Compendium by Armada Armoured Vehicle Protection.pdf

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Compendium
by
Armoured
Vehicle Protection
2013
INTERNATIONAL:
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Vehicle Survivability,
A Holistic Problem
The survivability of a vehicle is not the sum of the various protection systems available,
but more the smart integration of all those components to use the quintessence
of their characteristics, as illustrated in this BAE graph. While the “survivability onion”
concept remains valid in terms of sequence if seen from the attacker’s standpoint,
see – acquire – hit – penetrate – kill, looking at survivability from the defender’s
standpoint brings in other elements that are not necessarily linked to the vehicle, such as
intelligence and training, while many others may impact survivability in different ways.
Paolo Valpolini
good case study for an integrated
survivability approach is that of the
CV-90 developed by BAE Systems.
Compared to the original vehicle
the current CV-90 Mk3 is entirely new in
A
terms of mobility and protection, but most of
all in terms of digitisation, allowing to easily
add new sensors and systems to improve crew
situational awareness. BAE Systems aims at
providing the crew with the tools needed to
see first, understand what happens, and
possibly infer what will happen. Stealthiness is
another key factor, and includes not only
hardware, from evolved camouflage systems to
rubber tracks, but also training, since specific
tactics can help in avoiding detection. If one
is seen, soft-kill systems are key to evade the
threat. Hard kill active defence systems can
intercept the approaching round at a distance.
Then comes the armour in its various forms,
reactive or passive the latter being normally
Compendium Armoured Vehicles Protection 2013
01
This close-up of the CV90 displayed at
DSEi in 2011 reveals the shape of the
thermo-variable tiles that compose the
Adaptive camouflage. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)
the current choice for avoiding perforation.
Reducing the perforation effect is the
responsibility not only of liners and fire
suppression systems, but also of an
appropriate design that allows to decouple
dangerous materiel from the crew.
Dealing with the whole set of systems
and concepts involved in vehicle protection
and survivability would exceed the
boundaries of a Compendium. Hence we
shall try to depict the current state of the art
in some of those fields, such as evolved
camouflage, soft and hard kill and passive
armour, knowing perfectly that when
approached on the subject of protection
most companies are not that talkative. Other
systems, such as 360° situational awareness
sensors, have already been discussed in
recent articles while others, such as
transparent armour, will be the subject of
forthcoming articles.
I
CAMOUFLAGE AND DISGUISING
The best way of avoiding detection is to merge
the vehicle with its background, in all spectra.
Passive systems, such as camouflage painting,
camouflage nets, infrared painting and radar
absorbing coatings work to some extent.
However, with the increase in technology on
the battlefield a comprehensive approach to
camouflage has to be taken. In the visual field,
Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes (PLED) and
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) are among the
most promising technologies. A recent
example of a “camouflaged” vehicle was seen
when a car manufacturer launched an
advertisement in which its car was made
“invisible” thanks to the use of several mats of
light-emitting diodes on the driver’s side,
while on the opposite side a video camera was
used to pick the background to be mimicked
by the diodes. Defence companies are
working on similar solutions, with the
addition of the considerable challenge of
providing an all-spectrum camouflage, not
only in the visual one.
How much adaptive systems will
completely take over from current systems is
open to discussion. According to officials
from Saab Barracuda, one of the leading
companies in camouflage, many situations
can still be covered with current “static”
systems: thermal or infrared can be handled
by systems in 90 per cent of the cases, the
remaining 10 per cent being definitely better
treated with active systems. Currently Saab
Barracuda’s top product for vehicles is the
Mobile Camouflage System (MCS), intended
primarily for protection during movement
and in combat. The MCS can be applied in a
number of configurations and provides
stealth capability in the visual, near-infrared,
thermal infrared and broadband radar
wavebands. It consists of interlocked panels,
attached using a variety of techniques, none of
which require modification to the vehicles.
Saab Barracuda is, however, already looking at
the future and with 20 per cent of its turnover
devoted to R&D, a lot of work goes into the
field of new materials, new solutions in
chemistry, and nanotechnologies. The
company thinks that in the mid-term new
systems will emerge allowing real-term
adaptable camouflage systems both in the
visual and in the thermal fields.
Intermat of Greece, known for its
Chameleon camouflage painting, has
recently introduced a self-adhesive visual
and infrared camouflage system known as
Chameleon Skin. A new camouflage layer
can be rapidly installed by non-specialised
personnel at the lowest echelon allowing to
quickly adapt the vehicle pattern to the
landscape.
Some companies have already started to
reveal some new products. In 2006, United
States-based BAE Systems Land &
Armaments requested a patent for an all-
spectrum camouflage system based on a
series of reflective layers controlled by
applying different voltages. What happened
to that programme and how much it might
have impacted other programmes within
the company is unclear, but BAE Systems is
definitely involved in active visual
Adaptive camouflage systems are still far
from being a practical reality, but in the
meantime Saab Barracuda offers the Mobile
Camouflage System, which according to the
Swedish company covers most current needs
in the infrared spectrum. (Saab Barracuda)
02
Compendium Armoured Vehicles Protection 2013
camouflage, and has recently confirmed
that a multispectral camouflage system will
be available “in some years”.
Where work appears to be most
advanced, however, is in the field of
infrared. At DSEI 2011 the company
unveiled the Adaptive, a fifty-fifty
investment between industry and the
Swedish military: hexagonal tiles based on
a semi-conductor that acts as a heat pump
are each linked to a computer that also
receives the data from a thermal sensor
looking at the background (in other words
180° away from the face of the tiles),
enabling adapting each tile temperature to
These infrared pictures show the Adaptive non activated (left), in operation to blend into its
backdrop (centre) and, supreme refinement, in operation to mimic an ordinary saloon car. (BAE)
optimise the merging of the vehicle thermal
signature into that of its own background.
The tiles are roughly 150 mm across. Some
450 are thus required to cover the side of a
CV90. The time needed to vary the tiles’
temperature affords a “camouflage on the
move” capability of up to 30 km/h.
Dimensions are optimised for obtaining an
IR stealth effect from 500 meters hence. To
disrupt the opponent’s intelligence cycle
Adaptive can also be used as a deception
system, as it allows to show an IR shape of a
wholly different type of target. According to
BAE Systems the IR Adaptive also embodies
good radar absorbing features.
Another company active in infrared active
camouflage is Eltics of Israel. Its Black Fox
multi-spectral stealth technology is now
mature and the company was granted two
patents, while some more are on the way. The
Black Fox sensor suite is based on two
cameras which scan the surroundings on 360°
providing the thermal scenario to the
computer which in turn provides the correct

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