How does "electromagnetic armor" work??

I heard that US army is going to use some "electromagnetic armor" on future combat vehicles.But I can't find enything more about that technology.Is it really much better than classic armor??And how does this technology work???

theyre putting the same thing on challenger 2, even though challenger 2 is almost impossible to destroy now.

Basically it's two metal plates with an electric charge running through them. When a HEAT jet hits them it triggers a powerful electromagnetic current that disrupts the molten metal HEAT jet to the point where it can no longer penetrate.

Good stuff.

well if the round is positivly charged then u could positivly charge the tank ,ha ha reversed round

Polarized hull plating?

Link full of links to further enlightenment on this subject:
electromagnetic armor



seekerof

Originally posted by Seekerof
Link full of links to further enlightenment on this subject:
electromagnetic armor



seekerof

I tried it first but we can only read some articles about that it will be standard armor on the battlefield in the future.But I didn't find anything about these things:

1) Is it much better than classic armor
2)Is it lighter then classic (and how much)

Eh, no problem here gattaca.
I merely posted it to add to the discussion and give everyone a chance to have some heads-up information on the future of armored warfare.



seekerof

EM armour should be lighter then conventional on, but you need a lot of power to keep it "up". So you need large powergenerators or batteries. The EM armor will become reality only when these issues are solved.

British have developed a EM armor that reportedly stoped an RPG from penetrating a light AFV. From what I've heard the jet from a shaped charge is mechanically weak metal that is deformed under pressure and is pushed down a highly directional explosively formed wave. This wave can be distrupted with a short EM burst and since the wave is disrupted the metalic material is similaly distrupted. Only the initial effect is needed as the propagating effects on the wave continue for some time.

So a reusable armor is doable in the short term with existing power supplies.

Sounds like a clever idea. However, one shouldn't really worry about reusable armour plates! One should worry abnot getting shot in the first place!

www.stormingmedia.us...

[Edited on 20-5-2004 by Nans DESMICHELS]

BAE systems have done and insustry first and stopped an antitank missile defeating armour using EM armour system

EM armor -plating plus EM rail guns being developed for tanks. Can't wait till they solve the power supply issue.

OK to start a new post> How does light bending camouflage (a la Predator) work?

Counter solution is the use of two separate warhead tandem missiles, one positively charged and the other negatively charged.

Another is a missile dragging an earthing wire to redirect the em and associated magnetic fields.

Originally posted by masonwatcher
Another is a missile dragging an earthing wire to redirect the em and associated magnetic fields.

Following on from that idea, wouldn't it just require a modification to a standard wire-guided anti-armour missile to provide the earthing effect?

I have worked on EMA for the last few years and BAE were not the first to stop an RPGs we were doing this 4 years ago and since have been refining
the systems.

Originally posted by masonwatcher
Counter solution is the use of two separate warhead tandem missiles, one positively charged and the other negatively charged.

Another is a missile dragging an earthing wire to redirect the em and associated magnetic fields.

You guys really don't get it, do you. It doesn't matter if the warhead is charged; let alone the fact that getting a significant charge on something like that is nearly impossible.

What matters is the difference in charge between the inner and outer layer of armor. I'd worry about tandem-warhead missiles because since the armor is composed of parallel plates; basically capacitors, if the plasma jet connecting them from the first warhead is enough to completely drain the armor's charge, it might take longer to recharge the armor enough to stop a second warhead than it would take for the second warhead to detonate. I'd like to see their numbers, but it's obviously going to be a defense secret.

This armor cannot be placed on the treads of a tank or wheels of APC's etc. Therefore shooting those would disable the vehicle. Honestly, who cares if you break it if It can't actually go anywhere. So unless they find a way to make capacitors into tank treads I have to say they still have a weakness as far as ground vehicles are concerned. Also I am really instrested in HOW the actual EM field counters heat and metal etc. in other words the physics behind it.