Plasan Sasa Ltd., historically one of the leading experts in armored vehicles in the Western world, is constantly looking for new technologies and materials to improve the protection of armored vehicles. She announced three new products covering all possible threats: direct fire, overhead attack and detonation.
ATHENA Energy Armor
ATHENA ("Athena") is an acronym meaning advanced thickened energy armor. It is available in the form of modules that are installed on the vehicle in the same way as explosive dynamic protection (ERA) or non-explosive reactive armor (NERA) tiles are installed. The main difference between explosive-based tiles is that ATHENA does not contain energy materials. According to the developer, the module, consisting of composite armor with expanding layers, absorbs the energy of a flying projectile and physically expands, creating a very reliable protection mechanism against all types of shaped charges. The company also tested ATHENA on medium-caliber anti-tank shells and measured the reaction of expanding material to them in order to understand how to defuse them.
ATHENA Armored Vehicle Protection System
It is claimed that the Athena is effective against shaped charges and shaped explosive projectiles of a certain caliber, as well as kinetic rods with a length of 30/35 mm. It provides protection up to level 6+ according to the STANAG 4569 standard.
Of course, ATHENA works in combination with the vehicle's base armor and passive secondary armor, which is often referred to as "kit B", where ATHENA is the outer layer, or "kit C". According to Plasan representatives, the module that was hit by the projectile needs to be replaced, but this is a simple operation.
At the same time, the company explained that, unlike ERA /NERA, when hitting the ATHENA module, the damage is local, so the remaining part of the module is still able to withstand further shelling.
ATHENA modules are designed according to the size of the vehicle they are supposed to protect and the set of threats specified by the customer. Thus, there is no standard thickness or standard density. The approximate thickness can range from 100 to 300 mm, and the density is from 200 to 300 kg/m2.
Capturing the energy of an approaching projectile instead of detonating it significantly reduces the risks for infantry operating near military equipment, which is one of the typical problems of ERA/NERA tiles. In addition, all logistical operations (transportation, storage and maintenance) are greatly simplified, and it also has a positive effect on the overall organization and safety of repair work.
Plasan believes that ATHENA is at the 7th level of technological readiness, and is currently working with the armies of two states that have proposed two different threat catalogs. Tests were conducted in Europe at the end of May 20026, and the company expects to receive the first order in a few months.
Protecting armored vehicles from attacks from above
Another serious threat to armored vehicles operating on the battlefield are submunitions and fragments delivered by air, as well as fire from closed positions and drones.
Protection of armored vehicles TAPS
To counter these threats, Plasan has developed a lightweight Top Attack Protection System (TAPS) with a specific gravity of only 17 kg/m2. It is installed on top of passive additional armor and is a carpet with spikes made of an unknown material, presumably made of semi-rigid rubber, on which personnel can walk without damaging it. According to the developer, TAPS protection has been successfully tested in the armies of many Western countries and is currently being used in several programs to create armored combat vehicles.
Protection of the crew from mines and IEDs
LAPS – Leg Active Protection System (LAPS). One of the most common injuries caused by an explosion under the bottom of a car is a fracture of the tibia, which causes a wounded soldier to become incapacitated. This is a serious problem, as mines and IEDs are commonly used for ambushes.
Passive protection of armored vehicles usually consists of several layers: a V-shaped bottom, then a split floor, which avoids transmitting acceleration to soldiers in the rear of the transport compartment, and finally energy-absorbing seats.
LAPS protection Technology
According to Israeli experts, this solution has several drawbacks: it increases mass — both directly, due to the floating floor, which adds several kilograms, and indirectly, due to the fact that such a design increases the height of the car by 120-150 mm, and hence the thickness of the armor, which again increases mass.. In addition, the taller the car, the more noticeable it is to the enemy, and the additional mass increases fuel consumption.
To break this negative weight gain trend, Plasan has developed a system that allows soldiers to lift their legs without letting them touch the floor. This allows you to do without a "floating" floor and, as a result, without increasing the height.
The company's product range includes energy-absorbing seats for drivers, commanders/shooters and transported military personnel. Therefore, in the process of creating protection, the company's engineers worked on the seats. According to the description, during an explosion, ultrafast sensors send signals to an electronic unit, which uses algorithms to determine in milliseconds that an explosion has occurred and activates the effector. It is located at the base of the seat, which is several centimeters deeper than the standard depth. In this additional space, there is a mechanism that lifts the passenger's legs in milliseconds before the floor deformation reaches his feet. No further details are provided.
In the near future, Plasan plans to equip the energy-absorbing seats of its development with the LAPS system.
Source: European Defence Review
