Modern Tanks of the World And Their Active Defense

Active armor, or in another way, the active protection of a modern tank consists of a special system that shoots a certain charge when a projectile hits it. Such a system is usually combined with a local radar.

In case of detection of the approach of an enemy projectile, a command is given to the shooting system to detonate and shoot off the charge attached to the armored vehicle. When this depleted charge collides with a projectile, it is called, creating at the same time a cloud of fragments, which appreciably weaken the penetrating action of the enemy projectile.

Such systems are actively developed in France, Israel, the US and Germany. However, after the collapse of the USSR, such developments have become of little relevance, in view of the fact that the main possible enemy was lost, and budgets for such developments were reduced by a factor of ten.

A vivid example of such a system of active protection of all tanks of the world, can serve as a development called "Screening" made in Ukraine. It was designed for export and for use only on modern tank models.

Such a complex of active armor initiates antisubmarine ammunition directly on the surface of the tank, and does not shoot them. In addition, such a development allows to confront the ammunition that is flying from above to the tank, and not only in the lateral projection.

In case of activation of the system, a stream of echeloned fragments under the influence of a blast wave changes the trajectory of the flight of enemy ammunition, or creates an advantageous angle of collision of the projectile with the armor of the tank, under which it either does not break or a ricochet will happen.

Such factors make such protective complexes of active armor, which use all modern tanks of the world, a universal and multi-tasking protective device. For example, today there are Israeli developments, according to which, after each operation, the system "recharges" and can hit several targets approaching the tank at once.

The disadvantage of such systems is the ambiguity in their use in conditions of high shaking of the tank, as well as not the possibility of repelling enemy attacks from only one direction.

Many anti-tank guided missiles, such as the American Jawelin, aim usually at the roof of tanks, bypassing a protected heavily armored zone. Therefore, in 2012-2013, all modern tanks of the world are designed taking into account the features of the new systems for fighting tanks.

When developing and designing the antitank defense system of the RPG-30, all the above points are taken into account: in this RPG model, the leading (first) projectile should trigger the activation of the active tank defense system at a distance that would be safe for the reactive projectile that follows.