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Kontakt-V explosive reactive armour provides effective protection against modern anti-tank missiles 32503162

Military Defense Industry Technology - Explosive reactive armour

Kontakt-V explosive reactive armour provides effective protection against modern anti-tank missiles

Russian Kontakt-V advanced explosive reactive armour (ERA) developed by NII Stali (a subsidiary of the Tractor Plants concern) provides effective protection against modern anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) armed with shaped-charge tandem warheads, according to the chief of the NII Stali`s ERA Development Department, Nikolai Dorokhov.

A T-72AV protected with explosive reactive armour (ERA) Kontakt-1

He mentioned the case, when rebels in Syria unsuccessfully tried to destroy T-90A main battle tank (MBT) equipped with Kontakt-V ERA, using TOW-2 ATGM system with BGM-71E anti-tank missiles. "TOW-2A system can easily penetrate up to 920 mm of steel armour. If the T-90A tank had not been equipped with Kontakt-V ERA, the MBT`s turret would have been pierced.

Kontakt-V reduces the armour-piercing capabilities of ATGM by 60%, of rocket-propelled anti-tank grenades - by 90%, of armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) shells - by 20%," Dorokhov said.

He pointed out, that tanks equipped with Kontakt-1 ERA bricks (the predecessor of Kontakt-V armour) were also being used during the conflict in Syria. "We know several cases, when MBTs equipped with Kontakt-1 ERA could withstand up to seven hits by rocket-propelled anti-tank grenades and saved their combat value", Dorokhov emphasized.

According to official data issued by NII Stali, Kontakt-V ERA increases the resistance of basic steel armour by 400-500 mm against ATGMs and rocket-propelled anti-tank grenades, by 200-250 mm against anti-tank shaped-charge rounds, by 20% against APFSDS rounds.