Stryker collection (merged thread)

[Tom Odom]

"V hull" doesn't do anything to protect against mines.

There are three things that can be done: increase standoff, reduce presented area, and increase armor at the bottom hull (belly armor).

The basic, so-called, "v hull" shape of the MRAPs actually looks like:
Hull.jpg

They work because of increased standoff and reduced presented area. The "V" shape is just incidental - it doesn't lead to any "blast deflection."

BTW, these worked well when originally designed by the South Africans because they were fighting LIC in the veldt. Who cares what the silhouette is if you can still be seen coming from 20 klicks out no matter what you're driving? They work well for us today, because we're travelling relatively predictable routes, so who cares if we can be easily seen? In a different type of conflict/mission, different terrain, different threat weapon system mix, etc., they could turn out to be unfixable death traps.

The relevant dimensions for design trades are: presented area vs. vehicle height; standoff vs. vehicle height, ride stability, mobility/agilty; belly armor vs. just about everything.

John,

From METAR 3D Mine Resistan Ambush Protected (MRAP Entities)

MRAP systems are designed with a V-shaped hull that assists deflection of a mine or IED blast away from the vehicle’s interior. With their appropriate markings, accurate geometry, and damage states, MetaVR's 3D MRAP models can be used in counter-IED training scenarios. These models, which are in MetaVR’s model format, are included in the 3D content libraries that are delivered with the purchase of MetaVR products. Updates are available to current customers on Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) maintenance.

See also The protection of vehicles and plant equipment against mines and UXO

For example:

Principles for the protection against blast effect
The following principles can be incorporated into the design of vehicles and equipment
to render protection against the blast effect of mines:
�� absorption of energy,
�� deflection of blast effect away from the hull, and
�� distance from detonation point.

The V shape does play a role and so does standoff as well as presented area. To get the V-shape in a vehicle that could move cross country, increased stand-off, using a v-shaped hull to present less area, equated to increased height.

The heigth of the vehicles actually proved advantage in the areas where they were used. Namibia and Angola are desert like in many areas but with a heavy brush cover. The SADF vehicles were high enough that they were able to see over much of that brush, where a vehicle 50 to 100 yards is often invisible at ground level.

As for open ground making the height of a vehicle irrelevant, armored combat in Sinai, Iraq, and North Africa says otherwise (along of course with hundreds of rotations at the NTC). No ground aside perhaps from certain places like Bonneville, is that flat and even there the curvature of the earth means that taller vehicles are seen before shorter vehicles. The reason the South Africans did not care was the threat against those vehicles was not from direct fire anti-armor systems. When they had to deal with the Cubans, it was a new ball game.

I agree fully that while MRAP is a good thing in a COIN fight, it would be meat on the table in more conventional setting.

Best

Tom