Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!matai.vuw.ac.nz!ctl.co.nz!SYSMGR@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: How does reactive armor work?
Message-ID: <0093E532.8E86F080@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>
Date: 17 Oct 90 16:18:07 GMT
Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (The News System)
Reply-To: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
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Approved: military@att.att.com

What are the principles behind reactive armor? I always thought that:

     A) Shaped charge plasma jet detonates underlying explosive
     B) Explosive force disrupt plasma jet
     C) Tanker lives happily ever after.

Now, I've been told by a more "informed" source:

     A) Shaped charge plasma jet detonates underlying explosive
     B) Explosive force throws metal plate "through" plasma jet,
        disrupting/deflecting it. 
     C) Tanker lives happily ever after.

Could someone please clarify the mechanism of how a shaped charge works?
Please cite sources/references to papers, as I have a friend who might wanna 
model it (altho' he doesn't know it yet).