Radictistan wrote:
Not necessarily for Radictistani cops.
I've been trying to hash out a story about a currency transfer convoy being ambushed and it's got me wondering just how much armor protection you could realistically have on a fairly normal police car. Given the known/purported protection-to-weight ratios for RL vehicles I can't imagine you could protect against anything other than small arms. Even medium calibers with AP ammunition requires quite a bit of weight to keep out. And I have a hard time believing that even something like this could be made RPG-resistant...
Slap ERA on and problem solved
Or cage/mesh/chain armor - I think that was particularly effective against RPGs.
Something that baffled me for a long time - peel and stick armor:
Armor Systems International uses a combination of multi-layer fabrics and adhesives, formed into flexible or rigid panels, providing protection up to level IV (NIJ 0108.01 standard) with proven multiple hits protection capability from up to .50 cal armor-piercing rounds.
The unique design uses a special adhesive layer which attaches the protection panel securely to almost any smooth surface, providing immediate threat protection. On armored vehicles Aztik 100 can also be used as a spall liner, to provides ballistics and ricochet protection inside the vehicle. Panels can also be applied to protect security checkpoints, guard shacks and other sensitive installations.
Following successful tests by the USMC and the US Army Rapid Equipping Force, 19 piece Aztik 100 armor protection kits were shipped to Afghanistan, to protect Humvees. The 19-piece Aztik 100™ HMMWV (Humvee) armor kit can be installed in the field within two hours by two soldiers. It includes door panels, floor protection, and a rear-protection panel, as well as armored seat cushions and bullet-resistant glass.
A Vancouver, Wash.-based company is supplying Humvee armor kits for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Army Humvees will be the first military vehicles outfitted with a peel-and-stick armoring system manufactured by Armor Systems International. ASI representatives are now at a U.S. military base, where they will load 15 Aztik 100 armor kits onto a cargo plane bound for troops in Kandahar early next week.
The Army's Rapid Equipping Force ordered the Aztik armor kits in December for use in Iraq but determined a greater need for these resources in Afghanistan.
"We're excited to demonstrate the effectiveness and uniqueness of our armored HMMWV kit solution to American soldiers in Afghanistan," said ASI President and CEO Terry Billedeaux. "This product is long overdue and will protect our troops from deadly" munitions. Over the next couple of weeks, the ASI team will train troops to install the armor, observe its performance in the combat environment and gather feedback from soldiers for future product enhancements.
The panels, made of a composite, can deflect high-caliber arms fire and fragmentation from roadside bombs as well as, or better than, conventional steel-plate armor, according to the company. ASI's armor, however, is much lighter than steel-plate, and addresses a critical concern. The suspension and transmission systems of military vehicles often are unable to withstand the weight of steel armor, ASI officials said in a written statement.
ASI's 19-piece Aztik 100 HMMWV [Humvee] armor kit includes door panels, floor protection, a rear-protection panel, seat cushions and bullet-resistant glass. Two soldiers can install the system in the field in less than two hours, enabling almost instant protection from deadly arms fire.