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From: coshima@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Craig Oshima)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Tanks in the Persian Gulf Crisis--The M1 Abrams
Keywords: tanks, facts, figures
Message-ID: <1990Sep24.001708.23833@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 24 Sep 90 00:17:08 GMT
References: <1990Sep14.042819.1844@cbnews.att.com> <1990Sep18.024642.21045@cbnews.att.com>
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From: coshima@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Craig Oshima)
In article <1990Sep18.024642.21045@cbnews.att.com> consp21@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Ken Hoover) writes:
>From: consp21@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Ken Hoover)
>
>In article <1990Sep14.042819.1844@cbnews.att.com> jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) writes:
>>M1 and M1A1 Abrams 
>>	Armor:
>>		Most details appear to be classified. The armor seems to be
>>		similar to Chobham armor developed in UK...
>
>  Is this the armor that is made up of alternating layers and gaps of
>metal to break up the plasma from an exploting HEAT round or fragment
>an incoming solid-core round?
>
The following was excerpted from the game manual of "M1 Tank Platoon" by
MicroProse (an authoritative source I realize, by it might be of interest
to some:
    "Chobham & Other Composites:  Composite armor has a hard steel outer
face, like normal armor.  But below that are succesive layers of metals and
ceramics.  On the latest M1A1s, the first interior layer is depleted uranium,
a substance about 2.5 times denser than steel.  Below this are successive
layers of steel and ceramic. The ceramics resist heat better, while the steel
absorbs kinetic energy better. The overall effect is armor that resists kin-
etic energy at least as well as conventional steel, and which absorbs the
hot gas jets of HEAT ammo so well that most of these weapons are useless.
The final inner layer is undoubtedly a special metal or plastic that resists
spalling much like the ballistic cloth "wallpaper".
    "The exact makeup of Chobham armor is probably more complex than simple
layering.  The ceramics may be locked within steel honeycombs, or vice versa.
The layers may overlap or wrap around each other in complex patterns..."

    There's more, but not related to Chobham armor in particular.  I don't
know how accurate that is, or if it's quite what you were looking for, but
I hope it was of interest.

Craig.
P.S.  MicroProse did a great job with that game.  I love it.