How does reactive armor work on tanks?

Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. Essentially all anti-tank munitions work by piercing the armour and then either killing the crew inside, or disabling vital mechanical systems, or both.

How thick is the armor on a M1 Abrams?

For the base model M1 Abrams, Steven J. Zaloga gives a frontal armor estimate of 350 mm vs armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (APFSDS) and 700 mm vs high-explosive anti-tank warhead (HEAT) in M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982–1992 (1993).

Are the Abrams reactive armor tiles a good idea?

Unfortunately, the Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles might not be the best solution for the threats at hand. U.S. Army soldiers in Europe are adding extra protection to their M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks in the form of explosive reactive armor.

How do Russian tanks defend themselves against missile attacks?

By contrast, modern Russian tanks routinely carry reactive armor tiles, which preemptively detonate in the path of incoming warheads; infrared dazzlers, which blind the sensors of anti-tank guided missiles; and active-protection systems, which physically shoot down inbound munitions like a miniaturized missile defense.

Why is the US Army adding active protection to Abrams tanks?

The capitals of NATO members Estonia and Latvia are both less than 200 miles from Russian border—or one tank of gas for a company of T-72B3. This is why the Army has been working to add a so-called active protection system to the Abrams, as well as the Bradley fighting vehicles, Strykers and the future Armored Multipurpose Vehicle (AMPV).

Why is the US Army adding explosive to M1A2 tanks?

U.S. Army soldiers in Europe are adding extra protection to their M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks in the form of explosive reactive armor. The explosive-filled packages could help the tanks stand up to increasingly advanced tanks and anti-tank munitions, like the ones Russia is developing or has already fielded to its own forces.