Tanks and armored vehicles: new composite materials make a strong debut

February 02, 2024

Armor protection capability is one of the most critical factors in testing the performance of armored vehicles, and protective materials are the foundation of armor protection. In order to improve the protection performance and lightweight requirements of armored vehicles, a series of new non-metallic composite materials have been introduced both domestically and internationally.Among them are high-performance fiberglass composite materials, aramid fibers, carbon fibers, high-efficiency multifunctional neutron resistant lining materials, ceramic polymer composite materials, and so on.

The main purpose of using resin based composite materials for tank armored vehicles is to utilize their advantages of low density, high specific strength, specific modulus, corrosion resistance, and low manufacturing cost, and to prepare composite armor with high protective quality together with armor steel, high hardness ceramics, and other materials. Using resin based composite materials on tanks of the same volume reduces weight by 60% -70% compared to steel parts, 30% compared to aluminum alloys, and reduces manufacturing costs by 20% -30%.

Tank armored vehicle composite armor structure

The top of the SuT-72 main battle tank was equipped with a lightweight composite armor made of 30mm-50mm aramid fiber reinforced resin composite material, greatly improving the top defense capability.

The front of the T-80 tank adopts composite armor, and the front upper armor plate is composed of multiple layers. The outer layer is made of steel plate, the middle layer is made of fiberglass and steel plate, and the inner layer is made of non-metallic materials. Carbon fiber composite materials are mainly used to manufacture gun barrels, frames, rocking frames, thermal sheaths and other parts, which can further reduce the quality of artillery and improve its performance.

Composite Armored Tank