Can the equivalent RHA thickness(KE) of the composite armor of the tank exceed the LOS thickness?

[F.T]

In the case of defending against kinetic energy projectile.

[Captain_Colossus]

i am not sure the question makes sense in the way it is posed- 'can composite armor perform better than its own thickness' is like asking if a sandwich can taste better than itself, or can a person be taller than himself (no matter what they do, they cannot be something other than itself)

 

the question might be re-phrased: 'can composite armor exceed the performance of its equivalent homogeneous plate in KE penetration' 

 

if that is what you mean, it depends- because the RHA equivalent of composite armor is just that - an equivalent is analogous but not equal. The figures are a way to approximate the two for comparison using RHA thickness as a basis for comparison. try it another way- sloped surfaces may be approximated to an RHA LOS thickness, but it is not the same- all things being equal, the angle of the incoming KE penetrator may give different results

Edited May 20, 2022 by Captain_Colossus

[Ssnake]

In the strict sense of the question, the only answer is "No" because the RHA equivalent is always equal to the protection level of a composite armor. Had the question been, can a composite armor offer the same protection at reduced LOS thickness, then the answer is "Yes", because that's the whole point of most composite armors - to offer better protection either in mass, or volume, or ideally both than homogeneous steel armor.

Aluminum alloys would be the exception - they are thicker than steel but at the same time still advantageous in mass. There's a whole chapter in the user's manual devoted to this.

[F.T]

13 hours ago, Captain_Colossus said:

i am not sure the question makes sense in the way it is posed- 'can composite armor perform better than its own thickness' is like asking if a sandwich can taste better than itself, or can a person be taller than himself (no matter what they do, they cannot be something other than itself)

 

the question might be re-phrased: 'can composite armor exceed the performance of its equivalent homogeneous plate in KE penetration' 

 

if that is what you mean, it depends- because the RHA equivalent of composite armor is just that - an equivalent is analogous but not equal. The figures are a way to approximate the two for comparison using RHA thickness as a basis for comparison. try it another way- sloped surfaces may be approximated to an RHA LOS thickness, but it is not the same- all things being equal, the angle of the incoming KE penetrator may give different results

What I mean by that is whether the 500mm thick composite armour of a tank would provide more protection against a kinetic energy projectile than the 500mm thick RHA.

[F.T]

9 hours ago, Ssnake said:

In the strict sense of the question, the only answer is "No" because the RHA equivalent is always equal to the protection level of a composite armor. Had the question been, can a composite armor offer the same protection at reduced LOS thickness, then the answer is "Yes", because that's the whole point of most composite armors - to offer better protection either in mass, or volume, or ideally both than homogeneous steel armor.

Aluminum alloys would be the exception - they are thicker than steel but at the same time still advantageous in mass. There's a whole chapter in the user's manual devoted to this.

Ok, GOT it