High-Velocity Impact of Encased Al/PTFE Projectiles on Structural Aluminum Armor

In support of the U.S. Army's science and advanced technology objective in hypervelocity penetration mechanics, the Army Research Laboratory has been studying the terminal ballistics of conventional and non-conventional high-velocity kinetic energy projectiles against urban, light-armor and heavy-armor targets. The purpose is to identify and analyze both mechanisms and concepts to effectively defeat a range of targets with inert payloads using the elevated impact velocities available from future delivery systems. To this end, a series of experiments has been performed launching low-aspect-ratio aluminum and steel cylindrical projectiles, aluminum conical projectiles, and encased reactive material projectiles, with nominal masses between 200 and 240-gm, striking finite aluminum armor at nominal velocities of 2100 m/s to observe crater and spall formation and to determine the damage capacity of the debris.