System for protecting a vehicle from a mine

A method for retrofitting an existing vehicle with a blast-resistant kit for protecting the existing vehicle from a mine, the mine being located at or underneath the surface on which the vehicle is traveling, the mine upon detonation yielding ejecta having an expected vertically upward trajectory, and the existing vehicle having a hull with an underbody, the method comprising:

• providing a first layer of material outside of the underbody, the first layer of material including a base disposed in a direction substantially parallel to the underbody, and a protrusion that narrows in width as it extends away from the base in a direction opposing the expected trajectory of the ejecta, the protrusion narrowing to an apex, and the base having an exterior surface that faces away from the underbody and toward the expected trajectory of the ejecta, at least a portion of the base forming a sheet, the protrusion forming a wedge attached to a middle portion of the sheet;
• providing an exterior layer away from the first layer to form a gap between an exterior surface of the base of the first layer and an interior surface of the exterior layer that faces toward the underbody,
• wherein at least a portion of the exterior layer forms an acute angle relative to the base of the first layer, and the portion of the exterior layer extends from below the apex of the protrusion of the first layer to below portions of the base of the first layer that are disposed away from the protrusion;
• and
• providing a second layer in the gap between the first layer and the exterior layer, the second layer including a material having a shock wave transmission velocity that is higher than a shock wave transmission velocity of the material of the first layer and covering at least a majority of the base of the first layer.

A system for protecting an armored vehicle from a mine, the mine being located at or underneath the surface on which the vehicle is traveling, the mine upon detonation yielding ejecta having an expected vertically upward trajectory, and the vehicle having a hull with an underbody, the system comprising:

• a first layer of solid material disposed outside of the underbody, the first layer of solid material including a base disposed in a direction substantially parallel to the underbody, and a protrusion that narrows in width as it extends away from the base in a direction opposing the expected trajectory of the ejecta, the protrusion narrowing to an apex;
• a second layer including a liquid mixture having a shock wave transmission velocity that is higher than a shock wave transmission velocity of the solid material of the first layer, the second layer covering at least a majority of the base of the first layer;
• and
• an exterior metal layer covering at least a majority of the first and second layers, the exterior metal layer having an exterior surface that faces away from the underbody and toward the expected trajectory of the ejecta, wherein
• the exterior metal layer extends at an angle, relative to the base of the first layer, from the apex of the protrusion of the first layer to portions of the base of the first layer that are disposed away from the protrusion;
• and
• wherein the second layer further includes a plurality of solid elongated elements that extend from the apex of the protrusion of the first layer to portions of the base of the first layer disposed away from the protrusion.