EFFECT OF PROTECTIVE PASSIVE DEFENSE MEASURES ON VULNERABILITY OF UNARMORED AUTOMOTIVE GROUND VEHICLES: VULNERABILITY OF A 2.5-TON CARGO TRUCK TO SINGLE-SHOT FRAGMENT IMPACTS AND TO DIRECT HITS WITH SMALL SHAPED CHARGES

Abstract : The vulnerability of the U. S. Army, model M-34, 2.5-ton, 6 x 6, gasoline powered cargo truck to single-shot fragment impacts and to direct hits with single, small, shaped charges is discussed. The basic version of the vehicle is unarmored. The degradation of vulnerability resulting from protective passive defense measures is investigated by considering the basic version and three modified versions of the vehicle. The four versions of the vehicle differ only in hood top and hood side panel thickness or in other protection afforded to engine components. Nine fragment impact weights, ranging from 5 grains to 1000 grains, and sixteen fragment impact velocities, ranging from 125 fps to 10,000 fps are considered relative to each of two mobility kill categories, A (two-minute) and B (twenty-minute), and to each version of the vehicle. Two shaped charges are considered relative to each of the two mobility kill categories, A and B, and to the basic version of the vehicle. Estimates of vehicle vulnerable area, averaged over azimuth for selected elevation angles and averaged over both elevation and azimuth, are presented for each of the four versions of the vehicle relative to various combinations of fragment impact weight, fragment impact velocity, and kill category. Similar averaged vulnerable area estimates are presented for the basic vehicle only relative to each of the two shaped charges.