% of what isaccepted by Stanag, and this allows not onlyto avoid injuries but also to install seats onthe floor itself rather than hanging them onwalls. The system was tested in German,British and Canadian military centres, whilethe Netherlands tested an M113 equippedwith the second floor, exploding an antitankmine under its belly. The Zero Shock Systemhas been installed in transport containersdelivered to the Swiss Army as well as incasualty transport containers that are beingdelivered to the German Bundeswehr in2013. Drehtainer is currently working on anew solution that would allow to neutralisethe global acceleration on the vehicle itself.

I PASSIVE UNDERBELLYTurning to passive systems, Oto Melaraworked on underbelly protection exploitingtwo financed research programmes, onemultinational and one national, developing anew protection package aimed at neutralisinghigh blast and EFP threats. The EFP threatwas taken into consideration by amultinational development programme thatincluded Italy, the Netherlands, the CzechRepublic and Spain; it involved defenceagencies and industry, Oto Melara being the“Single Leader Industrial Entity”. A surrogateTRMP-6 antitank EFP formed by a 5.2 kgTNT explosive charge and a 174 mmdiameter liner weighing 773 grams yieldingan impact velocity of 1,850 meters per second,was the standardised threat. This is capable ofpenetrating a 400-Brinell high-hardness steelat 0.8 metres standoff. Simulation allowed tocarry out initial testing, with a step-by-stepincrease in both threat efficiency and armourpanel dimensions. About twenty differentsolutions were tested by simulation, panelsdimensions varying between 600x600 mmand 1,500x1,500 mm. Mass and volume arethe two leading elements needed to defeat thethreat, a compromise being required to allowarmour packages to be added under thevehicle belly. The optimal solution wouldhave the highest mass and volume efficiency,that is minimal mass and volume for a givenprotection level. However the two notions are


This picture clearly shows the smoke columnemerging from the central pipe and that thevehicle neatly remains very close to theground, which demonstrates how thedownwards thrust allows to crush globalupwards acceleration. (ABBS)



normally somewhat antonymous. Solutionsdeveloped within the testing phase hadunique mass and volume efficiencies. One ofthose was tested in June 2012 on an ItalianArmy M113, the charge being positioned at a410 mm stand-off distance. The floor was notperforated by the EFP while the two fullyinstrumented dummies installed on energyabsorbing seats showed loads much lowerthan tolerance values. Exploiting a nationalresearch funding Oto Melara carried out asimilar programme aimed at neutralising theblast threat. The next phase saw the“merging” of the results obtained in order todevelop a solution against both threats. Thishad to be cost-acceptable, its mass had to becompatible with troop transport vehicles, andit should be installable on new combat ortactical-logistic vehicles as well as on existingvehicles. Oto Melara did not follow thehardness and mass path, but studied theinteraction between blast and protection, andblast propagation in non-homogeneous

armour, which behaves in a nearly acousticway, in order to obtain high protection levelswith limited mass. The aim was to maintain100 per cent protection compared to the twoseparate solutions, while reducing mass asmuch as possible. A series of simulations andreal-life tests, also verifying the behaviour onnon-plane surfaces with discontinuities werecarried out, the result being an armourpackage with a weight only slightly higherthan single protection solutions.

A number of companies have in recent yearscome upwith a variety of underbellyprotections, often based around open-Vabsorption boxes. General Dynamics LandSystems for its part, has developedwhat it callsa “double-V hull” for its latest iteration of theStryker. No details have been given but theArmy first acquired a first batch of 450 thusequipped Strykers, followed by a second of 292vehicles. An upgrade package for the LAV II(seen here) is now offered as the upgrade stillcosts 40% less than a new-build vehicle.

I JAMMING

EErriicc HH.. BBiiaassss

While there isn’t much else onecan do against a rocket that isalready on its way than using

some of the devices described in thisCompendium, a lot more could be said ofso-called improvised explosive devices.Some extremely clever, and prettyimpressive – if not slightly frightening –solutions are also described here, but asfixes rather than pre-emptive measures, inother words when the aggressive action isalready underway.What about preventing the aggressive

action from starting, then? One very firstmeasure is to avoid getting into habits orroutines. That’s where, or when, theenemy starts to wait for you. Butsometimes there is no alternative, inwhich case intelligence derived fromsurveillance systems should prevail tospot bomb “planters”. But as we know, wealready find it difficult to preventclandestines and smugglers from crossingour well-defined borders, so let alonetrace the presence of insurgents buryingbombs at night on a desert trail! Unlike RPGs however, buried or

roadside bombs are triggered from adistance, either by television controls ortelephones, meaning that some vehicles

in a convoy, for example, could beequipped with jammers. This is moreeasily said than done, because jammerscan adversely affect one’s own radios,weapons and other systems (not tomention a vehicle’s own electronics!),particularly at a time when soldiers arebeing equipped with a proliferation ofelectronic paraphernalia. Jammers, likecountermeasures, therefore always needto be updated not only against a potentialthreat, but also against one’s own systemsto make sure they don’t get frozen or putout of commission. A recent development comes from

Cassidian and requires quite a lot ofprocessing for the reasons explainedabove. Known as the Smart Scout andhere shown mounted on a G- Wagen, itcontinuously analyses the electromagneticenvironment and adapts the requiredcountermeasures. In Cassidian’s ownwords, the jammer “features the new,ultra-fast Smart Responsive JammingTechnology to substantially enhance thelevel of protection. This system detectsand classifies radio signals intended toignite roadside bombs. It then transmitsjamming signals in real-time, which aretailored exactly to the hostile frequencyband. Thanks to the new digital receiverand signal processing technologies it isthus possible to achieve reaction times ofwell below a millisecond”.

A COMPLETE RANGE OF ARMORED SOLUTIONS FROM A SINGLE SOURCEAt General Dynamics Land Systems, we’re committed to keeping our customers at the forefront of worldwide armored force modernization programs with highly protected vehicles that deliver combat-proven survivability and unmatched operational readiness. Our family of Tactical and Light Armored Vehicles, as well as our Abrams Main Battle Tanks, are constantly being improved and updated with advanced technologies based on real world requirements. Survivability, sustainability and maintainability are engineered into our vehicles, offering our customers superior protection and mobility, with lower life cycle cost. All available from a single source: General Dynamics Land Systems.

A FULL SPECTRUM OF CAPABILITIES

www.gdls.com


A COMPLETE RANGE OF ARMORED SOLUTIONS FROM A SINGLE SOURCEAt General Dynamics Land Systems, we’re committed to keeping our customers at the forefront of worldwide armored force modernization programs with highly protected vehicles that deliver combat-proven survivability and unmatched operational readiness. Our family of Tactical and Light Armored Vehicles, as well as our Abrams Main Battle Tanks, are constantly being improved and updated with advanced technologies based on real world requirements. Survivability, sustainability and maintainability are engineered into our vehicles, offering our customers superior protection and mobility, with lower life cycle cost. All available from a single source: General Dynamics Land Systems.

A FULL SPECTRUM OF CAPABILITIES

www.gdls.com



A damaged cage armour fixed ontoa Danish BV206. Cage armour are a statisticprotection system, the average probabilitybeing around 60%. (Danish MoD)

O ne of the most widely usedprotective solutions is to equipvehicles with systems that allowto mitigate or as much as

possible distort the jet generated by theshaped charge. This can be done either bydeforming or destroying the liner or byincreasing the stand-off distance, although inthe latter case much work will be left to theoriginal armour of the vehicle. Someprogrammes aimed at adapting main battletanks to urban warfare have shown that eventhe best Cold War era tanks were not thatwell protected against RPGs on their sides,the main protection being concentrated onthe frontal arc. Two kinds of solutions arecurrently adopted, “cage” or “bar” armourthat physically decouple the incominground from the hull surface, while “net”variants, and “energetic” armour use someform of low burning rate materials todefocus the jet.

But here too, there’s no panacea. Cagearmour considerably increases vehiclewidth, generating mobility problems insome urban scenarios. Being a statistical

system, its effect depends very much on thepoint of impact and aspect of the incominground. Most systems have a high probabilityof neutralising or consistently reducing theeffect of an incoming RPG, and some of

them can even withstand very close multipleimpacts. Non-metallic solutions in the formof nets are also available, as well as matswhich consistently tend to stop the roundwhile avoiding initiation, although eventhose remain probabilistic items. Theenergetic solution, being based on armourmodules fitted to the hull, is a nonprobabilistic solution as any place hit by anRPG will react in the same way. Moreover,it contributes to the protection against KErounds. On the other hand, it remains to beseen how much of the energetic armoursurface is damaged when hit and how muchof that now vulnerable surface is exposed.The energetic solution generates a muchlesser width increase, while the weightbalance has to be considered case by case.

Ruag Defence of Switzerland proposestwo different versions of its SidePro armoursystems conceived for protecting vehiclesfrom RPGs. The best known is SidePro-Lasso, a net system made of 4 mm diameterhigh tensile steel wire that adds a mere 6kg/m2 to the vehicle weight and 250 mm perside. Steel was chosen versus fabric due to itsresistance to environmental influences andits much longer operational life. Accordingto Ruag the optimized size and shape of themesh provides multi-hit capacity, as well asminimal decrease of the protection level

RPG ShieldsApproximately 40 countries are using RPGs, which aremanufactured in a number of variants by nine countries,the estimated overall production being in excess ofnine million systems. It is thus hardly surprising it becameone of the most frequent threats posed by rogue armiesand terrorists in both urban and open terrain situations.

The Ruag SidePro Lasso, here mounted on an Eagle, is designed to preserve maximum accessibilityto the vehicle. It has been adopted by Denmark, Slovenia and Estonia. (Ruag)


when the RPG reaches the net at an elevatedangle, 1% less coverage at 30° angle of attackbeing negligible compared to that of bararmour. The first customer was Denmark,which used it on its upgraded M113sdeployed to Afghanistan. Lessons learnedhave led to the development of an integralflexible mounting system and to that of acurtain system that improves access formaintenance purposes. The 92%transparency of the Lasso allows its use infront of windshields with minimal effect ondrivers. In Fall 2012 Ruag scored anothertwo orders, one from Slovenia, whichinstalled it on its Skov 8x8 Svaruns (the localdesignation of the Patria AMV), and theother from Estonia which will equip itsXA188. Both nations intend to field theirvehicles downrange in early 2013.

The second Ruag option is the SideProRPG: still a statistical system it is based onan undisclosed technology and ensures ahigher protection compared to the Lasso,

reaching over 80% against all types of RPG-7s, roughly the efficiency of a reactivearmour but at a fraction of the weight andwith no collateral damage. A fully passivesolution, the prototype system weighs 45kg/m2 but was never sold. Furtherdevelopments allowed to reduce weightdown to 30 kg/m2 (10% that of a reactivesolution). Qualified in 2012, this versiontriggered a first contract from anundisclosed customer, implying deliveriesthis year. Interestingly the two Ruag offersare “mergeable” into a comprehensivesolution on the same vehicle.

In 2012 Nexter unveiled its RPGprotection system in the form of a cagearmour known as the PG-Guard. It weighs

11 kg/m2 and its layout has rectangularvoids arranged like a brick wall. Elementsare produced according to the vehicle shape.The design preserves vehicle accessibility:panels swivel together with doors, whilequick-removable panels are used wheremaintenance hatches are located. Designedto neutralise PG-7 V, VL and VM rockets,its effectiveness varies between 50-65%according to the rocket type. With multi-impact capability, the PG-Guard canwithstand between two and four firings persquare metre. Time needed to design andinstall a prototype system on any vehicle isestimated at two months by Nexter, withmass production following at a rate of 50 kitsper month.

To deal with the dreaded RPG threatBAE Systems developed the L-ROD bararmour system, an aluminium alloysolution that reduces weight by more than50 per cent compared to steel-basedsystems. Over 50 live-fire tests were carriedout by the US Army during validation.Bolted onto the vehicle, its panels aretherefore easily replaceable in the field. L-ROD kits have been installed on numerousvariants of primarily US military vehicles,and are standard issue on all US ArmyBuffalos. Currently over 1,100 L-RODs areinstalled on ground vehicles deployed inAfghanistan. Overall more than 3,000 L-ROD kits have been delivered. BAE Systemsis currently working on further reducing theL-ROD weight.

Based in the Netherlands Falanx ArmourSystems is a small company founded byCyril Wentzel, aimed at the development ofnet-based protection against RPG7. The

Developed in a new much lighterversion, the Ruag SidePro RPG ensures ahigher protection probability thanthe Lasso, and has recently been adopted byan undisclosed customer. (Ruag)


Nexter has developed its own RPG bar armour system known as PG Guard, here mounted on the company’s VBCI (left), and Aravis (right). Itseffectiveness is rated at 50 to 65 per cent depending on the type of RPG warhead countered. (Armada – P. Valpolini)



Falanx concept consists of a very lightweightnet as a basis for high dud-rate. Thecarefully designed and manufacturedcombination of high-performance fibresensures that the RPG nose cone is crushedwithin a very short distance, disabling thewarhead. The main armour then stops therocket, which disintegrates. Available intransparent net form, the company advisesits integration through an opaque flexiblepanel, a solution offering several benefits

maintaining a low installed weight. TheFalanx is considered to provide at least thesame protection as a cage system at less than10% of the weight, areal density beingbetween 5 and 10 kg/m2 while widthincrease remains around the standard 250-300 mm. Baseline Falanx net design is frozen

and available since 2009. Developmentwork is in progress to offer a very high-performance net at an acceptable cost.

Truly high performance nets pose amanufacturing and cost challenge, andFalanx is solving that issue for a novel nettype. The development is enhanced byadvanced simulations and also involves animproved diagnostics methodology toobjectively assess statistic performance. Thisapproach will enable tailor-made solutionsfor customers with a particular RPG7 threatmix as part of their requirement. Startingfrom a performance indicator of over 50%,the company aims at getting as close aspossible to 90%. Although a large-scale livefiring evaluation of a specific Falanxproduct is still lacking, Falanx Armourstates that its technology is based onhundreds of experimental results of variablecomplexity, ranging from simple live firingsto elaborated laboratory ballisticexperiments on actual RPG hardware. Noproducts are operational yet as the companyis looking for a launch customer or apartner. Falanx Armour Systems also offersits services as a consultant on net technologyfor industrial parties.

Leveraging experience in weight-sensible

Seen at a defence exhibition, this set upshows an RPG attacking an opaque version ofthe Falanx Armour System. Falanx isawaiting a launch customer and is opento co-operation. (Falanx)

Montage shows the Falanx solution installed over a Mowag Eagle with both the netand opaque options used to provide full protection of the vehicle, while the graphicalrepresentation of the system over a Piranha depicts its effectiveness. (Falanx)



textile aviation restrain systems, AmSafeexploited textiles with high mechanicalstrength to develop an RPG protectionsystem known as the Tarian (shield inWelsh). To this end the American-Britishcompany worked with the British MoD –the British Bridport facility being in chargeof the product and production entrusted to aPhoenix facility in Arizona. Initially thematerial used allowed to cut down theweight of a protective system to 50% ofthat of an aluminium-based cage armourand to 15% of a steel one. The Amsafehomogeneous fabric can be printed withcamouflage patterns. The latest version is anet-type system installed over a metallicframe; its mesh is sufficiently thin to capturethe RPG and stop it at a distance from theactual hull, the latest breakthrough in

material allowing the company to claim a saving of 94% and 98% respectively versusaluminium or steel cage armour. The latestdevelopment from AmSafe is TarianQuickShield, which provides a quick-fixingsolution to replace damaged or missing slatarmour. The net element is similar to theTarian’s and is provided in 1000x440 mm or1700x1000 mm sizes and is quicklyinstalled on the remaining metal cagearmour. Deployed in Afghanistan sinceMay 2009 on British Army Heavy

Equipment Transporters (HETs), the Tarianwon a further £10 million contract in early2013 for the supply of several hundredsystems. In late 2011 the Darpa tested afurther variant of the Tarian, with theprotection integrated into a TextronDefense Traps (Tactical RPG AirbagProtection System). The original Trapsdeveloped for the JLTV programme, wasbased on a series of cots radar sensors thatidentified the incoming threat sending asignal that activated an airbag module in thearea of impact with a reaction time of about50 milliseconds. One module has a weightof about 15 kg and can be replaced withinminutes. The inflated airbag creates therequired stand-off to defocus the shapedcharge jet. This system allows minimumwidth increase and avoids interference with

The Tarian RPG-net installed on anFNSS PARS 6x6; the net, used on British Armyvehicles under a recent contract, is alsoproduced as a gap-filler to quickly replacemissing bar armour. (Armada/P. Valpolini)



vision systems. Another non-metallic solution comes

from QinetiQ North America in co-operation with the Darpa and the Office ofNaval Research. The Kevlar based Q-Net is anet with embedded metal nodes that,according to the company, ensure higherperformances than standard bar armourwhile being 50 to 60% lighter. Supported by aframe that maintains it at stand-off distancefrom the hull, it ensures all-roundprotection (in can be roof mounted). It hasbeen installed on over 11,000 vehicles,including the French VBCI and the PolishRosomak deployed in Afghanistan. In early2012 QinetiQ NA unveiled Q-Net II, whichfeatures a 15% higher effectiveness and a10% lower weight according to companydata, a further weight saving being made inthe system used to attach the frame to thevehicle, which decreases between 35 and50% compared to that used in Q-Net I.

Plasan Sasa of Israel developed the UltraFlex Family (UFF) that includes threedifferent solutions: one is an opaque non-metallic stand-off protection, the second isa non-metallic semi-transparent used infront of armoured glass windows aimed atproviding crew situational awareness, andthe third is a metallic solution for use infront of the driver’s windows. The last,known as SlatFence, is currently provided insteel with an optimised cross-section that

reduces its weight to a minimum. PlasanSasa considers that a rigid solution has tobe adopted in front of the driver, as non-rigid ones such as the LightFence wouldfloat in front of him making drivingimpossible. To further reduce the SlatFenceweight and ease maintenance tasks, thecompany is currently developing a Hybrid

version that will allow over 30% weightreduction. It should be available soon. TheLightFence appears as a net with lozengeholes, the vertical ribbons zigzagging ateach step, and is installed at the same 160mm standoff distance as the FlexFence, theopaque technology of the family. PlasanSasa aimed at reducing as much as possiblethe RPG effectiveness by avoiding toinitiate the warhead both in its semi-transparent and opaque solutions: thismeans short-circuiting the piezoelectricignition system upon impact, avoiding theexplosion of the warhead or, in case ofcrash, causing only a secondary explosionthat spoil the generation of the shapedcharge jet.

According to Plasan Sasa ballisticperformance results after over 250 liverounds firings with PG-7M, PG-7V and PG-7L rounds and extensive modelling andanalysis using the GSS (Gesamt-Schutz-Simulation) software developed by Condatof Germany have shown a defeat rate of up to80%, 90% of which being silentneutralisations (the remaining 10% being

French Army VBCI operating in Afghanistan are equipped with QinetiQ North America Q-Net, anet system with embedded metal nodes. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

A close up of the Tarian, the net anti-RPGsystem produced by AmSafe in Britain,exhibited at IDEX; the stand-off distance is ofabout 250 mm, which is typical of thosesystems. The actual net was made of a fakefabric to avoid industrial intelligence.(Armada/P. Valpolini)



violent neutralisation causing secondaryexplosions). The FlexFence has an inherentmulti-hit capacity and each square metrecan withstand the impact of up to sixrockets. A damaged panel can be replacedin approximately five minutes. TheFlexFence has evolved and the currentversion has a weight of 10 kg/m2,improvements having resulted in a slightweight decrease and in much greaterdurability. Design to cost was one of theimperatives during development, withsavings not only generating from weightreduction, but also from secondaryproperties: Plasan Sasa is currentlyfinalising the testing protocol to verify thebenefits in terms of IR reduction signature,something that has been emphasised in late2012 following the first feedbacks from acustomer that uses the UFF in Afghanistan.This allows to obtain multiple benefits suchas IR signature reduction and insulation-

isolation system, thereby reducing airconditioning operating times and hence fuelconsumption.

Protecting the upper surface of vehiclesis becoming a common request due to RPGsbeing used from building tops. The opaque

surface is available in a selection ofcamouflages, while it is fire resistant andprovides ultraviolet protection. TheFlexFence mat that constitutes the ballisticmodule is 50mm thick, and the standoffrequired is 160 mm, which leads to a210mm addition per side to the vehicle. Thesystem can be integrated on the platform in anumber of different ways, using existingframes, attaching the module with Velcro

A Renault Trucks Defense VAB Mk3 exhibited at Eurosatory 2012 modelled thevarious elements of the Ultra Flex Family, an RPG protection system developed by PlasanSasa. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The back of the VAB Mk3 shows theLight Fence’s transparent elements that arebeing used in front of windows with theexception of the windscreen. (Plasan Sasa)



and/or cables or using non-ballisticsupportive panels and straps. The UFF wasseen installed on a VAB 4x4 at the RenaultTrucks Defense stand at Eurosatory 2012.

The Israeli company is not sleeping on itslaurels in terms of RPG protection.According to company officials Plasan Sasawill soon unveil its next-generation of bararmour. No details are given, but the newsystem should solve many of the currentproblems, not the least being the vehiclebecoming a soldier death trap following aroll-over.Company sources said that work isquite advanced and that results areencouraging.

Among the latest addition to the cage netarmour world is the TenCate Armourstowable bar armour. Seen at IDEX 2013,the system was based on vertical steel cableswith horizontal bars that can be easily fittedto any frame and rolled up when not needed.TenCate Armour is ready to develop theconcept according to customersspecifications, adopting ad hoc materials tomeet specific weight and cost requirements.

Stronghold Defence in the US approachedthe RPG problem in a totally different way bydeveloping the Phalanx Armour, which isbased on the strategic integration ofgeometric and material properties. Thesystem combines spherical geometries andcomposite materials, taking a novel view onthe prevention of casualties from projectilethreats. The specific combination ofgeometries and materials was developed tominimize weight while ensuring blast andradiation shielding.

In Italy Oto Melara worked on the RPGproblem leveraging a national defencetechnology R&D programme. A surrogateRPG threat was used for simulations andtesting, this being considered more efficientthan the average RPG round. An energeticsolution was adopted to contain mass issues.The material, contained within the sandwicharmour, reacts with the melted dart when thistries to penetrate. Effectively “defocusing” it,the energetic material spreads the warheadenergy over a wider area, dramatically de-fusing its aggressiveness. A mathematicmodel providing six degrees of freedom tosimulate the possible orientations of the darthelped to define and developed the requiredmetals and energetic materials. Numeroustypes of grenade and missiles warheads weretaken into account, leading to a patentedsolution, which according to an Oto MelaraR&D official is “very competitive” in terms ofweight effectiveness.

S SAB of Sweden is one of the worldspecialists, its family of armour steelbeing known as Armox. It includessix different types, the number

indicating their average Brinell Hardness.While hardness goes in parallel withballistic protection, toughness is needed toguarantee good blast absorption capacities –two features that won’t naturally livetogether. Formability strengthens thedisagreement, as high hardness steels tend

to be less formable and often give rise towelding problems.

SSAB steel ballistic performancessteadily increased in time: in 1990, 9mm ofArmox 500T were needed to stop anM193/SS92 round travelling at 937 m/s, butten years later, using Armox 600T, only6mm were needed. Add another ten years,and 4.5mm of Armox Advance did the samealthough it has to be unnumbered as itshardness is beyond the Brinell system scale!

Passive Armour:The Final BarrierArmoured vehicles hull structures are still mostlymade of steel, to which add-on armour packages arebolted. However, the more the basic structure canprovide in terms of ballistic and blast protection, thehigher the final level of protection will be. Moreoverwhen adopting active defence systems that disrupt theincoming projectiles before impact, fragments stillhit the vehicle with a high energy content, commandinga good basic protection.



From an initial 70.7 kg/m2 SSAB cut downthe weight to 47.1 kg/m2 in ten years, with afurther reduction to 35.3 kg/m2 in thefollowing decade. According to SSABexperts no further dramatic reduction is tobe expected in the coming years though, acredible goal for 2020 being 30 kg/m2. Thecompany’s R&D department is working

more on improving toughness andformability of existing materiel rather thanpushing on hardness, especially that blast isnow the main threat. Its Armox 440T, 420-480 HBW, is the “energy eater” of choice,and besides its toughness it can be easilyformed to obtain, for example, a single-piece hull bottom. Even the harder Armox500T, 480-540 HBW, is considered for blastprotection applications.

As hinted above, the Armox Advanced’smain characteristic is hardness, and thismaterial is almost considered by SSAB asceramic. The company thus strongly advises

not to form it or weld it, as it must not beheated above 100°C if its hardness is to bepreserved. How much similar levels ofprotection and weight might be obtained inthe future with more formable materials isthe current challenge.

Among new armour steels is of course theSuper Bainite introduced in the fall of 2011.Developed by Defence Science andTechnology Laboratory in Britain, the newmaterial is produced by Tata Steel UK at PortTalbot and has shown much betterperformances than standard armour steel.These characteristics do not only result from

SSAB is currently working on ways of making its armoursteel solutions more formable. Here is an example ofArmox 500 formability. (Armada – P. Valpolini)

Iveco’s MPV exploits the latest IBDDeisenroth armour developments, mostlybased on nanotechnologies. (IBD)

Passive Armour:The Final Barrier

A complex shape element made with SSAB Armox 440T steel, often dubbed the “energyeater” and thus particularly suite for countering IEDs. (Armada – P. Valpolini)

Aardvark Perroc makes large use of SSAB Armox 500 steel, which shows that even that ahard product is able to absorb good quantities of energy. (Armada – P. Valpolini)


chemical composition but also fromprocessing, particularly its thermal treatmentwith air and molten salt as part of the coolants,with the end product offering ballisticperformances that are twice those of RHA.

In December 2012 Lockheed Martin UKand the University of Surrey announced anew lighter-weight method of improvingthe protection and survivability ofarmoured vehicles. Scientists developed amethod of treating ceramic materials toimprove the bond strength of both aluminaand silicon carbide ceramics to thecomposite backing, greatly enhancingarmour robustness. Connecting ceramicplates to their backing has always been theAchilles’ heel of that technology. Resultshave shown that the new technique leads toincreased bond strength. Tests revealed thatwhen a 14.5mm armour piercing incendiarywas fired at the panel it remained intact.

Technology development remains thecore business of IBD DeisenrothEngineering while the production of passivesolutions is now the responsibility ofRheinmetall Chempro, owned to the tune of51% by Rheinmetall Defence and 49% bythe Deisenroth family.

With the aim of reducing weight whilemaintaining protection level, or converselyincreasing protection for a given weight, thefourth generation of armour technologiesdeveloped by Dr. Ulf Deisenroth applied todifferent types of materials promise savings of

over 40%. These are based on the mostrecent breakthroughs in the domain ofpassive protection related to nano-materials,which include nano-cristalline ceramics,nanometric steel and high strength fibres. Inco-operation with steel manufacturers, IBDmanaged to develop high-strengthnanometric Nitrogen steels yielding almostthe performance of standard ceramicmaterials. Those new types of steel can beemployed for structural elements, allowingfor even greater weight savings if their use ispart of early design stages. As for high-strength fibres, such as IBD C1 HT Liner,those not only provide performances nearly20% higher than standard liners and

10% higher than IBD liners, but theirperformance degradation with temperature isalso slower, an important feature consideringthe extreme temperatures of current theatres.Besides nanometric steels and nano-ceramics, adopted in recently developedvehicles, IBD also developed new compositesolutions that allow to manufacture complexcurved geometry elements permitting toachieve a high coverage of the protected areawith almost no ballistic gaps. This solutionapplies particularly to under-belly elementswhere the slightest gap can thwart the wholeprotection.

IBD also succeeded in developing nano-composite laminates with such adramatically improved strength that theycan replace structural parts of a vehicle andsimultaneously serve as high level ballisticprotection. Thanks to their low areal densitythe overall weight of the protection is thussignificantly reduced. Those compositematerials are based on the aforementionedIBD Nanotech-materials. Special gluingprocesses were developed to produce nano-composite structural laminates, known asIBD FlexiComp, with significantlyimproved structural strength and ballisticperformance. While having a 10% lowerdensity than standard laminates their elasticproperties are twice as high. This gives them


The use of IBD FlexiComp allows to produce3D armour elements reducing weak points inthe overall protection system (IBD)

A diagram showing the behaviour ofIBD liners over temperature, a key issue when

vehicles are deployed in hot areas. (IBD)


the necessary strength to be integrated intothe vehicle structure, while their ballisticperformances allow to deal with high threatrequirements, with potential for weightsavings. Their application can follow twodifferent approaches. The straightforwardapproach is to use them as add-on armourfor mine and IED protection in wheelhouses, on fenders, as mine plates anddecoupled inner floors. When formed as3D-parts they can replace other solutionsthat need to be assembled by welding orbolting. A new type of application is theintegration of the composite parts as roofhatches, engine hatches and rear doors andramps. These add up to a large portion ofthe total vehicle surface, therefore theabsolute weight reduction is significant. ForSTANAG 4569 Level 4 this saving reaches1500 kg on an 8x8 vehicle as shown in thetable. As for production cost, the processesdeveloped by IBD allow manufacturingcomposite parts without using autoclaves,ensuring considerable cost savingsespecially for large dimensions components,costs being comparable to those of elementsmanufactured with standard technologies.

Those elements are now being producedby Rheinmetall Chempro, whose role is totake IBD Deisenroth Engineeringtechnologies, develop them into theproduction process to obtain competitiveprices, and then develop customers’ tailoredsolutions, following the process down tovehicle qualification. Delivery of elementsproduced with the latest advancedtechnologies will start in early 2013, to thebenefit of vehicles like the KMW-Rheinmetall AMPV and the Iveco DV-KMW Medium Protected Vehicle.According to Rheinmetall’s Business UnitProtection Systems over 10 OEMs (OriginalEquipment Manufacturers) around theworld will soon get components that willallow them to truly decrease the curb weightof their vehicles, thus increasing payloadcapacity and decreasing life cycle costs.

Rheinmetall Chempro passiveprotection catalogue includes numerousversions of the Amap (Advanced ModularArmour Protection) family that exploit thelatest technologies developed by IBD. Amapproducts are normally combined to obtainthe desired protection against variousthreats. Among the various opaqueproducts we find the Amap-B ballisticsolution providing protection from smallarms to medium calibre rounds, the Amap-M blast protection against mines, Amap-

IED developed when improvised devicesbecame a major threat, Amap-L liners thatprotect the fighting compartment absorbingsecondary fragments, the blast wave, thefireball and reduce acoustic pressure,Amap-SC against shaped charge rounds,and Amap-X protecting against threats

typical to the urban environment.It is to note that within the Rheinmetall

Group another company deals with passiveprotections, Rheinmetall Ballistic ProtectionGmbH, that acquired that name on 1 January2013 being formerly known as RheinmetallVerseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH. Based


A new bonding technology developed by Lockheed Martin UK and the Universityof Surrey may considerably improve the protection level of armoured vehicles, like thisWarrior. (Lockheed Martin UK)


in Krefeld and now fully owned byRheinmetall, the company specialises in thedevelopment and production of armouredsolutions for light military vehicles usingmaterials like ceramics, advanced metals andspecial fabrics.

Although Ruag Defence still has reactivearmour solutions in its portfolio, they nolonger very trendy in customers’ eyes toimprove the survivability of medium andheavy vehicles. The Swiss company has thusturned its attention to improving fully passivesolutions to cope with both kinetic and hollowcharges. The SidePro-ATR fits well beyondthe spectre of RPG-7 aggressiveness, as it cancope with shaped charges used in asymmetrical threat scenario, while the baseversion ensures a Level 5 ballistic capacity.First shown in public trials in 2012 theSidePro-ATR is scalable, and can thus beadapted to personnel carriers and tanks alike.In its basic version it is 400mm-thick whileits weight is comparable to that of a reactivesolution (i.e. around 300 kg/m2), and wasqualified on a Leopard 2A4. Ballistic level canbe considerably increased to deny 120 mmLong Rods any success, although no datawere provided.

The SidePro-ATR scalability allows it tofit both symmetric or asymmetric warfareneeds. Another solution against kineticenergy and IED weapons, the SidePro-KE/IED has been used on the Fennekarmoured reconnaissance vehicle in servicewith Germany and the Netherlands. Mostlyceramic based, it was conceived to counterfirst-generation IEDs. The new roadsidebombs used in theatre generate thousands ofvery high-speed fragments, thus a very highmulti-hit capacity was needed. Ruag has sinceredeveloped the KE/IED doing away with

ceramics and calling in a sandwich packageof undisclosed nature. Made available in 2012the new SidePro-KE/IED provides Level4/Level 5 protection against KE weapons andan extremely high multi-hit denial.Assuming a 7mm ballistic steel chassis, a 30mm thick panel would be used to provide therequired protection, the KE/IED retainingthe lowest weight option depending on thevehicle. The solution is under considerationby several manufacturers.

Plasan Sasa remains one of the majorplayers in the field of passive armour. Notechnological details are provided in thisfield, the company being active both in add-on armour solutions as well as in kitted hulls.The latter approach has been adopted in thedevelopment of both the Navistar MaxxProMraps and the Oshkosh M-ATV. “Thisallowed us to ramp-up production usingmanpower that was not skilled in weldingprocedures, as we adopted a Lego-approachbased on boxes containing all componentsthat could be assembled in minimum time,” acompany source told the author. Part of thecompany’s 200+ engineers are working onnew solutions that might come either from

new materials or innovative geometricaldesign, the systemic approach remaining atthe core of the protection cycle.

IMI has recently developed a series ofsolutions in both the passive and reactivedisciplines to cope with the most recenttypes of so-called improvised explosivedevices involving EFPs or SFFs (Self FormedFragmentation) and the most recent RPGmodels. The Iron Wall is the passive solutionproposed and is based on a compound ofmetal and composites complemented by slatarmour. Depending on the requiredprotection level, thickness can vary between110 and 150 mm and weight between 200and 230 kg/m2. The Iron Wall is currentlyunder operational evaluation by the IsraeliDefense Forces.

IMI also proposes its slat armoursolution as a stand-alone system. The L-VAS, for Light Vehicle Armour System isaimed at protecting armoured personnelcarriers. To save on weight the system isbased on composites and reactive elements,the latter containing a minimum ofenergetic materials. This limits collateraldamage, and the type of material usedavoids the risk of sympathetic detonation ofneighbouring elements. According to IMIthe L-VAS also protects against 14.5 mm AProunds and artillery fragments. The systemhas been fully qualified in Israel for theM113 APC and weighs about 200 kg/m2.

The heavier system proposed isBreakwater, a reactive armour that includesmetal and composite elements aimed atdefeating the three major threats, RPGs,SFFs and EFPs. IMI carried out a thoroughtesting campaign and is now proceedingwith qualification to see the 350 to 400 mmand 430-450 kg/m2 solution being availablefor production in late 2013.

Ceradyne is another major player in thepassive armour field. According to Marc A.King, Ceradyne President, steel will remain

I EXAMPLE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION FOR AN 8X8 VEHICLEWITH IBD FLEXICOMP COMPONENTS

Weight in Kg

Standard Composite Weight ReductionSolution Solution Reduction

Crew Hatches 640 280 360 56.25%

Engine Hatches 468 222 246 52.56%

Ramp Door 542 284 258 47.60%

Ramp (complete) 1400 675 725 51.79%

Total 3,050 1,461 1,589 52.10%


Ruag further developed its SidePro KE/IED, here seen in a photo montage, to counter thosenew devices that generate multiple fragments. (Ruag)


a major player in the armour business, theaim being to improve performances andreduce costs. “In the US the driver is stillmostly the vehicle acquisition cost ratherthan the life cycle cost, and this goes againstimprovements,” King told the author atAUSA 2012. The reduced number ofvehicles acquired by European armies led togreater investments in protection, while inthe US the emphasis was on numbers, whichaccording to King led European armourspecialists to be ahead of the American ones.However, King underlined how America ismaking progresses, mostly focusing on blast

underbelly solutions, as ballistic protection isconsidered a problem solved. The renewedinterest by the US Army to address theproblem of bottom protection for vehiclessuch as the Humvee ($20 million fordevelopment alone) is considered positivelyby King, Ceradyne being one of thecompanies that will certainly compete forthe Recap contract. The requirement callsfor maximum protection at much lowerweights than now to reduce impact onvehicle performance.

Ceradyne developed a solution based onCellular Materials International Inc’s (CMI)MicroTruss, an aluminium-based periodiccellular material which has a density of 58kg/m2 compared to the 112 kg/m2 of anequivalent monolithic metal solution. Thesolution features a “V” angle of only 5°,sufficient to deflect the blast while limitingground clearance reduction, and has aweight of 300 kg. MicroTruss ensures anabsorption of up to 30% of the blast energy,which not only limits the impulse in thecrew cell, but also mitigates the vertical lift ofthe vehicle. Ceradyne is also fully involved inthe Flyer Gen.2 armour solution aimed atthe Socom’s GMV 1.1 programme. Tomaintain the V-22, CH-47D and CH-53Einternal transportability weight and widthhad to be kept under control, the companyhaving developed a kit providing B6 ballisticlevel (.357 Magnum) on doors and roofline.

Ceradyne is also involved in the MarinesPersonnel Carrier programme in co-operation with Lockheed Martin and Patriafor the proposal based on the Patria AMV.It is to note that on 28 November 2012,


An M113 armoured personnel carrierequipped with Israel Military Industries IronWall passive anti-RPG system – a mix ofpassive and bar armour. (IMI)

Polaris Defense and M9 DefenseArmor Technology have developed ahybrid steel-composite integralstructural armour that allows toconsiderably reducethe Humvee’s curbweight for a similarprotectionlevel. Theprototype seenhere has a curbweight of only 3,400kg, which is nearly50% lighter than Level 3Humvee. (Polaris Defense)

Ceradyne and Cellular Materials International developed an underbelly protection systembased on CMI MicroTruss, an aluminium cellular material that allows to absorb about onethird of the energy generated by the explosion. (Armada/P. Valpolini)



Ceradyne was acquired by the 3M Group,which gives theCostaMesa-based companya greater strength to carry on R&D and tofind innovative solutions.Integrating structure and armour is a

viable solution for light vehicles. At AUSA2012 Polaris Defence unveiled a Humvee-based prototype that featured a new conceptdevelopedby the company togetherwithM9Defense. The aim is to reduce curb weightwhile maintaining or enhancing protectionlevels. To do so the Polaris-M9 team sweptappliqué armour aside to look into astructural armour concept. The vehicle wasthus stripped to its bare rolling chassis, thendressed up with a lightweight hybrid steel-composite structure. This structural armourcanprovide aLevel 3protectionat around70kg/m2 while at 83 km/m2 it is able towithstand 12.7x99 mm ball ammunition,though Polaris-M9 are confident to reachLevel3+(12.7mmAP).Theabovementionedweight includes the vehicle structure, thePolaris-M9 solution allowing also to protectthe engine.While the standardup-armouredHummer tips the scales at about6,350kg, theproposed solution does it at 3,400 kg. Thehybrid structural armouruses availablenon-exoticmaterial, thusaccording toPolaris-M9the cost is comparable to current solutions.Moreover the material can be moulded incomplex shapes,whichallows toobtain, inter

alia, seamless underbody V shapes. Shapingis obtained by hydroforming, a high-speedprocess contributing to cost reduction.According to thePolaris-M9such technologyallows to shrinkweightby40per cent.Another mobility aspect is part of the

protectionequation: following theacquisitionof Resilient Technologies, Polaris Defence isnow offering non-pneumatic tyres (NPTs).Tyre consumptionandreliability isoneof themajor logistic problems in theatre andNPTscan solve it in many cases. According toSocom data in Afghanistan, a conventionaltyre lasts about 1,300 km while NPTs cancover six times thatdistance.Also,Polarishasdemonstrated that anNPT hit by a 12.7mmround can run over 8,000 km and therebywave farewell to spare tyres,while apparentlyimproving ride. Prototype NPTs forHummers have been produced, the currenttarget being a set of NPTs for a 7.7-tonnevehicle, which is nearly the objective grossweight of the JLTVGeneral Purpose variant.According to company representatives,modelling shows that weight capacity couldreach 18 tonnes, in other words, bearing theweight of an Mrap. While increasing thepayload the technology remains the same,and themodelling softwaredevelopedby thecompanyallowsveryaccurate forecast.Whatchanges is the material, which has to beadapted to theweight tobeborne.

CERADYNE 3

DSEI C3

GDLS 15

IVECO C4

RUAG 7

SAAB 11

TEXTRON C2

I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Armoured Vehicle ProtectionSupplement to Issue 2/2013Volume 37, Issue No. 2, April/May 2013

INTERNATIONALis published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd.Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd.

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Protection also means not to remain stuck on the battlefield due to a tyre puncture. PolarisDefense Non Pneumatic Tires ensure much greater durability than standard tyres andcan withstand a 12.7 mm shot. Currently available for vehicles up to Hummer class, thosetyres are being developed for the much heavier Mraps. (Polaris Defense)

ON THE COVER: The best way of curing a coldis not to get one. This motto could apply toarmoured vehicles and to the active protectionsystems being devised to keep lethal bugs likeRPGs at bay. Manymethods are described in thiscompendium, one of them being the Leds systemseen on our cover and devised by Saab.

AABBCC


Documents

Compendium - Armada International