SPACED ARMOUR Meaning and
Definition
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Spaced armor refers to a type of protective arrangement used in armored vehicles or military defense systems to enhance their resilience against projectile attacks. It is specifically designed to improve the vehicle's ability to withstand high-velocity impacts and minimize damage from kinetic energy or explosive rounds.
Space armor consists of two or more layers of armor plates with a physical gap or space between them. This gap is filled with various materials such as rubber, air, or other composites to create a buffer zone. The primary purpose of spaced armor is to disrupt or deflect the incoming projectile's trajectory and dissipate its energy before it reaches the main armor layer.
The spacing between the plates and the material used in the gap play crucial roles in determining the effectiveness of spaced armor. The gap distance is carefully chosen to ensure that the projectile's path is altered or destabilized significantly, reducing its penetrating power. Additionally, the material inside the gap is selected to absorb and distribute the transferred energy, decreasing its impact on the main armor layer.
By incorporating spaced armor, military engineers aim to provide additional protection against threats such as shaped charge warheads, high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, or kinetic energy penetrators. The design principle behind spaced armor is to disrupt the effectiveness of incoming projectiles by creating a complex interaction that limits their ability to penetrate the vehicle's vital areas.
Overall, spaced armor is utilized to enhance the survivability of armored vehicles by offering an effective defense mechanism against various types of anti-armor munitions.
Etymology of SPACED ARMOUR
The term "spaced armor" is derived from the combination of the words "space" and "armor". Let's break down the etymology of each word:
1. Space: The word "space" originates from the Latin word "spatium", which means "an interval" or "an area". It eventually evolved into the Old French word "espace" and from there into the Middle English word "space".
2. Armor: The term "armor" comes from the Old French word "armure", which means "protective covering" or "equipment". "Armure" is derived from the Latin word "armatura", meaning "arms" or "armament".
Combining these two words, "spaced" refers to the gaps or intervals, while "armor" denotes the protective covering.
