Chobham armor, reactive armor, cage armor, and boilers: These terms are relevant in modern armored vehicle conflicts.
Mention of boilers ties back to the manufacturing history of early tanks in WWI.
The Birth of the Tank
World War I: Introduction of tanks by the British, named as such to mislead enemies and were made in boiler factories.
Early construction: Riveted/bolted steel sheets, vertical thin steel – effective against small arms but not heavy artillery.
Advancements During and Post-World War II
WWII Developments: Significant changes in armor design, thicker and better-sloped armor replaced riveted plates.
German tanks: Featured thick (Tiger I and II) and sloped armor (Panther, T-34, IS-I/II).
American/British tanks: Matilda II (thick armor), M-3 Grant, M-4 Shermans (weaker armor against high-velocity German guns).
Cold War Era: Composite Armor and Beyond
Soviet Advancements: T-54/T-55 tanks with composite armor (steel & non-metallic layers), sloped armor, but with height priority for a lower profile.
Western Developments: British Chobham armor (ceramic, steel mix), US M1 Abrams (composite with depleted uranium).
Reactive Armor: ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) developed by Soviets, Soviet tanks (Kontakt-1 and Kontakt-5) featured it to counter Western anti-tank munitions.
The Evolution of Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)
Kontakt-1 and Kontakt-5: ERA systems on Soviet tanks improved protection, empregnated explosive blocks on the exterior.
Advanced ERAs: Relikt system (developed for modernized tanks like T-72B, T-90, introduced better explosive composition & dynamic protection).
Impact on Tank Warfare: ERA systems reduce penetration by ATGMs, kinetic energy rounds, and enhanced survivability of tanks.
The King of Armor: M1 Abrams
Development and Gulf War: Composite, RHA, and DU inserts; showcased superior protection during the Gulf War.
Urban Warfare Adaptations: TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit) systems with additional armor and reactive armor upgrades.
Modern Upgrades: Abrams Reactive Armor Tile (ARAT), similar to the Russian Relikt but applied differently.
Modern Armor Systems and Innovation
Israeli TROPHY system: Detects and neutralizes threats with active response explosives.
Cage Armor in Ukraine Conflict: Ineffective against top-down attacks (e.g., Javelin ATGMs).
Russian Cope Cages: Attempt to counter top-down attacks with mixed effectiveness.
Protection Against Drones: Various methods attempted by both Russia and Ukraine with limited success.
Active Protection Systems (APS)
Active Protection Systems: Intercepts threats before impact.
Russian APS: Drozd, Arena, and Afganit on T-14 Armata tanks.