Newer KE penetrators like the US M829A2 and now M829A3, have been improved to defeat the armor design of Kontakt-5. The M829A2 was the immediate response, developed in part to take on the new armor bricks. The M829A3 is a further improvement of this as well and designed to fight future armor protection methods.

BGM-71F TOW 2B The TOW 2B is the newest version of the TOW missile which will provide additional capability against future armored threats, starting production as an engineering change proposal to the FY 1990 production contract. The TOW 2B Missile incorporates new fly-over, shoot-down technology. The TOW 2B entered production in late 1991.
The TOW 2B was designed to attack targets from the top. The missile's trajectory places the missile slightly above the target when its two warheads explode downward. TOW 2B features a dual-mode sensor and a new armament section equipped with two warheads substantially different from those used in other TOW versions.
Earlier TOWs are direct-attack missiles with nose-mounted warheads that fire forward. The TOW 2B is designed to fly over the top of a tank and destroy it from above, where is is less heavily armored, by simultaneously detonating the missile's two Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) warheads downward. The fly-over shoot-down flight profile permits the attack of targets in defilade or protected by berms or other fortifications.
TOW 2B resembles the TOW 2A, with a six-inch diameter warhead section in front, but without the standoff probe. Similarly, with only software modifications, the TOW 2B is compatible with all TOW 2 launcher platforms and equipment already in the field.

A soft launch ejects the missile from the launch tube to give a low-recoil shoulder launch. The soft launch enables firing from inside buildings or covered positions. Once the missile is clear, the larger propellant in the second stage is ignited and the missile is propelled towards the target. The weapon has two attack modes, direct or top attack.

The round consists of the Javelin missile and the ATK (Alliant Techsystems) Launch Tube Assembly. The range of the missile is 2,500m. Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker which is based on a cadmium mercury telluride (CdHgTe) 64 x 64 staring focal plane array in the 8 to 12 micron waveband. BAE Systems Avionics is providing the infrared seekers for the British Army's missiles. The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges: a precursor warhead to initiate explosive reactive armour and a main warhead to penetrate base armour. The propulsion system is a two-stage solid propellant design which provides a minimum smoke soft launch.

The FGM-148A flies at altitudes above ground of up to 50m (160 ft) for the direct attack or 150 m (490 ft) for the top attack mode. The Javelin's IIR (Imaging Infrared) seeker with its staring focal plane array will guide the missile to the target, and the tandem shaped charge warhead detonates on impact. The warhead section consists of a precursor warhead to defeat ERA (Explosive Reactive Armour) and a main warhead to penetrate up to 800 mm of conventional armour.

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The CLU is reusable, the 35 pound missile and launch tube are used once. The Javelin contains a dual shaped charge warhead, mainly to defeat reactive armor. The missile comes in from above, hitting thinner top armor as well.

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Originally posted by Stealth Spy

Originally posted by deltaboy
armor.vif2.ru...

There is also an interesting artist's impression :


[edit on 21-5-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Thats a funky lookin tank. The US is making a new one which will be short and stealthy. Russians wouldnt be able to dectected it unless they see it with their eyes.

Now tell me the difference between a shaped charge and a mortar round??????. A mortar round is not going to have the same effect as a shaped charge.

eg. Concentrated blast vs a unconcentrated blast over a wider area. About 300 grams in a 1cm^2 area vs 900 grams in a 10cm^2(generous considering mortars are a lot more splatter damage)

Its your turn to provide something about a mortar defeating Kontakt-5

And 15mm of hardened steel shatted APS rounds, how is a "Few hundred" grams of HE going to penerate 15mm of steel?. And considering the armour is put on angles of more than 45 degress it at least gives it more avabile armour. eg the famous T-34 armour on a slope

Just because an article says something does not mean it is so.

And your same argument would apply to a article written by a expert in his field?. Theres his website, why dont you go debate him and Mr. Robb McLeod who is a expert in tank armour and munitions


Here is something i wrote before hand, as a matter of fact this very post was directed towards you...LOL

Actually its third generation.

First one were the israeli ERA brick type blocks which were basic explosives which defeated Heat or other chemical rounds.

Then russian Kontakt-5 which were like the brick ERA but had a thicker denser outside to try break the tip of a APFSDS round and gave it extra protection which was mildly better.

Then there is this new Kaktus type of interweving armour which is a lot thinner and looks like it doesn't contain a lot of explosives or maybe none at all. Im just assuming this is just going to be used to defeat APFSDS rounds

Comparision

As you can see a lot thinner. And possibly the armour arrangment is a clam shell one as well

Here is a good read about ERA
Modern Explosive Reactive Armours