Ceramic Particle Armor

One of the deadliest threats that ground combat vehicles regularly encounter is the Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP). The extremely high impact velocities that are typical of EFPs necessitate extremely heavy armor, which is often impractical due to the corresponding compromise in mobility and reliability. One possible solution to this threat is to use granular ceramics as an alternative to current armor solutions. An evaluation of high-speed impacts into granular ceramics and extensive testing across a wide range of parameters provides data to support this proposal. These results demonstrate an impressive potential for granular ceramics in EFP protection kits with a substantial reduction in both cost and weight to achieve the same level of protection as plate or sheet materials.

Citation: P. Kopinski, “Ceramic Particle Armor”, In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 13-15, 2019.