How Electromagnetic Armor can Vaporize RPG
The recent conflict zones during last years demonstrated the need to protect armed vehicles from light antitank weapons like the old Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). The RPG's simplicity, low cost and effectiveness made it the most widely used anti-armor weapon in the world. The RPG7-VR has a tandem configuration that shoot a jet of hot Copper at 5,000 mph that can penetrate 600mm of heavy reactive armor and forces complex and unique solutions for an Active Protection System (APS) like Iron Fist or the Trophy.? The APS solution utilizes small explosively formed penetrator (EFP) which is projected towards the incoming threat; energy, debris and explosive pressure waves disintegrate the incoming projectile at a safe distance from the vehicle.?
In the ever-evolving landscape of military technology, one concept that has captured the imagination of defense engineers and enthusiasts alike is Electromagnetic Reactive Armor (ELRA). This futuristic armor system promises to revolutionize the way armored vehicles are protected on the battlefield.
Imagine if an incoming RPG could be vaporized right when it touched the shield armor. This type of Space Age Star Wars type force field has been in the works for over 20 years at various defense companies in the early 2000s. The US military spent nearly $200 million across several years on this technology.
The idea behind ELRA involves a configuration of two conductive plates separated by an air gap or an insulating material, forming a high-power capacitor. When a projectile breach the first plate, it effectively closes the circuit upon reaching the second plate. This action triggers the discharge of the capacitor, releasing a substantial amount of energy into the penetrator. The energy discharged, vaporizes, or liquefies the shell by causing it to expand by 5 to 10 times from its normal size, significantly diminishing its penetrative capability. In theory, tanks using electric armor wouldn't have to weigh 65 tons due to its 2ft thick armor plates, instead, tanks would weigh around 20 tons.
The US Army research laboratory in Aberdine Maryland, has produced a demonstration of the ELRA with a live fire teste of electromagnetic armor.? Two types of shape charges were demonstrated during the test.? The charges were similar to RPG 7 with a 70 mm diameter.? According to preliminary results, the ELRA reduced penetration of the armor from 100 mm without the system to down to 32 mm.
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BAE systems from the UK reported on an Electromagnetic Armor (EMA) package integration onto a hybrid-electric drive combat vehicle demonstrator. The demonstration is the result of cooperative R&D agreement between U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). The British military even conducted proof of concept tests and found that the RPG attacks on electromagnetic equipped Vehicles left only a few dents on the armor (BAE Electronic Armor).
A better understanding of the status of the electric armor can be achieved from the paper of British Maritime Technology (BMT) defense Services. BMT has published unclassified report relates the integration of ELRA systems. The reports anticipates that ELRA is practical and cost-effective without any major technical difficulty.? However, several aspects need to be considered, like platform survivability in the event of power failure when the engine goes down. Although the Abrams generates 1,100 KW of electricity, it might take time to recharge the system after it was recently discharged. There is also a concern of how effective the ELRA is against armor-piercing fin stabilized and similar tank Munitions which has not been thoroughly investigated yet.
The recent years introduces new challenges to armed vehicles like counter drones or UAV's equipped with high power laser weapon which disqualifies reactive shields. It seems that the ELRA concept was dreamt in the early 2000s when the main threat facing armor was RPGs and low intensity Warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, it can be anticipated that mature technology may bring the Electromagnetic Reactive Armor from the testing phase to the real battlefield and to be adopt successfully into main battle tanks.