Enlisting aluminum

The need for lighter weight and better efficiency has led to increased application of aluminum armor plate for military vehicles.

APPLYING ALUMINUM ALLOYS as armor material dates back to the 1930s when Kotaro Honda, a Japanese scientist from Tohoku Imperial University, performed a number of experiments comparing ballistic resistance of various materials. Studies that followed compared ballistic properties of all aluminum alloys commercially available at that time.

Currently in the U.S., the task belongs to the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (USARL) and Aberdeen Proving Grounds to constantly identify new potentials for all armor including aluminum. All armor intended for military and defense-related applications must be tested for ballistic properties by the Aberdeen Test Center.