"Affects of HESH on ERA?" Topic

I know how ERA works against HEAT, the explosion in the ERA disrupts the forming jet reducing it's effectivness and also putting more metal from the plates around the explosive in front of the jet as it expands out, effectivley making a greater thickness of armour.

The advanced stuff also works against Sabot rounds by the movement of the plates putting more material in front of the penetrator and also possibly cutting it in half reducing the effectivness.

What I don't know is what happens when a HESH round hits. I'd guess that because it's mounted over the normal armour it reducess the effectivness of the shockwave transmisson. Also the explosion of the ERA might effect the explosion that forms the shockwave? Also I'd guess that because the round spreads out before detonating it would damage a greater area of ERA, reducing it's coverage more than a hit by a HEAT round?

Does anyone out there know?

Does anyone out there care? (apart from me)

I care but dont know.

Try searching on "HESH versus ERA" and you'll turn up several discussions of the subject. Consensus seems to be that the ERA will probably stop one hit from pentrating by reducing the shockwave transmission as you said, but the HESH blast effect (even deformed) will strip most or all of the other facing ERA blocks, leaving a much larger area exposed to follow-up shots. The blast may still concuss the crew and damage optics, strip radio antenni, etc – the ERA won't stop that, just buffer it a bit.

Of course, it's the internet talking, so don't bet your life on it being 100% accurate.

'Of course, it's the internet talking, so don't bet your life on it being 100% accurate.'

We need a non-nuclear world war. That'll test all these theories.

I seem to recall in the 80s the teaching was that a HESH round would strip the ERA off and break lots of bits both inside and out, whilst knocking the crew about because of the sheer force of the blast-bring back the Wombat!Then things got complex with tandem warheads etc,

Tally Ho!

I would expect the ERA boxes themselves -- and the fact that they contains explosive doesn't really matter in this case -- to disprupt the formation of the HESH "cowpat", and so render it ineffective. But, as mentioned, I'd also expect to see quite a lot of the ERA boxes stripped off.

Certainly we should bring back Wombat, HESH is great fun, and probably a cheaper way of destroying sangars in Sangin than the "Porsche".

All the best,

John.

Regardless … I wouldn't what to be in the AFV if this occurred …