The Impact of Armor on the Design, Utilization and Survivability of Ground Vehicles The History of Armor Development and Use

Abstract

Armor is a key component of ground vehicle survivability, as has been developed and redesigned throughout history in response to different threats and missions. This thesis aims to study and analyze the how armor has changed through major conflicts, from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and some of the driving factors that influenced those changes. This thesis would also do a discussion on the threats ground vehicles are expected to face and how they work, which has significant implications on how armor can be designed to defeat them or minimize the damage sustained as a result. Finally, this thesis would discuss the various aspects of armor design that can be looked at to reduce the vulnerability of a ground vehicle, and how they are characterized. This thesis also aims to set a foundation for the development of a ground vehicle survivability discipline in NPS in the future.