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Electric Armor Tested For Light Armored Vehicles

Posted by michael on from the disconnect-capacitor-before-servicing dept.

joncrie writes "The Telegraph is reporting that British MoD scientists are now testing a new electric armor to protect light armored vehicles against RPGs. The new electric armour is made up of a highly-charged capacitor that is connected to two separate metal plates on the tank's exterior. When an RPG warhead fires its jet of molten copper, it penetrates both the outer plate and the insulation of the inner plate. This makes a connection and thousands of amps of electricity vaporises most of the molten copper. The rest of the copper is dispersed harmlessly against the vehicle's hull. The initial development was mentioned previously."

19 of 418 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder if you have to ... by MikeHunt69 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... polarise the hull plating?

    1. Re:I wonder if you have to ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you polarize the hull plating, you need to have a way to reverse the polarity in case they fire a reverse-phase ion cannon. And if you can reverse the polarity, then you can add an alternating field. But if you do that, then you need to be able to modulate the shield harmonics in case they fire a phased photon torpedo at the same frequency. Also, you need a good voice-activated computer so you can yell out "computer, modulate the aft shield polarity using a quantum differential to compensate for the inbound photon torpedo's phase variance" while some guy casually walks up and stuffs a banana in your exhaust pipe.

  2. Filed: 19/08/2002 by hattig · · Score: 5, Funny

    I see that Slashdot is finally posting more up to date stuff.

    This is cool, just hope you aren't the soldier that shorts this device by accident!

  3. Added bonus by alex_ware · · Score: 5, Funny

    switch the live and earth and you make it impossible for terrorists to climb on the tank

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  4. Re:Just like RIAA vs. File traders by CdBee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Peer-to-Peer artillery is never gonna catch on

    Unless you mean all armoured assault vehicles share targeting information and fire many small projectiles instead of one big one?
    Good grief, that would be deadly. Hope the army don't think of it.

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  5. Protected against RPGs? by Moth7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Electric armour will never match my Great Sword +4!

  6. Re:Just like RIAA vs. File traders by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    You have just described the Slashdot army.

  7. Re:I just know you'll come and bitchslap this post by t_allardyce · · Score: 2, Funny

    Man someones got an RPG up their ass and its shooting its molten copper!

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  8. And you all laughed when Archer said it by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Polarize the hull plating!"

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    "Derp de derp."
  9. Just wait... by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... "19th Century News Coming Online" (2nd previous story)... there will be even older stories soon.

  10. Re:Two Shots? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Don'tcha think you're trying a bit hard to find the gotcha in it?

    Ask him about his plans for cleaning dust off the Mars landers. I'm sure he thinks he has dozens NASA never considered.

  11. Re:Only works with conductive charges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wahooo! We're back to throwing rocks at each other. Military technology has finally come full circle :D

    Of course there are still problems with the thermal capacity and density of granite when compared to copper, but I feel sure they can be overcome

  12. Just think of the practical joke potential! by craXORjack · · Score: 4, Funny

    Corporal Capacitor: 'Hey Specialist, where'd the Sarge go?'
    Specialist Sparks: 'He just climbed out on the deck to take a leak.'
    Corporal Capacitor: (Charging plates) 'Oh really?'

    --
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  13. uhhh by nukka · · Score: 1, Funny
    'jet of molten copper'...

    heh, sounds like what my ex spits at me

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  14. Obligatory Star Trek quote by smeenz · · Score: 2, Funny
    As I seem to be the first to say this....

    Shields up, Mr Sulu !

  15. Re:Challenger 2 MBT by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2, Funny
    I think that we (the UK) could do with, is getting our MBTs to work properly in all conditions as well as providing fancy-pants defence systems.

    Yeah, those silly tanks and their damn fancy-pants defence systems...

    We should just Chobham all up and start again, I say. :-p

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  16. Re:While this is helpful... by dustmite · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is slashdot, anything that claims to harm the environment in any way is immediately classified as propaganda.

  17. against RPG ? by hagnat · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Telegraph is reporting that British MoD scientists are now testing a new electric armor to protect light armored vehicles against RPGs.

    never though RPG could be so dangerous...

    * hagnat throws away his shotgun and hides his D&D books under the bed
    * hagnat places several d20 dices as ammo in his drawer

    lol

    --
    "life is a joke, and someone is laughing at me"
  18. Sure, it might protect against RPGs by PoignardSanglant · · Score: 3, Funny


    But what about RTSs, FPSs, and TBSs? They can also do a lot of damage to one's social life.