Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> (11/20/90)
From: Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> Regarding the question about Chobham armor (armour?): 1. It was developed at Chobham, England; 2. Its exact makeup is classified. Nonethess, there has been some speculation in the press. A book I referred to earlier- "King of the Killing Ground"- described the manufacture of this armor: Boxes of armor plate were welded up, with one end open, and taken into a special section of the factory with high secutiry. A while later they would exit, welded up. The author speculated (based on some information) that the secret consisted of an arrangement of armor inside the box at various angles found to be optimum for defelecting HEAT rounds and penetrator-type rounds as well. I have also read in other popular press sources that Chobham armor incorporates ceramic elements laminated with metallic armor. As to reactive armor- I was told that reactive armor is effective not only against HEAT, but also against penetrating rounds that do not strike perfectly surface-normal. Can anyone confirm this? I have also read about HEAT rounds with a two-stage warhead designed to expend the reactive armor before the main charge blows, and two stage reactive armor designed to defeat two-stage HEAT rounds. I don't know if any of this is actually a part of US or Soviet armament right now. --mike edelman cms.cc.wayne.edu [mod.note: I heard a lecture from a member of Battelle's staff who works in their anti-armor group. He confirmed that reactive armor can be effective against kinetic penetrators; the mechanism, apparently, is that the explosive blast perturbs the penetrator at the moment of impact, introducing enough pitch or yaw to, basically, bend or snap the long rod. He also stated that there is no melting or burning phenomenon that contributes to penetration, but the heat generated is enough to cause localized melting (evinced by the formation of iron-uranium eutectic) as a side effect. Finally, he confirmed that the copper slug formed by the detonation of a heat round is *not* molten, though the extreme deformation rate makes it behave much like a fluid. - Bill ]
megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23) (11/22/90)
From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23) In article <1990Nov20.015035.23678@cbnews.att.com> MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Michael Edelman) writes: >HEAT rounds with a two-stage warhead designed to expend the reactive armor >before the main charge blows, and two stage reactive armor designed to >defeat two-stage HEAT rounds. I don't know if any of this is actually a I read that the Tow2 and possibly some I-TOW1s are fitted with the double charge. The first is set off when the probe contacts the armor. This sets off the armor prematurely and it is very dissapated when the penetrating charge goes off. Does anyone have any information on reactive armors effects against the hypervelocity kinetic kill rockets? ############################################################################### # "Calling Garland operator 7G," EVE Email megazone@wpi.wpi.edu # # MEGAZONE, aka DAYTONA, aka BRIAN BIKOWICZ Bitnet Use a gateway. Sorry. # ###############################################################################
jtchew@csa1.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW) (11/29/90)
From: jtchew@csa1.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW) A 1989 issue (Number 17) of "Los Alamos Science" contains a couple of interesting articles about the materials science behind advanced armors and the corresponding anti-armor warheads. It's a bit techie, albeit in a well-written fashion; any science or engine- ering major should be able to figure it out, but skip it if discussions of Young's modulus make your toenails curl. Also, it's not really oriented very much towards discussions of specific weapons. And no, they don't come right out and tell you what's in Chobham armor. Back issues, if any are left, may be requested from Los Alamos Science, Los Alamos National Laboratory, M708, Los Alamos, NM 87545. Some university libraries may have it as well. --Joe "Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"