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| Land Convoy Protection |
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While the protection of convoys has become acute in recent operations, particularly with the proliferation of remote-controlled explosives, the risks involved are older than one might think: «To conduct a convoy in safety through an enemy’s territory, where it is exposed to attacks either of regular, or of partisan troops, is one of the most hazardous operations of war,» wrote West Point professor Dennis Hart Mahan in an 1847 military text book.
Read more in armada international's issue 4/2007
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| RPG Zappers |
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Although the Soviet Union fitted the Drozd hard-kill active protection system to its tanks in the early 1980s (see Armada 4/2005) it is the post-Cold War emphasis on lighter armoured fighting vehicles for rapid strategic deployment, and the asymmetrical characterisation of conflicts that has given new impetus to the development of active protection systems.
Full article available in armada international's issue 4/2007
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| Active Armour Protection (To the full article) |
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Until now, increasing vehicle protection invariably meant adding weight. Although this reduced mobility, it was still acceptable when main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were supposed to fight in open terrain. Current operations, however, have totally changed the mobility parameters, and weight and dimensions are now key factors for overcoming bridges and passing through narrow roads, hence the increasing importance of lighter vehicles, although their armour is necessarily less efficient compared to that of tanks, which, by the way, were mostly protected over the frontal arc, being designed for head-on fighting.
Read more in armada International's issue 3/2010
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| Weight, Protection, Dimensions...Today's Mobility Paradigm (To the full article) |
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During the Cold War, when the main battle tank was the king of the battlefield, a compromise had to be found between mobility, protection and firepower. In current missions, tanks have taken a more peripheral role, as less invasive and threatening vehicles were required, with light and wheeled cars becoming quite trendy. However, the threat quickly evolved to require putting the words ‘weight and size’ back into the equation of vehicle design, to the point of placing mobility into serious jeopardy, as these vehicles have to cope with road systems that are a far cry from western standards.
Read more in armada International's issue 3/2010
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