I have just watched a news reports on British tanks in Iraq. Why do many tanks appear to have a metal grill attached to many parts of the bodywork? Is this a defense attachment or something to improve the performance of the vehicle? Many thanks for help from anyone!
2007-02-21 09:50:10 · 9 answers · asked by bearos3000 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
The metal grate you speak of is to deflect RPG rounds. We use them on our Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker’s and Armored Personnel Carriers.
When an RPG round hits the grate it detonates in the grate, a foot or so away from the armor of the tank/armored vehicle therefore deflecting a good portion of the blast and avoiding a direct hit to the armor.
Just another layer of protection but it has proven to be extremely effective in increasing survivability for armored vehicle crewman in RPG attacks.
2007-02-21 09:57:01 · answer #1 · answered by ganjaman415 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
The mesh grates seen suspended on modern vehicles are commonly known as "RPG Fences". Rocket Propelled Grenades such as ever common and popular RPG-7 (Seen all over the news, looks kinda like a tube with a handle and football jammed into the end) use a shaped charge or "High Explosive, Anti Tank", HEAT, warhead. The explosive is shaped into a cone or funnel, and when detonated, concentrates the explosive effect into a small point. This results in a cross between melting the armor in a plasma jet and just blowing a hole in it. Putting an RPG fence a distance away from the vehicle detonates the warhead a distance away, causing the explosive jet to expend most of it's energy into air. The original users were the Germans, who fitted many of their vehicles with thin metal skirts ("Schurzen") to accomplish the same thing. Skirts can still be seen in use on the sides of M1 Abrams tanks (Most modern MBT's such as Challenger and Leopard also have these) to protect the hull and tracks, and the sides of M2 and M3 Bradley IFV/CFV's (Once again, common to many modern APC's). Spaced armor is used on some vehicles for the same reason, while the Abrams for example uses Chobham/Burlington composite armor. Sometimes more effective is ERA, Explosive Reactive Armor, seen, for example, as boxes, squares, or tiles, on the front, sides, and turret of M2 and M3 Bradley's. New HEAT warheads are designed to attempt to defeat these defenses.
2007-02-21 10:33:42 · answer #2 · answered by Jon E 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
This is applique armour - essentially bolt-on bits that help tanks absorb the impact of anti-tank weaponry. In the desert wars of 1941-43, the Germans used to stick bits of tank-track to their Panzer IIIs, an action which, presumably, started the trend. Another one up for Rommel!
2007-02-21 09:57:21 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The metal grills you mention are there to help deflect RPG (rocket propelled grenades) which are in common use in Iraq
2007-02-22 00:24:55 · answer #4 · answered by robert x 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think they ansewered it, look for the new up and coming missile defense system for armored vehicles. It blows up the rpg before it hits the vehicle. Israel is testing them and puting it into service. I saw the video for it, it is pretty cool.
2007-02-21 10:34:14 · answer #5 · answered by TAHOE REALTOR 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be the Chobham armor which the British use and it's the best armor in the world.
2007-02-21 23:42:48 · answer #6 · answered by HHH 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's to cause anti-tank missles to blow up away from the main armor.
2007-02-21 09:59:31 · answer #7 · answered by gregory_dittman 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
its the military equivalent of go faster stripes
2007-02-21 09:57:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
it makes them "great"....so easy....
2007-02-22 15:15:34 · answer #9 · answered by 284561 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋