# "Shields Up!" ....."Captain, she cannae take much mair"  Electromagnetic Arrmour



## Kirkhill (17 Mar 2005)

United Defense Integrates Electro-Magnetic Armor Technology on Combat Vehicle and Defeats Live Threats 
  
  
(Source: United Defense Industries, Inc.; issued March 16, 2005)
  
  
 SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- United Defense Industries, Inc. achieved another industry first by successfully defeating incoming threats during live-fire testing of an Electro-Magnetic Armor (EMA) package fully integrated on a hybrid electric drive combat vehicle demonstrator.  

This effort, using an EMA package fully integrated with the hybrid-electric drive system, was accomplished through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Army's Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren, Mich.  

According to TARDEC Director Dr. Richard McClelland, "Being able to leverage industry research expertise, such as this EMA program with United Defense, allows the Army to integrate life-saving advanced technology at a much more rapid pace than through traditional methods."  

"The successful completion of live-fire testing of an EMA package on a hybrid-electric vehicle demonstrator illustrates the type of multi-hit capability that can be integrated into vehicle systems at significantly lower weight to provide a level of protection similar to reactive packages," said Tom Hutson, project manager for United Defense.  

The EMA package successfully defeated a shaped charge threat during live fire testing Feb. 22 at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.  

EMA technology can significantly enhance the survivability of vehicle systems as part of a layered approach ultimately aimed at increasing soldier protection. EMA uses high voltages and currents to defeat shaped charge warheads such as those from Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). Research in reliable power management and delivery at lower volumes and weights for Pulse Forming Networks (PFNs) allows the system level integration, experimentation and demonstration of EMA on a combat vehicle.  

United Defense designs, develops and produces combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions used by the U.S. Department of Defense and allies worldwide, and provides non-nuclear ship repair, modernization and conversion to the U.S. Navy and other U.S. Government agencies.  

-ends- 

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.4308111.1089903978.QPadasOa9dUAAESlMZk&modele=jdc_34

So let's now summarize:

Hybrid electric vehicle

Fuel efficient

Well proven technology - on ships, train engines and large Terrex dump trucks, buses, passenger cars, and field tests of modified SMP vehicles.

Mechanically less complex than gear boxes and more reliable per US army  tests

Permits redundant, dispersed design - eg 2 small engines (one front, one back), a battery pack and motors in each wheel - reduces risk of mobility kills

Independent motors and electrical drive permits conventional driving and turning with only front wheels steering, tight turning with both front and rear wheels steering and pivot turning with left wheels going backwards while right wheels go forwards.

Permits extended, quiet stealthy movement at road speeds on battery packs

Supports a lot of comms, computing and ISTAR gear which is heavily dependent on power supplies

Supports the supply of power to external devices including all common electrical appliances - pumps, drills, chain-saws, lawnmowers, microwave ovens and electric toasters

Now supports an ability to detonate shaped charge projectiles like RPG warheads, multiple times, without throwing a lot of nasty bits into the crowd to defeat them.

Could soon support an electromagnetic railgun capability in the near future allowing for both large calibre and small calibre weapons with high rate of fire, reduced/eliminated firing signature, elimination of onboard stowage of bulky dangerous explosive propellants.  Reduction in need for stowage reduces volume that needs to be protected resulting in smaller targets, less weight of armour to protect the volume and freeing up weight to carry fuel to keep the engines running that charge the batteries and capacitors.  Also fuel can be stored in irregularly shaped places.  Alternately space and weight saved on armour and storing propellant charges can be used to carry troops.

Weight can be further reduced by the use of "plastic" armour to defeat small caliber and artillery burst threats.

Smaller, lighter, quieter, more manoeuverable, more flexible, easier to maintain (mechanically - need a lot more electrical engineers), more survivable, more applicable across a range of military operations including humanitarian missions.

So when do we see LAV-E or the SEP?


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## Infanteer (18 Mar 2005)

Ahh....but all the EMA in the world won't do you any good if you don't have James Doohan running the whole show.... ;D


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## Duke (19 Mar 2005)

Interesting. Designed to stop RPG (Shaped Charge) projectiles, on LAVs. What if the bad guys go back to using projectile/kinetic energy weapons? Be kind of tough to stop  half a Kg or so of lead/tungsten/depleted Uranium travelling at the speed of sound with electricity!


Duke


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## Matt_Fisher (23 Mar 2005)

I saw the Bradley that UD had done the EM Armor tests on at the USAA show back in Oct.  

Very impressive technology.  At the time it was very hush hush and the Bradley was actually veiled in a separate, private exhibit area, but I managed to sweet talk my way in with one of UDs engineers.   ;D

The great thing I noticed about the EM armor was the significant decrease in weight per armor value you get from it.  The armor was approximately 1" thick that I saw and had been tested to defeat a HEAT round from the RPG-7.

On the subject of kinetic energy rounds, then no, this stuff probably won't be up to snuff, but it's certainly a great step forward in terms of defeating the man-portable HEAT threat.


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