Composite AFVs

Old, but very interesting article about about composite IFVs (Source - MilTech magazine of August 2000, via skylancer-3441).

The use of composite materials in the construction of armoured fight-ing vehicles (AFVs) offers a number of potential advantages including weight reduction by the integration of the spanll liner into the composite structure, integral "stealth" protection, and decreased acoustic signature. Furthermore, the weight savings should raise the survivabil-ity of the vehicle either by allowing an increase in the ballistic protec-tion and/or improving the mobility. In order to explore these potential advantages, DERA have formed a partnership with British industry to produce Europe's first composite hull for a fullsized demonstrator AFV called the Advanced Com-posite Armoured Vehicle Platform (ACAVP) for testing and evalvation.

In operational and tech-nological terms, the main rationale for the use of composite materials in AFVs is , arguably provided by the current "dead end avenue" situation in the design of Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicles (MICVs). Earlier and simpler Armoured Per-sonnel Carriers (APCs) such as the US M113 family and the British FV432 provided a minimum of armoured pro-tection to their occupants, barely sufficient to prevent injury from small arms AP ammunition and artillery splinters. The requirement for much enhanced protec-tion levels against heavy MGs and automatic can-nons, while at the same time delivering support fire, engaging enemy AFVs and offering some form of self-defence against MBTs has led to the current generation of vehicles such as the MARDER, the BRADLEY or the WARRIOR. However, the introduction of a two-man turret with automatic cannon (and often AT missile launcher) whilst maintaining the capability to carry an infantry section has necessarily result-ed in larger vehicle hulls to be covered by much heavier armour and, thus, a very significant in-crease in total vehicle weight - with an obvious negative impact on both tactical and strategic mobility.