After learning the lessons of combat use, equipment, whether wheeled or tracked, equipped with modern-level protection, is in great demand. In particular, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan showed that critical situations could often be resolved only with the use of heavy combat vehicles.
Since a terrorist threat can come from any direction, vehicles must have strong all-round defenses.
Below are examples that outline in general terms how modern defense concepts for combat vehicles have been implemented in military operations in urban areas.
Passive protection
The passive rebound protection is the basic design in any machine protection concept. Due to the variety of threats, the requirement for protection against multiple exposures, procurement costs, the possibility of combining with other types, the low degree of spillover effects, as well as the possibility of increasing the level of protection during operation, this type will remain the main one when choosing a concept. The protection designer should be allowed to contribute to the vehicle concept, starting from the start of the armored vehicle development process to meet the weight and internal volume requirements while ensuring a low cost and user-friendly logistics system (refueling, recharging, maintenance, etc.) repair work in the field).
A successful example is the IVECO LMV (Multipurpose Light Vehicle), of which more than 2,500 units were produced in just two years of serial production, and which is currently in operation in nine countries around the world as an all-wheel drive command and multi-purpose vehicle. As a protection designer, IBD Deisenroth Engineering has been involved in the design of the LMV from the very beginning. As a result, and in addition to reducing the weight of the machine, the ceramic composite protection elements embedded in the roll cage affect the overall rigidity of the structure. The defense's ability to withstand multiple ballistic hits, especially at joints and technical weaknesses, has been tested against various types of threats. Combined with the adaptable mine protection in accordance with STANAG 4569, the integrated armor system has also proven to be extremely effective against large anti-tank mines that detonate under the wheels as well as under the floor without tipping the vehicle. Due to the complex modular concept of passive protection, which also provides a significant reduction in signature, the armored vehicle does not visually differ from the unprotected vehicle.
The Renault VAB armored vehicles, of which more than 2,200 have already been delivered, and which have certainly proven themselves well in use by the French armed forces, are another example of a modern flexible protection system for wheeled vehicles. In this context, we can also mention the FUCHS (6x6) and BOXER (8x8) of the German armed forces, as well as the M1117 GUARDIAN of the US Army, which can be found in the places of all military operations and which are considered among the safest vehicles.
An armored solution that can be packed in transport containers transported by helicopter and which provides protection against ballistic threats and mines was developed for the cabins of drivers of transport and engineering vehicles. If necessary, armor segments can be measured by soldiers without a special tool, without the involvement of third-party contractors. The ability to dismantle additional armor elements from the cab reduces operating and transport costs, providing high mobility when required.
After the first disappointment with the deployment of light vehicles in crisis areas, the view that heavy tanks were needed at all stages of operations prevailed in many Armed Forces. This is due to their high level of protection, weapons and the ability to use as a battering ram.
After heavy losses in Afghanistan, the Canadian armed forces in early 2002 remembered the few LEOPARD 1 C2 tanks they had left, developed by IBD in 1995/96 and still not used anywhere because of their weight. It soon turned out that this was the only defense effective against both RPG-7s and improvised explosive devices. In a short time, these tanks were deployed in Afghanistan. Their deployment was successful.
Based on this concept, IBD developed a kit for increasing the ballistic protection of the LEOPARD 2 A4 tank, which is effective against both RPG-27 and RPG-30, and against heavy mines, as well as against attacks into the upper hemisphere by all currently known means used currently in urban operations, including cumulative grenades (RKG-3).
The EVOLUTION tank, weighing less than 62 tons, quickly found a customer. The impressive silhouette, high mobility, relatively low weight for such a high level of protection and the logistics concept are the advantages of this model over other known solutions, which demonstrate significantly higher combat weight.
Currently, homogeneous passive armor will remain the only universal solution for all types of threats. Among these threats, in particular, explosive belts and mines hidden in vehicles, the so-called car bombs. Another protective measure at the moment can only be applied armor. Thus, the trade-off between mobility and weight will remain on the agenda when considering the development of the concept of protection.
Lattice or plate armor should also be mentioned in the context of the passive protection concept. In the United States, it was specially designed and adapted to protect against RPL attacks on wheeled and tracked vehicles deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The effectiveness of these shielding elements, which also reduce the vehicle's mobility, can only be determined statistically, since it largely depends on the point at which the projectile hits the armor. Further, depending on the type of armor strips, the level of protection is increased by 50 - 75%. For example, circular plate armor is installed on the American STRYKER 8x8 combat vehicle. This type of armor can only be considered as a temporary solution for passive protection and, moreover, only against the RPG-7 family.
The SidePRO-RPG additional protection system, manufactured by the Swiss company RUAG Land System, is designed to protect maintenance vehicles, as well as infantry fighting vehicles from the RPG-7. Protection modules can be installed directly on the vehicle or over existing overhead armor. Easy module assembly, low weight and profiled design are key features that provide increased protection without compromising vehicle mobility. The aim of this development was to provide a higher degree of protection while maintaining ease of use without increasing vehicle weight. Just like the SidePRO-LASSO, this is a passive system, it neutralizes the effects of shaped charges of various types of RPG-7. SidePRO-RPG works as follows. The shaped charge penetrates the first of the three protective layers, and then is neutralized by the second layer, on which the projectile is burned without an explosion by means of a short circuit. The last layer of protection distributes the pressure that occurs upon impact and reduces the force of impact on the armor. SidePRO-LASSO (Light Armor System against Shaped Ordnance - Light Armor System against Shaped Ordnance) by RUAG Land System is an adaptive and highly effective protection system against a wide range of RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launchers and their derivatives. Thanks to its simple and intelligent design, the SidePRO-LASSO is lightweight and reliable. It has been tested and verified in dynamic firing tests. In September 2008, the Danish army signed a contract with RUAG to install protection on their M-113 armored personnel carriers stationed in Afghanistan, SidePRO-LASSO protection.
Reactive protection
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began equipping light and heavy combat vehicles with reactive armor in the mid-1980s due to heavy tank losses in the Yom Kippur War. The dynamic armor boxes are mounted on the vehicle, providing a high level of protection against single cumulative warheads. A cumulative projectile, exploding at an element with a multilayer structure of steel and explosive sheets, affects it, creating a large number of fragments. Until a triggered element is replaced, the window protected by it remains open to defeat. Due to the large damaging effect on the nearby infantry, as well as on light vehicles or nearby civilians, the Western armed forces did not use reactive armor for a long time, although the Soviet Army began to equip their tanks with reactive armor since 1983. At the same time, NATO did not have an effective system for combating Soviet missiles. Only the high level of losses of the American and British armies in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to a partial modernization of combat vehicles with the installation of reactive overhead armor.
Even if German CLARA reactive armor technology can reduce shrapnel damage during deployment, the problem of being unable to defend against multiple hits remains. Another disadvantage of this type of protection is the possibility of triggering neighboring cells, which can lead to complete triggering of the protection and equipment failure. Due to the lack of multiple triggering capabilities, the CLARA also cannot withstand threats such as the RPG-30, which summons reactive armor with a small-caliber decoy and then penetrates passive armor with its main warhead. Thus, reactive armor cannot currently be considered a modern protection technology.
Active protection
Research in the field of sensors for active protection systems in the West began almost at the same time as in the Soviet Union. Active protection systems - also only in the form of additional protection - are triggered before the threat begins to directly affect the machine. This eliminates shock, noise, mechanical impact on the ecage and sensitive equipment. This increases not only survivability, but also the stability of work.
Active defense systems that are triggered within seconds, such as the soft-kill MUSS system, are not used in combat as they are currently being evaluated by NATO and the EU. Systems that respond in milliseconds are suitable for threats traveling at speeds up to 350 m / s. Only systems capable of detonating in microseconds are capable of hitting projectiles moving at a speed of more than 1800 m / s.
While Russian systems such as DROZD 2 and ARENA were integrated into Russian tanks many years ago, serial production of the Israeli system developed by Rafael, TROPHY for heavy combat vehicles is just beginning. All other active protection systems can be ready for serial production within one to three years. So far, they are going through the stage of testing a prototype.
The response speed of more than 20 currently known systems is at the level of 200-400ms. Consequently, the distances at which the projectiles are hit, depending on the speed of their approach, lie within a sphere from 30 to 200 meters in radius. These active defense systems are ineffective when used in urban environments against RPG-7s (launched from distances of less than 30 m), since they do not have enough time to react. The possibility that sensors will be detected by enemy reconnaissance systems is very high due to the integrated active radar systems. Once the threat is detected, it is countered by a mechanical directional explosion or fragmentation grenades, intercepting at a distance of 10-30m. The average collateral damage from the explosion of grenades and the high damage from frag grenades also need to be taken into account. In addition, triggering can significantly affect tactical mobility due to damage to wheels or tracks. And the decrease in mobility makes the car an easy target, that is, it reduces the level of protection.
In Germany, the LEOPARD 2 A4 was used as a chassis for testing the AWiSS system; in Israel, the TROPHY and Iron Fist systems were tested on the MERKAVA tank. Israel has also experimented with installing the Iron Fist system on a WILDCAT wheeled armored vehicle.
Currently, there is only one active protection system that works in the microsecond range and which, like mounted armor, can withstand all threats known today. The AMAP-ADS active protection system, developed by IBD Deisenroth Engineering, can be integrated on both light and heavy armored vehicles due to its relatively low weight (for light vehicles - about 150 kg, for heavy vehicles - about 500 kg). Several, intensive tests at home and abroad, and the results obtained so far, give hope that the system will be ready for serial production at the end of 2010.
AMAP-ADS consists of a two-stage sensor system in which the warning sensor scans its specific sector for the presence of any approaching objects up to about 10 m and, if detected, transmits data to a second sensor. The sensor system, which is responsible for countering the threat, tracks, measures and determines the type of projectile. All data is transmitted to a central computer via a highly robust system data bus. The central computer activates the countermeasure system, which ejects a directed charge with high density in the direction of the zone covering the interaction point. The required electrical energy is so small that it does not overload the power circuits of the machine. This completely destroys the shape of shaped charges and partially destroys other threats, such as kinetic armor-piercing projectiles, projectiles with a shock core, and also deflects fragments. The rest of the damaging factors are absorbed by the main armor. AMAP-ADS requires 560 microseconds (that is, only 0.56 ms) for the entire protection procedure, from identifying and completely eliminating the threat. The configuration of countermeasures depends on the machine to be protected, as well as the requirements of the user or purchaser, and can be extended to cover the entire hemisphere. Individual operational sensors and energy modules used in a combat vehicle often overlap each other, thereby providing greater opportunities for multiple triggering and, therefore, increased safety. Due to the lack of fragments produced by the AMAP-ADS system itself during the fight against the threat, collateral damage will only occur from the destroyed projectile, the energy of which, however, is directed to the machine and will cause only minor damage from the ricochet.
Today, signals of attacks on vehicles are immediately transmitted by radio, and neither the type of threat nor the sector from which the threat was launched can be immediately determined. In the case of an active protection system, the on-board computer generates and records a protocol that can be analyzed. Then the system can transmit the time, the type of ammunition, the launch sector and the location of the vehicle (if equipped with GPS). Information can be transferred without delay to other vehicles, weapons or operations center via the web interface. This allows you to immediately hit the dangerous area and begin pursuit.
Similar systems were tested for compatibility, as well as functionality and customizability for various types of threats on IVECO LMV vehicles (called CARACAL in Germany), MARDER BMP (both statically and dynamically), FUCHS 6x6 APC armored personnel carriers, LEOPARD 1 and 2 tanks, armored personnel carriers M-113, French VAB, and others.
Conclusion
In the long term, passive armor, as a basic type of defense against all types of threats, will continue to be indispensable. Its operating weight will be reduced through the use of progressive materials and intelligent positioning and distribution. At the same time, the possibility of replacing armored modules or armored parts, installing additional protection should be provided already at the stage of developing the design of the machine.
Shahid belts, mines and explosive charges are difficult to detect and quickly eliminate in urban operations.
The main emphasis should be placed on reducing the signature of vehicles, since the quality of enemy reconnaissance will be constantly improved.
Reactive and active protection systems will continue to be additional means. Reactive defense systems still have limited potential as they are only effective against certain threats. In the future, active protection systems will develop intensively, since they have great potential. The development and operation of these new protection measures is now only at an early stage. Since the distances in urban operations are within 5-50m, only systems with the shortest response time and with special capabilities are able to protect the vehicle in such conditions.
Collateral damage arising during countering the threat must be eliminated so as not to endanger friendly forces or give the enemy a reason for propaganda in the event of the death of civilians.
The radius of protection must be large enough, since neither the type of threat nor its direction can be assessed and determined in the event of a simultaneous unexpected attack from different directions. Thus, sensors and actuators must be located around the entire perimeter of the combat vehicle, and must also be able to work with overlap and autonomously.
Defense systems that are unable to withstand multiple attacks are ineffective in urban environments, as they do not provide protection against the most advanced weapon systems such as the RPG-30. If the armor is ineffective, the soldier will lose confidence in it after the first attack and will be demoralized. This reduces stability. It should be the other way around - the aggressor should be surprised and demoralized by the effectiveness of the fight against his attack.
The effectiveness of remedies can be improved if, at an early stage, a trusting relationship is established between the general contractor and the developer, usually a small or medium-sized business.
Despite all the ingenuity and the pooling of efforts, there will never be a perfect defense, since the projectile and armor are constantly being improved in the process of confrontation. Good training can make a significant contribution to achieving optimal protection.
