Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “How Tank Armor Really Works” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/how-tank-armor-works/.
Why Thicker Steel Stopped Saving Tanks
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Not a bad article on armor basics. The author covers AP and HEAT rounds. I would have added the third kind - HESH or high explosive squash head. This round fills the gap between the first two and relies on the spalling effect. The shockwave of the now deformed but very much larger head of the round has a base charge that now triggers a massive energy transfer through the non-punctured armor and causes large flake off or inside armor detachment - fragging the crew inside. Either way it's curtains if any of the three listed above effectively defeat your armor.
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Talyn
Emissary
Decent article, but some clarification is needed.
The author claims the Leopard 1 (Leo 1) hull is "paper-thin". In fact, the front hull glacis (frontal hull plate) is 2.75" angled at 30 deg. giving a penetration distance of 5.5 inches. That being said the Leo 1's hull typically didn't have add-on composite/hard armor during Cold War use, aside from that applied to the turret.
Also, all tanks have varied hull thicknesses top, bottom, side to side vs. just the front.
Note: The author covers the bases of composite and add-on other armor well. And the primary Leo1 turrets had add-on armor on the turret.
In comparison the M1A2 Abrams hull thickness is only 1.5" of steel, BUT the difference is the overall Abrams hull body uses an integrated armor system. From the outside the Abrams looks to have a smooth & angled overall hull, but it has an interior hull and exterior armor hull. While it's common to see add-on armor that is bolted on to the exterior of a tank hull/turret the Abrams looks like it's one piece.
With the physical thickness of the M1A2 Abrams upper front hull plate (glacis) being approximately 1.5 inches (38 mm) of steel plate, while the overall composite armor array (line-of-sight thickness) across the front hull measures roughly 23.6 to 27.6 inches (600 mm to 700 mm) total, depending on the specific model and inclusion of depleted uranium (DU) enhancement packages.
And the Leo1 tanks have been up-armored on the exterior the hull and turret area with factory and Official add-on armor in various types.
defenceredefined.com.cy
The Canadians (Leopard C2 MEXAS) = Modular Expandable Armor System) (retired tanks);
and Ukrainians...
www.armyrecognition.com
to increase survivability.
www.uasvision.com
And the US and other users of the Abrams, and other major MBTs have been adding both exterior hard, ERA and active APS armor for more protection.
so the phrase "paper-thin" is relative.
My .02
The author claims the Leopard 1 (Leo 1) hull is "paper-thin". In fact, the front hull glacis (frontal hull plate) is 2.75" angled at 30 deg. giving a penetration distance of 5.5 inches. That being said the Leo 1's hull typically didn't have add-on composite/hard armor during Cold War use, aside from that applied to the turret.
Also, all tanks have varied hull thicknesses top, bottom, side to side vs. just the front.
Note: The author covers the bases of composite and add-on other armor well. And the primary Leo1 turrets had add-on armor on the turret.
In comparison the M1A2 Abrams hull thickness is only 1.5" of steel, BUT the difference is the overall Abrams hull body uses an integrated armor system. From the outside the Abrams looks to have a smooth & angled overall hull, but it has an interior hull and exterior armor hull. While it's common to see add-on armor that is bolted on to the exterior of a tank hull/turret the Abrams looks like it's one piece.
With the physical thickness of the M1A2 Abrams upper front hull plate (glacis) being approximately 1.5 inches (38 mm) of steel plate, while the overall composite armor array (line-of-sight thickness) across the front hull measures roughly 23.6 to 27.6 inches (600 mm to 700 mm) total, depending on the specific model and inclusion of depleted uranium (DU) enhancement packages.
And the Leo1 tanks have been up-armored on the exterior the hull and turret area with factory and Official add-on armor in various types.
EODH | A comprehensive upgrade package for the LEOPARD 1A5 - Photos | DEFENCE ReDEFiNED | News on Defence, Security and International Relations
Greek company EODH, in collaboration with the Belgian-Spanish DUMA and KNDS, manufacturer of the Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tank, presented...
defenceredefined.com.cy
- Polycarbonate (Lexan) Panels: Historically, the Leopard 1A5 could be fitted with bolt-on polycarbonate (Lexan) armor panels to increase general ballistic and fragment effectiveness.
- Blohm und Voss / Applique Kits: Earlier Leopard 1 series upgrades utilized modular passive steel/composite applique kits (such as the welded-on or bolted-on spaced steel plates seen on variants like the Leopard 1A1A1).
- Modular Front Hull Panels: Certain variants like the Leopard 1A5DK feature easily replaceable add-on modular armor blocks mounted to the front of the hull.
The Canadians (Leopard C2 MEXAS) = Modular Expandable Armor System) (retired tanks);
and Ukrainians...
Reactive Armor on Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 Tanks: A Proven Technology Still Effective in Ukraine
Reactive Armor on Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 Tanks: A Proven Technology Still Effective in Ukraine
www.armyrecognition.com
to increase survivability.
Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 Tank with Add-On Armour Survives Eight Russian FPV Drone Atttacks - UAS VISION
An ex-Danish Leopard 1A5 tank belonging to a Ukrainian army brigade survived at least eight hits by Russian first-person-view drones before potentially three
www.uasvision.com
And the US and other users of the Abrams, and other major MBTs have been adding both exterior hard, ERA and active APS armor for more protection.
so the phrase "paper-thin" is relative.
My .02
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All in all today's tanks are better armored and quicker than of old. That being said we have large ATs fired from helicopters with very big warheads, and similar or same fired from AFVs. Lethal ranges have been increased. Also troop carried atw are better than decades ago. Mortars and other flighted adversary platforms can use SFF warheads that attack from above. These travel at great speed upon detonation and self forge into a deadly knife like weapon. One more thing, Artillery retains a few very large AP round jic a tank shows up. Good luck stopping a 152/155 or 203 mm ap round with that fancy reflective armor. Also is the very much larger fixed wing armaments used (such as the Maverick and other similar) that can end your tanking experience. So today you hide your tanks until needed rather than WWII/early cold war driving them about in an open field. There are a few tankers here on the TAL and they may wish to comment at length on the new tactics.