Composite cored combat vehicle armor

A composite cored armor plate for military combat vehicles to resist penetration by high velocity armor piercing projectiles, said armor comprising:

• (a) a composite of a first, second and third laminations of different densities, of which at least the first and second laminations are of at least equal masses, said first lamination having a surface directly exposed to potential armor piercing projectile attack;
• (b) said first lamination consisting of a relatively thin quenched and tempered alloy steel plate having a relatively high density and BHN hardness to confront said armor piercing projectile with a high density bulk for a relatively short travel path so as to induce projectile cracking and impair projectile integrity;
• the BHN hardness being in the 500-600 range;
• (c) the second lamination being immediately adjacent said first lamination, and being of a relatively low density high strength nonferrous metallic material;
• its density being of from one-sixth to two-thirds that of the first lamination;
• (d) said second lamination being selected from the group including graphite-fiber-reinforced aluminum material and a titanium material, and while having at least the same mass as said first lamination has a much greater thickness than the first lamination, thereby forcing the projectile to do more work to traverse and to potentially penetrate its much greater bulk while simultaneously reducing projectile energy;
• (e) the third lamination being spaced apart from said first lamination but immediately adjacent the second lamination;
• said third lamination having lesser BHN hardness than the first lamination and substantially greater hardness than the second lamination;
• and
• (f) said third lamination consisting of a relatively thin, high toughness, quenched and tempered alloy steel plate having a BHN hardness of approximately 300 so as to substantially arrest such velocity as the projectile and fragments might still possess.