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A new generation of reactive armor: How can electricity make tanks lighter and safer?
With the rapid advancement of military technology, current-driven reactive armor has gradually become an attractive research field. This new type of electric armor is designed to protect ships and armored combat vehicles from cutting-edge attacks, not only improving survivability but also significantly reducing the weight of fighter aircraft. These advantages have undoubtedly attracted the attention of the military community, but will they be effective enough in actual combat?
Electric current-driven armor systems can be lighter and more effective than traditional explosive reactive armor, which has important implications for modern combat technology.
The principle of current-driven reactive armor
Current-driven armor systems are an innovation we have today in protective armor technology. This type of armor usually consists of two or more layers of conductive plates with an air gap or insulating material between the plates, making them form a high-energy capacitor. In operation, the armor is charged by a high-voltage power supply. When an attacking object breaks through these plates, the circuit is closed, releasing a large amount of energy, which is enough to vaporize or transform the intruder into plasma, effectively diffusing the effects of the attack.
Thanks to this innovation, Galvanic Reactive Armor provides extensive protection without adding excessive weight.
Advantages and potential
Weight
A significant advantage of electric current-driven armor is its lightweight nature. Compared to traditional explosive reactive armor (ERA), which may increase the weight of the tank by 10 to 20 tons, electric current armor can provide effective protection with a weight of several tons, which allows the tank's load and power to be used for other purposes. Furthermore, the application of electric armor can improve the survivability of other armored vehicles that are subject to weight restrictions, such as infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
Coverage
The lightweight nature of the galvanic armor means its protective benefits can be evenly distributed across the vehicle. Due to its weight, traditional armor often has uneven coverage, with the thickest armor usually located at the front of the vehicle, while the sides and top are relatively weak. This allows the enemy to exploit weak points when attacking from the opponent's flank or from above. The full-vehicle coverage of the electric current armor helps eliminate these hidden dangers.
Operational Security
The second major benefit of electric armor is the increased safety of infantry and light vehicles operating around tanks. Although traditional explosive reactive armor is intended to expand only after detonation after being attacked, the resonance of the explosion energy can cause the fragments left behind to be fatal to surrounding personnel. In contrast, electric armor offers significantly enhanced safety, and the risks are greatly reduced even when operating around it.
Challenges and limitations
While electric armor technology holds promise, several challenges remain. Because the technology is relatively new and military development is shrouded in secrecy, it is unclear whether it provides the same level of protection against different types of weapons, such as kinetic and shaped warheads. The sources are mainly focused on dealing with shaped warheads, such as RPG and other weapons. However, when facing artillery shells, higher currents may be required to effectively spread the attack, which is a big test for current technical capabilities. Additionally, the overall effectiveness of the galvanic armor is dependent on the power generation capabilities available to power it.
Specific Examples
Development of the UK
In the UK, an electric armour system called the Pulsed Power System, developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, is being tested. The system was tested on an armored personnel carrier and showed considerable promise. The outer shell and inner shell of this armor are separated by insulating material. If a HEAT jet made of conductive metal such as copper penetrates the two outer shells, a bridge will be formed and the electrical energy will be quickly released to the missile.
American Studies
Scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are also working on electrical armor. Their idea is to combine various materials to make protection bricks, each of which is composed of tough plastic, optical fiber, thin standard armor plate and metal coils. On top of these materials, the fragility of the optical fibers will activate capacitors, and extremely strong currents will then flow through metal coils inside the armor, which will significantly enhance the vehicle's protection capabilities.
The development of electric armor brings new challenges and opportunities to future military technology. In an increasingly evolving form of warfare, can this technology truly realize its potential and become an important part of modern combat?
