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Defeat by High Strength Targets

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Terminal Ballistics

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Abstract

The protective capability of a structure against a given threat can be evaluated by several measures. One of them is the ballistic limit velocity (Vbl) of the specific armor/threat combination. Obviously, the aim of the armor designer is to increase the value of Vbl without increasing the weight of the structure. The relevant measure of the armor weight is its areal density (AD), given in units of kg/m2, which is simply the density of the protective structure multiplied by its thickness. The ballistic efficiency of a given structure is defined by its areal density, as compared with that of a reference target, which is needed to defeat a given threat. Frank (1981) suggested several measures for the ballistic efficiency of improved structures, through their mass (Em) and space (Es) efficiency, according to:

$$ {E_m} = \frac{{{{\left( {AD} \right)}_r}}}{{{{\left( {AD} \right)}_s}}} $$
$$ {E_s} = \frac{{{P_r}}}{{{P_s}}} $$

where the indices (r) and (s) denote the reference target and the improved structure, respectively, and P is the minimal thickness of the target which is needed to defeat the threat. It is clear that the ballistic efficiency should be higher than 1.0 and the task of the armor designer is to increase these efficiencies to higher values. As mentioned above, one of the more practical ways to defeat a given threat is by adding a relatively lightweight structure in front of the protected object, as shown in Fig. 6.1. This add-on armor structure can significantly reduce the penetration capability of a given threat through an effective defeat mechanism, as will be demonstrated in this part of the book.

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  1. Ballistics Center, RAFAEL, Haifa, Israel

    Zvi Rosenberg & Erez Dekel

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Rosenberg, Z., Dekel, E. (2012). Defeat by High Strength Targets. In: Terminal Ballistics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25305-8_6

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