Armoured Vehicle Protection

32 Pages·2013·3.11 MB·English

Cover Compendium Armoured vehicle1.qxp:Armada 3/29/13 12:59 PM Page 3
Compendium
by
Armoured
Vehicle Protection
2013
INTERNATIONAL:
Thetrustedsourcefordefencetechnologyinformationsince1976
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Vehicle Survivability,
A Holistic Problem
Thesurvivabilityofavehicleisnotthesumofthevariousprotectionsystemsavailable,
but morethesmartintegrationofallthosecomponentstousethequintessence
oftheircharacteristics,asillustratedinthisBAEgraph.Whilethe“survivabilityonion”
conceptremainsvalidintermsofsequenceifseenfromtheattacker’sstandpoint,
see–acquire–hit–penetrate–kill,lookingatsurvivabilityfromthedefender’s
standpointbringsinotherelementsthatarenotnecessarilylinkedtothevehicle,suchas
intelligenceandtraining,whilemanyothersmayimpactsurvivabilityindifferentways.
PaoloValpolini termsofmobilityandprotection,butmostof hardware,fromevolvedcamouflagesystemsto
allintermsofdigitisation,allowingtoeasily rubbertracks,butalsotraining,sincespecific
addnewsensorsandsystemstoimprovecrew tacticscanhelpinavoidingdetection.Ifone
Agoodcasestudyforanintegrated situationalawareness.BAESystemsaimsat isseen,soft-killsystemsarekeytoevadethe
survivabilityapproachisthatofthe providingthecrewwiththetoolsneededto threat.Hardkillactivedefencesystemscan
CV-90developedbyBAESystems. see first, understand what happens, and intercepttheapproachingroundatadistance.
Comparedtotheoriginalvehicle possiblyinferwhatwillhappen.Stealthinessis Thencomesthearmourinitsvariousforms,
thecurrentCV-90Mk3isentirelynewin another key factor, and includes not only reactiveorpassivethelatterbeingnormally
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Thisclose-upoftheCV90displayedat
DSEiin2011revealstheshapeofthe
thermo-variabletilesthatcomposethe
Adaptivecamouflage.(Armada/EricH.Biass)
thecurrentchoiceforavoidingperforation.
Reducing the perforation effect is the
responsibility not only of liners and fire
suppression systems, but also of an
appropriatedesignthatallowstodecouple
dangerousmaterielfromthecrew.
Dealingwiththewholesetofsystems
andconceptsinvolvedinvehicleprotection LiquidCrystalDisplay(LCD)areamongthe MobileCamouflageSystem(MCS),intended
and survivability would exceed the most promising technologies. A recent primarilyforprotectionduringmovement
boundariesofaCompendium.Hencewe exampleofa“camouflaged”vehiclewasseen andincombat.TheMCScanbeappliedina
shalltrytodepictthecurrentstateoftheart when a car manufacturer launched an number of configurations and provides
in some of those fields, such as evolved advertisement in which its car was made stealthcapabilityinthevisual,near-infrared,
camouflage,softandhardkillandpassive “invisible”thankstotheuseofseveralmatsof thermal infrared and broadband radar
armour, knowing perfectly that when light-emitting diodes on the driver’s side, wavebands.Itconsistsofinterlockedpanels,
approached on the subject of protection whileontheoppositesideavideocamerawas attachedusingavarietyoftechniques,noneof
mostcompaniesarenotthattalkative.Other usedtopickthebackgroundtobemimicked whichrequiremodificationtothevehicles.
systems,suchas360°situationalawareness by the diodes. Defence companies are SaabBarracudais,however,alreadylookingat
sensors, have already been discussed in working on similar solutions, with the thefutureandwith20percentofitsturnover
recent articles while others, such as addition of the considerable challenge of devotedtoR&D,alotofworkgoes intothe
transparentarmour,willbethesubjectof providinganall-spectrumcamouflage,not field of new materials, new solutions in
forthcomingarticles. onlyinthevisualone. chemistry, and nanotechnologies. The
How much adaptive systems will companythinksthatinthemid-termnew
I CAMOUFLAGEANDDISGUISING completelytakeoverfromcurrentsystemsis systems will emerge allowing real-term
Thebestwayofavoidingdetectionistomerge opentodiscussion.Accordingtoofficials adaptablecamouflagesystemsbothinthe
thevehiclewithitsbackground,inallspectra. from Saab Barracuda, one of the leading visualandinthethermalfields.
Passivesystems,suchascamouflagepainting, companiesincamouflage,manysituations Intermat of Greece, known for its
camouflagenets,infraredpaintingandradar can still be covered with current “static” Chameleon camouflage painting, has
absorbing coatings work to some extent. systems:thermalorinfraredcanbehandled recentlyintroducedaself-adhesivevisual
However,withtheincreaseintechnologyon bysystemsin90percentofthecases,the andinfraredcamouflagesystemknownas
thebattlefieldacomprehensiveapproachto remaining10percentbeingdefinitelybetter ChameleonSkin.Anewcamouflagelayer
camouflagehastobetaken.Inthevisualfield, treatedwithactivesystems.CurrentlySaab canberapidlyinstalledbynon-specialised
PolymerLight-EmittingDiodes(PLED)and Barracuda’stopproductforvehiclesisthe personnelatthelowestechelonallowingto
quickly adapt the vehicle pattern to the
landscape.
Somecompanieshavealreadystartedto
revealsomenewproducts.In2006,United
States-based BAE Systems Land &
Armamentsrequestedapatentforanall-
spectrum camouflage system based on a
series of reflective layers controlled by
applyingdifferentvoltages.Whathappened
tothatprogrammeandhowmuchitmight
haveimpactedotherprogrammeswithin
thecompanyisunclear,butBAESystemsis
definitely involved in active visual
Adaptivecamouflagesystemsarestillfar
frombeingapracticalreality,butinthe
meantimeSaabBarracudaofferstheMobile
CamouflageSystem,whichaccordingtothe
Swedishcompanycoversmostcurrentneeds
intheinfraredspectrum.(SaabBarracuda)
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camouflage, and has recently confirmed TheseinfraredpicturesshowtheAdaptivenonactivated(left),inoperationtoblendintoits
thatamultispectralcamouflagesystemwill backdrop(centre)and,supremerefinement,inoperationtomimicanordinarysalooncar.(BAE)
beavailable“insomeyears”.
Where work appears to be most optimisethemergingofthevehiclethermal whollydifferenttypeoftarget.Accordingto
advanced, however, is in the field of signatureintothatofitsown background. BAESystemstheIRAdaptivealsoembodies
infrared. At DSEI 2011 the company Thetilesareroughly150mmacross.Some goodradarabsorbingfeatures.
unveiled the Adaptive, a fifty-fifty 450arethusrequiredtocoverthesideofa Anothercompanyactiveininfraredactive
investment between industry and the CV90.Thetimeneededtovarythetiles’ camouflageisElticsofIsrael.ItsBlackFox
Swedishmilitary:hexagonaltilesbasedon temperatureaffordsa“camouflageonthe multi-spectral stealth technology is now
asemi-conductorthatactsasaheatpump move” capability of up to 30 km/h. matureandthecompanywasgrantedtwo
are each linked to a computer that also Dimensionsareoptimisedforobtainingan patents,whilesomemoreareontheway.The
receives the data from a thermal sensor IRstealtheffectfrom500metershence.To Black Fox sensor suite is based on two
lookingatthebackground(inotherwords disrupt the opponent’s intelligence cycle cameraswhichscanthesurroundingson360°
180° away from the face of the tiles), Adaptivecanalsobeusedasadeception providing the thermal scenario to the
enablingadaptingeachtiletemperatureto system,asitallowstoshowanIRshapeofa computerwhichinturnprovidesthecorrect
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orderstotherigidpanelsinstalledonthe
vehicleinordertomergeitssignaturewith
thebackground.Eachpanelactsasapixel
canvas surface, temperature being set for Thisstillfromahighvelocityfilm(hence
thepoorquality)showingaPanzerfaust3
defeatingthermalimagersworkingbothin
warheadbeinginterceptedbytheeffector
long- (8-12 µm) and mid-wave (3-5 µm)
launchedbyaDiehlDefenceAVePSactive
infrared. Eltics underlines how much
protectionsystem.(DiehlDefence)
mimickingothervehicles,inordertodeny
intelligence to the enemy and confuse its
intelligence process, might be even more
importantintermsofoverallsurvivability,the
companyhavingdevelopedanetworkcentric
stealthanddeceptionsystemthatallowsthe
HQtocontrolandmonitorthecamouflage
patternoffriendlyvehiclesonthebattlefieldto
optimisethedeceptioneffect.
Elticsalsodevelopedatechnologythat
allows one to obtain the same effect of
stealth panels on transparents to ensure
viewfrominside–somethingquiteuseful
forwheeledarmouredvehicleswithlarge
Actively Keeping
armouredglasssurfaces.Thecompanyis
notveryforthcomingaboutitsprogrammes
as it is in the process of moving from Threat at Bay
laboratory stage to marketing. Several
possibilities are envisaged, such as
establishing a partnership with a major
Killingtheroundbeforeithitsthevehicleisstillthebest
internationalcompanywithproductionand
marketing capabilities, or by selling the wayofprotectingacrew.Thecontroloverthenewest
technologytoamajorcompany. versionsofthemostlethalantitankweaponshasgone
Noiseisanotherimportantissue,sound
astrayduetomanyrecenteventsinNorthAfricaandthe
signature being able to give away the
presenceofavehiclethatmanagedtoescape MiddleEast.KornetAT-14missileswereusedinLibyaand
all other sensors. Engine noise can be arebeingsuppliedtoSyrianrebels.ThelatterlootedSyrian
limitedbutnotwhollysuppressed,while
ArmydepotscapturingquantitiesofRPG-7s,RPG-29s
wheeledvehiclesareinherentlylessnoisy
than their tracked counterparts. For the andKornets,andthenumberofMBTsandIFVsofRussian
latter,rubbertracksarebeingdeveloped,
origindestroyeddailyinthatwarisconsiderable.
Soucy of Canada being the leading
company,providingasitdoesCV90swith
suchasolution.Norwaywasoneofthefirst
countriestoexploretherubberbandoption, Thefactthatthosewillsoonerorlater vehicles. A formal evaluation of active
initiallywithM113sandthenwithCV90s. be used against western nations’ protection systems by the US Army is
Rubber tracks are being developed with vehiclesengagedinsomeoperationsis awaitedfor2013,theGermanBundeswehr
increasing gross weight allowances: 28 onlyamatteroftime.Passivesolutions alsoawaitingtotakeadecision,aswellas
tonnesCV90sarefieldedinAfghanistan havebeenadoptedtocounterthethreatand many other forces. This year might thus
andtrialsareunderwayat35tonnes.Not onlyIsraelusesanactiveprotectionsystem markadefinitestepforward.
only do they reduce noise signatures onitsMerkavas,aswesternarmiesawaitto The Raytheon Quick Kill, the
(currentlyby10dB),buttheyalsocutdown havefullcertaintythatsuchsystemsdonot development of which was part of the
vibrations by 65 per cent, and thereby causeanycollateraldamageeveninthemost FutureCombatSystemsprogramme,isthe
increase crew endurance and subsystem remote opportunity. The feeling is that only one to employ vertically mounted
lives. They also play a major role in the nations’ legal systems tend to be more effector launchers. It is based on a
effectivenessofseismicsensors. cautious about collaterals than about the multifunctionelectronicallyscannedradar
Althoughitwillbeimpossibletomakea protectionoftheirowntroops. array installed over the vehicle ensuring
vehiclecompletelyinvisible,reducingthe Afewyearsagoactiveprotectionsystems, detection and tracking of the incoming
distanceatwhichtheenemywilltrackitwill orAPSs,wereintheirinfancy,butnowadays missile.Thecomputerestablishesthespeed,
reduce the opponent’s reaction time and some of them have been optimised and trajectoryandinterceptpointandcuesthe
hence increase chances to engage him reachedsufficientmaturitytoallowtheir effector.Thisisejectedusingasoft-launch
beforeheevennoticedthethreat. integrationoncurrentandfuturearmoured methodthatallowsitsinstallationonlight
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vehicles. The 480 mm long effector then
pitches over and accelerates towards the
point of impact against which it fires its
warhead that generates a focused blast
destroyingtheincomingmissileinmid-air.
Theverticallaunchsystemprovidesa360°
coverageandensuresmultiplehitcapability
becauselaunchersarenotassignedaspecific
sector. The Quick Kill demonstrated its
multi-threat capability by defeating
simultaneously two incoming missiles,
multi-trackingandmulti-engagementbeing
partofthecoresystem.Thelatesttesting
campaignwasconductedinDecember2012
and involved an extended set of threats,
including one of the most lethal RPGs
whichwasdestroyedinmid-flight.
Withtheacquisitionof51%ofVirginia-
basedArtis,PlasanSasanotonlyincreased
itsfootprintinAmerica,butalsoenteredthe
activeprotectionsystembusiness.Artisis ApictorialoftheCrosshair–IronCurtainsystemthatputstogetheranactivedefencesystem
theleadingcompanyinthedevelopmentof andanacousticlocationsystem,developedundertheauspicesof theDarpa.Accordingtosome
theIronCurtainundertheauspicesofthe informationthesystemhasbeentestedinAfghanistan.(Darpa)
Darpa and is teamed with the Mustang
Technology Group that provides the C- accuracy: one of the countermeasures Crosshairs acoustic threat detection and
bandlow-costradarthat,withinnovative modulesisthenactivated,thesystemfiringit countermeasures system, and that the
signalprocessing,determinesrange,range downwardsinordertominimisecollateral resultingsystemshouldhavebeendeployed
rate,angleandtimingforeachincoming damagetothevicinity.TheIronCurtain toAfghanistanasaprototypeduring2012.
projectile. It works as follows: the radar programmeisaimedatUSuseonly,andthe Thishashowevernotbeenconfirmedby
activatesthesystemtoareadystate,optical Darpaaswellasthetwocompaniesinvolved anyofficialsource.
sensors classifying the threat and declinetocommentonitsstatus.Whatis In 2011 Rheinmetall's stake in ADS
determiningtheaimingpointwitha10mm clear is that it has been merged with the Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme
Operatingsequenceofthe
RaytheonQuickKill.Thecompany
carriedoutafurtherseriesofsuccessful
testsinlate2012.(Raytheon)
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increasedto74%,theremainingsharesbeing enable to pinpoint the opponent’s firing
held by IBD Deisenroth. Its Amap-ADS AGermanFuchsequippedwiththeDiehl position,dataofwhich,fedtoanRCWS,
(AdvancedModularArmourProtection- AVePSactiveprotectionsystem,thelauncher allows immediate firing reaction. The
ActiveDefenceSystem)isbasedonladar ofwhichisseenstandingontheroofofthe AVePS provides hemispherical 360° and
sensors connected via optical fibre to an vehicle.Thesystem,currentlyatprototype top-attackprotectionforthecarriervehicle
stage,isawaitingadecisionfromthe
electroniccontrolthatprovidesdatatothe aswellasvehiclesinitsvicinity,whishisa
GermanBundeswehr.(DiehlDefence)
effectorslocatedaroundthevehicle. Witha quite unique feature amongst active
system response time of less than a Thosevaluesincreaseto100-200kgand250- protectionsystems.Evenifthesamepartof
milliseconditcanreacttoweaponslaunched 300Wforalightvehicle,200-350kgand350- thevehicleistargetedrepeatedly,nogapsin
from less than two metres, less than the 600Wforamediumvehicle,and400-600kg protectionoccur.Byemployingfragment-
average warhead activation distance. and600-800Wforaheavyvehicle.Ofcourse freeblasteffectors,collateraldamagesare
Effectors generate “focused blades of costcandifferbyoneorderofmagnitude largely ruled out. The safety concept
concentrated energy” intercepting the fromthesimplestconfigurationtothemost provides high reliability and optimal
incomingroundat1.5or2metresfromthe complex solution. The ADS is now fully protectionagainstrandomtriggering.The
vehicle.Ifinstalledwithoverlappingarcsthey qualified and in series production for AVePScanengagetheentirerangeofRPGs
provide multi-hit capacity. Quick undisclosedcustomers.Deliveriesarealready andmodernanti-tankmissiles,including
replacementofeffectorsallowstorapidlyre- underwaytoonecustomerwhileothersare thetandemhollowchargevariety.Likewise,
establish the vehicle protection after an working on system integration on their the effectiveness of large-calibre KE
attack.Thesystemcaninterceptapproaching platforms for qualification purposes. The penetratorscanbereduceddecisively.The
missilestravellingat2,000m/s,whichmeans ADS is being qualified against a broad AVePS can be integrated on a variety of
thatitcanalsobeeffectiveagainst120mm spectrum of antitank shoulder-launched platforms, from light to heavy. The
KE long-rod rounds providing the actual rocketsandguidedmissiles,andingeneral prototype is available in two system
armourcanwithstandtheresidualkinetic termsshoweditsabilitytohandleuptothree configurations:asinglelauncherversion(<
energy. As for collateral damages the hitsonthesamespotandmorethanone 350kg)forlightarmouredvehiclesanda
companystatesthatthesewillbecontained threatatatime. twin-launcherconfiguration(<500kg)for
within a radius of 5 metres around the Diehl Defence has concentrated on heavyvehicles.Diehlisawaitingadecision
vehicle.Thelatestversionshownin2012was developing active stand-off protection onAPSbytheGermanArmy.
integratedonatruckcabinandisknownas systems. Today´s launcher-based AVePS One of the latest entries in the active
ADS CAB; the number of sub-system is prototypecomprisesaradar/infraredsensor protection system field is Krauss-Maffei
changedtoachievethedesiredprotection system,afirecontrolcomputer,amultiple WegmannwhoseAktivesSchutzsystemwas
solution,thiscapabilitybeingknownasPlug launcherincludingafragment-freeeffector unveiledatAUSA2012.Sensorscomeinthe
&Safe.Thecostsareestimatedatafour-zero aswellassafetyelectronics.Sensorsprovide formofradarsoperatinginthe25-35GHz
€figure.Suchasolutionhasaweightof70- threat detection and tracking up to a band, which is the optimal frequency to
90kgandapowerconsumptionof150W. distance of several hundred metres and obtain the ±10 cm accuracy required to
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Saving soldier’s lives:
Protection systems by RUAG.
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Phone[phone]|[email protected]
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onasamesensorhead,fourofwhichare falsealarmratesandsensoreffectiveness.
Israelisthefirstnationtodeployan mounted on the vehicle to provide 360° TheScudofeaturesfourcontinuouswave
activeprotectiondeviceintheformofRafael coverage. Effectors come in the form of dualfrequencyradarsensorsthatcover90°
Trophy-H,whichhasbeeninstalledon grenadelaunchers,either76or81mm,ableto in azimuth and 60° in elevation, with a
Merkava3and4MBTs.(Rafael) fireIRobscurantgrenades,andofanactive detection range in excess of 600 metres
IR jammer. How much recent eye-safe againstantitankthreats.Theyeachweigh
properly activate the effectors. A typical dazzlingsystemsmightbeintegratedintothe five kilos. They are installed around the
layoutonaDingowouldseeoneradarat Mussremainsunclear.Initscurrentformthe vehicleorturret,oronacolumnoverthe
eachcornerandoneoneachside.Optical MusshasbeenintegratedintoaLeopard2A4 turret.Alertlevelandnon-activearcsoffire
sensorsmayalsobeusedtofurtherimprove tankanddemonstratedovertenyearsago. willbedynamicallyestablishedthanksto
thesystem.Thirtycentimetre-wideeffector OtoMelaraisworkingontheScudo,and the integrationwiththe Soccona C2and
modulesarearrangedaroundthevehicle’s islookingatwaysofinstallingitssensors navigation system and the Forza-NEC
roof.Upondetectionofthethreatthreesuch linked to a data gathering system onto digitisedbattlefieldsystemdata.Asforthe
modules are detonated directing a blast vehicles that are deployed downrange. actuatorsOtoMelarahasalreadydeveloped
downwardstointerceptthewarhead.The DiscussionsareunderwaywiththeItalian atwo-layersystemconsistingofgrenades
effectorshaveaneffectiverangeofbetween4 MoD regarding this new approach: the for100to250-metreengagementsonthe
cmand2.5metresandcontainaminimal companywouldliketoinstallitssensors– onehand,andofactivetilesmountedonthe
chargeandnometal.Dismountedinfantry sansactuators–probablyonafewFreccia vehiclewitha6to15-metrerangeonthe
safetyrangearoundthevehiclecanthusbe 8x8sinordertoobtainreal-lifedataabout other.Theirrespectiveengagementtimes
evaluated at about three metres. KMW
developedthebasicelementsofitssystem, AnIDFMerkava4equippedwiththeRafaelTrophy-Hactiveprotectionsystemishereseenduring
workhavingstartedovereightyearsago, trainingmanoeuvres.TheTrophyhassuccessfullyproveditsworthinreal-lifeaction.(Rafael)
and AUSA was the opportunity to get
feedbackfrompotentialcustomersbefore
investinginafulltechnologydemonstrator
and system qualification. According to
KMWabouttwoyearswouldbeneededto
mature the Aktives Schutzsystem to
productionlevel.
Another company awaiting a decision
from Germany is Cassidian, which
developed the Muss (Multifunktionales
Selbstschutz-System).Forthetimebeingthe
company does not communicate on this
multispectral soft-kill system aimed at
neutralisinglaserguidedmissiles.TheMussis
based on the Cassidian Electronics
AN/AAR-60P-Mildsmissilewarningsystem
andonColdslaserdetectionsystem,installed
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