US20140020551A1

US20140020551A1 - Impact explosion prevention of disabled rockets

Info

Publication number: US20140020551A1
Application number: US14/002,129
Authority: US
Inventors: Alon Brill; Shahar Rahav; Yaakov Ben David
Original assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2011-04-14
Filing date: 2012-03-18
Publication date: 2014-01-23
Also published as: WO2012140527A1; CA2828214A1; IL212395A0; EP2697595A1; EP2697595A4

Abstract

A vehicle protection system for vehicle windows against RPGs, comprising an RPG countermeasure mechanism (an active disruption mechanism that propels an object at an incoming RPG or a static structure) that results in a disabled RPG that cannot explode as a liner shaped charge warhead but can still explode, and a set of transparent panels attached to the vehicle, the panels large enough to cover the windows of the vehicle, the panels of the set of transparent panels inclined relative to an imaginary vertical plane nonnal to a surface that the vehicle rests on by an angle that is between 20, and 40 degrees, the panels made of rigid material, such as PMMA. for absorbing an impact from the disabled RPG so that it never reaches the threshold deceleration needed to explode.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to neutralizing RPGs, and, more particularly to controlling already disabled RPGs and preventing residual damage to vehicles.
Applicant has filed a patent application (WO 2010/029530) for an Enclosure Protecting System and Method (published Mar. 18, 2010) that neutralizes RPGs and other projectiles by preventing initiation of the shaped charge warhead of the RPG before it strikes, which _patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The aforementioned patent application describes an active disruption mechanism comprising a disrupting element propelled towards the approaching RPG that disrupts or prevents the electric initiation of the explosive by either truncating the nose-cone which carries the signal from the piezo-electric sensor to the RPG fuse or causing an electric short therein. The RPG then continues toward its target without its normal means of initiating the hyper-velocity jet from its warhead liner.
There are also static systems that similarly short circuit or disable the piezo-electric sensor/initiator. Structures may be attached to the vehicle to accomplish this. For example, the structure may be spaced apart rods or discs outside the vehicle that catch the nose cone of the incoming RPG and short circuit the piezo-electric sensor in the cone.
Since the RPG, having been disabled, nonetheless still contains an explosive charge, there is a danger that even without its normal mechanism for electric initiation of the fuse that causes the explosives to explode and create a hypervelocity axial liner, the RPG will still explode and penetrate the vehicle as a result of the sudden impact of the disabled RPG hitting the vehicle.
There is a compelling need to prevent damage to a vehicle or other object from an RPG whose piezo-electric sensor has been disabled. In particular, there is a compelling need to prevent detonation of the explosives in the disabled RPG.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is a protection system for vehicle windows against RPGs, comprising an RPG countermeasure mechanism against an RPG that results in a disabled RPG, the RPG countermeasure mechanism selected from (i) an active disruption mechanism that propels an object at an incoming RPG and (ii) a static structure attached to a vehicle to be protected; and a set of transparent panels attached to the vehicle, the panels large enough to cover the windows of the vehicle, the panels of the set of transparent panels inclined relative to an imaginary vertical plane noinial to a surface that the vehicle rests on by an angle that is between 20 and 40 degrees, the panels made of a material for absorbing an impact from the disabled RPG with no residual explosion.
A further aspect of the present invention is an RPG neutralization mechanism for a vehicle, the RPG including explosives, the RPG neutralization mechanism comprising an RPG disruption mechanism in close proximity to the vehicle for disabling a detonator mechanism of the RPG without removing the explosives and thereby resulting in a disabled RPG; a set of transparent panels covering windows of the vehicle, each transparent panel of the set configured at an incline angle of approximately 20 to 40 degrees from an imaginary vertical plane normal to a surface on which the vehicle rests and rigid so as to reduce an impulse of impact of the RPG colliding with the vehicle to below a threshold impulse of impact, the threshold impulse defined to trigger explosion of the explosives in the disabled RPG.
A still further aspect of the present invention is a vehicle protection kit against RPGs, comprising an RPG disruption mechanism attached to the vehicle for disabling an RPG without removing explosives from a detonator of the RPG and allowing a disabled RIG to impact the vehicle; a layer of foam covering non-windowed sides of the vehicle; transparent panels covering windowed sides of the vehicle, the panels inclined off a vertical plane normal to the surface on which the vehicle rests by an angle such that a disabled RPG colliding with the transparent panels after bouncing off the solid foam will have less impulse of impact than a threshold impulse of impact needed to trigger explosion of the explosives.
A still further aspect of the present invention is a method of protecting a vehicle from an RPG without adversely affecting an agility of the vehicle, comprising disabling the RPG by active disruption or static disruption, so that a disabled RPG still containing explosives impacts the vehicle; and absorbing an impact from the disabled RPG using transparent lightweight panels covering windows of the vehicle so as to reduce an impulse of impact from the disabled RPG to below a threshold level of deceleration needed for explosion, the transparent panels inclined off a vertical plane by between 20 and 40 degrees to prevent the disabled RPG from exploding.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, descriptions and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism that includes transparent panels and that includes an active RPG disruption mechanism, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A through 2D are schematic fragmentary views of a vehicle fitted with an active RPG disruption mechanism, illustrating consecutive steps of neutralizing an approaching RPG;

FIG. 2E is an isometric sectioned view of a warhead of an RPG;

FIGS. 2F and 2G correspond with FIG. 2E and schematically illustrate two ways of disabling the RPG;

FIG. 3A is a partial front view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism and an active RPG disruption mechanism and showing inclined panels on the side and front windows, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a partial front view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism in the form of inclined panels on the side and front windows of the vehicle, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a partial front view of a vehicle showing an RPG protection mechanism showing panels on windowed portions of the vehicle and showing a solid foam for non-windowed portions of one side of the vehicle, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D is a partial front view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism and an active RPG disruption mechanism and showing inclined panels on the side and front windows similar to FIG. 3A except with an alternative orientation, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3E is a partial front view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism in the form of inclined panels on the side and front windows of the vehicle similar to FIG. 3B except with an alternative orientation, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3F is a partial front view of a vehicle showing an RPG protection mechanism showing panels on windowed portions of the vehicle similar to FIG. 3C except with an alternative orientation and showing a solid foam for non-windowed portions of one side of the vehicle, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of a vehicle having an RPG protection mechanism showing panels at multiple angles on the side windows and showing a panel on the front window at one angle, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a vehicle having an RPG protection system that includes panels for windows and solid foam for non-windowed portions of a side of the vehicle; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention generally provides an RPG protection mechanism that protects windows and windowed areas of a vehicle such as a Hummer, a JLTV, an armored personnel carrier (APC) or other vehicle from RPG fire. Used in conjunction with active or passive (e.g.
bar minor) RPG protection systems, the protection system may include transparent panels inclined by about 20-40 degrees off an imaginary vertical plane normal to the floor or surface that the vehicle rests on. The panels may for example be made of PMMA or other thermoplastic material. The non-windowed portions of the vehicle may be protected using foam such as aluminum. The incoming RPG's piezeoelectric sensor may first be neutralized by an active mechanism or a passive structure. For example, an active mechanism may propel a disrupting element that may truncate or short circuit the nose cone which serves as the lead for signals from the piezo-electric sensor of the RPG thereby eliminating the risk of a shaped charge warhead explosion. The disabled RPG which then reaches the vehicle may then be decelerated by the inclined window panels so that the disabled RPG never reaches the threshold deceleration needed to cause its explosives to explode in a non-standard (non-shaped charge configuration) manner.
In contrast to the prior art RPG countermeasure systems which may actively or passively neutralize the capacity of the RPG to explode through a shaped charge configuration, but which nonetheless do not eliminate or reduce the ability of the neutralized RPG to still explode in a non-shaped charge configuration and penetrate the vehicle, the RPG protection mechanism of the present invention may prevent an explosion from a neutralized.RPG. When used in conjunction with active or passive disruption mechanisms, the present invention may neutralize and then prevent such an explosion. It may do this by reducing the impulse of impact of a disabled RPG to below a threshold level needed to explode. In further contrast to prior art RPG countermeasure systems, which may be suitable for protection of some parts of a vehicle but not windowed portions of the vehicle, or portions through which occupants need to look through, the countermeasure mechanism of the present invention may—alone or in conjunction with solid foam on the non-windowed portions of the vehicle—protect against explosion of an RPG coming toward the windows of the vehicle. Nonetheless, the windowed portions of the vehicle may still be usable to look through. In still further contrast to prior art RPG countermeasure systems that may merely thicken the walls of the vehicle, thereby making the vehicle less agile, the RPG disruption mechanism of the present invention may prevent the RPG from exploding and penetrating the vehicle without adding significant weight to the vehicle, and without limiting the vehicle's agility and military value.
The principles and operation of a method and system for a RPG protection mechanism according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
Applicant has conducted experiments in which rocket fire from an RPG was directed against a rigid wall. In the first experiment, the piezo-electric sensor was disconnected but not removed and the fuse and explosives left intact. In some of the cases, an explosion occurred that was not a liner axial jet formation. In the second experiment, the fuse of the RPG was removed and replaced with an inert object but the explosives and piezo-electric sensor were left intact. No is shaped charge axial jet formation resulted in any of the tries and no explosion occurred when the main fuse of the RPG crashed into the wall. This indicates that the fuse is necessary to cause an explosion. This suggests that if the piezo-electric sensor is in place even if the piezo-electric sensor is disconnected, an explosion can occur from the forces developing on the fuse during its impact into the wall.
The term “disabled RPG” should be understood to mean an RPG that can still explode but cannot explode in a shaped charge configuration in its normal manner because either its piezo-electric sensor has been truncated from the RPG or an electric short circuit (i.e. between an aerodynamic cover and an inner metal envelope cone) has caused a failure in the detonator to ignite, in either case resulting in the RPG losing the ability to explode in its normal shaped charge configuration. Example of a disabled RPG 80 are shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D. “Disabling an RPG” means disrupting the RPG so as to make it a “disabled RPG”.
As seen from FIG. 1, a vehicle may have side walls 12, rear wall 14, front wall 13 (see FIGS. 3A-3F), roof 18, bottom 20 (chassis) and doors 30A, 30B. The vehicle also has a protection system 10 or assembly 10 for windowed areas or windows of a vehicle 15 against RPGs may comprise a set of panels 20 that may be attached to the vehicle 15 and are large enough to cover the windows 16 (see FIGS. 3A-3F) or the windowed areas 16 (see FIGS. 3A-3F) of the vehicle 15. In some embodiments, some or all of the panels 20 may extend the full height of the vehicle and thereby even cover metallic portions of the side doors.
Under normal circumstances, the panels in the set of panels are transparent so that the windows still functional: As shown in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C, the panels 20 of set of panels may be inclined relative to an imaginary vertical plane P normal to the surface S that the vehicle rests on by an angle that is between 20 and 40 degrees. Preferably, the angle of incline of panels 20 from plane P is about 25 degrees off the vertical, or in other preferred embodiments between 20 and 30 or between 30 and 40 or between 25 and 30 degrees or between 25 and 35 degrees off the vertical plane. FIGS. 3D-3F show an alternative orientation of the inclined panels 20, otherwise similar to the FIGS. 3A-3C respectively, in which the angle off the vertical plane is similar in magnitude but oriented in a different direction. Protection system 10 may also utilize combinations of inclined panels 20 with different orientations.
The transparent panels 20 may be made of a material such that the panels can dissipate the kinetic energy of the incoming disabled RPG, and may deflect a disabled RPG. An example of such a material is a thermoplastic, which may be poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA.
In some preferred embodiments, each of the panels 20 in the set of panels is inclined at the same or similar angles to the vertical plane. In other cases, however, multiple panels may be configured together to form shapes that in combination dissipate the kinetic energy of the disabled RPG and prevent its explosion. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a first panel 22 and a second panel 24 of the set of transparent panels may be configured so that an upper end 22 a of the first panel intersects the vertical plane while a lower end 24 b of the second panel 24 intersects the vertical plane. Furthermore, the first and second panels may also be joined at a lower end 22 b of the first panel and at an upper end 24 a of the second panel 24 so as to form substantially “V” shape, as shown in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIG. 1, the protection system 10 may also include an active RPG countermeasure mechanism 26 that may be an active disruption mechanism or a static structure. Other elements shown in FIG. 1 which may form part of the active disruption system include radar 60 for early detection of the RPG which may initialize the disruption mechanism upon processing of the detection signals by the controller 75. An example of a static structure is a structure attached to the vehicle 15. An example of an active disruption mechanism is described in the above-referenced patent application (WO 2010/029530) for an Enclosure Protecting System and Method (published Mar. 18, 2010) that neutralizes RPGs and other projectiles by preventing initiation of the jet stream explosion of the explosive material of the RPG before it strikes. As shown in FIGS. 2A through 2D, this active disruption mechanism may include a propelling mechanism for propelling a projectile 48 at an incoming fused RPG 80, thereby resulting in a disabled RPG 80. The RPG disruption mechanism may be in close proximity to the vehicle and may launch a disrupter that truncates the piezo-electric sensor or causes a failure in the detonator mechanism of the RPG, thereby resulting in a “disabled RPG”. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A through 2D (especially FIGS. 2A, 2C) the disruption mechanism may include a casing having a trough-like anvil portion 46 supporting a propelling mechanism for propelling a disrupting element 48 toward an approaching RPG and an activation system for activating the propelling mechanism so as to truncate or disable piezo-electric sensor 98 or else create an electric short circuit that results in failure of the detonator 94 (FIG. 2G) to ignite. This may be further understood from FIGS. 2E through 2G. FIG. 2E is a sectioned isometric view of a typical RPG warhead 80. The warhead is a shaped charge comprising a cylinder of explosive 82 with a metal-lined conical hollow (liner) 84, an inner metal envelope cone 86 which together constitute a hollow space 88, a detonator 94 in conjunction with the explosive 82, the detonator 94 being electrically coupled to a piezo-electric sensor 98 at a fore end of the warhead via a conductive aerodynamic cover 90 and the inner metal envelope core 86. Upon impact of the Piezo-electric sensor 98 of a non-disabled RPG with a target, an electric current generates and is conducted via the conductive aerodynamic cover 90 and the inner metal envelope core 86 and the liner 84 to ignite the detonator 94 resulting in detonation of the explosive 82. Disabling/truncating the piezo-electric sensor 98 (FIG. 2F) or create the aforementioned electric short circuit to create a disabled RPG will result in failure of the detonator 94 to ignite and the explosive charge 82 from exploding in a shaped charge configuration.
Panels 20 should be rigid enough to deflect an incoming RPG, that is to affect its movement. “Deflect” does not necessarily mean that the RPG remains in one piece and does not break after impacting the panels 20. Accordingly, when the disabled RPG that still contains the undetonated explosives reaches the vehicle, the inclined window panels 20 may deflect the disabled RPG and reduce an impulse of impact of the RPG colliding with the vehicle to below a threshold impulse of impact, the threshold impulse defined to trigger explosion of the explosives in the disabled RPG. This threshold impulse may be 9 G units of acceleration (standard gravity: 9.80665 meters per second squared). In some preferred embodiments, panels 20 may by configured to reduce the impulse of impact of the disabled RPG to no more than 7 G units of acceleration, and in other preferred embodiments, to no more than 6 G, or to no more than 5 G.
The inclined panels 20 or boards 20 may also deflect the disabled RPG so as to make it less likely to penetrate the vehicle 15. For example, the deflection may generate a transverse component in the motion of the disabled RPG thereby dissipating some of its kinetic energy and when the disabled RPG impacts the vehicle the deceleration force against the vehicle may be lessened to a level below the threshold level needed to trigger detonation of the explosives in the disabled RPG.
As seen in FIG. 3C and FIG. 3F (which show the protection system 10 without an RPG disruption mechanism), the protection system 10 may also include a layer of a shock absorbing element (e.g. a metallic or polymeric foam) 50 covering the non-windowed portion of the vehicle, for example side walls and roof and the rest of the chassis. As shown in FIG. 3F, the transparent panels 20 may be angled such that the transparent panels 20 extend out to a surface of the layer of shock absorbing foam 50 and meet a non-transparent block 51 that houses, the solid foam 50. Accordingly, if a disabled RPG bounces off the foam, it can be further decelerated so as to reduce its impact force. If the deceleration force or impulse of impact is below a threshold impulse, the explosives in the disabled detonator will not explode and the disabled RPG will not even penetrate the vehicle 15.
By utilizing thermoplastic, panels 20 may be lightweight so the vehicle need not lose a significant amount of agility. For example, in one illustrative but non-limiting example of weights and areas, a Hummer had both windowed and non-windowed shock absorption mechanisms (i.e. foam 50 over non-windowed sides and panels 20 over windowed areas). Each of the two side surfaces had covered or protected areas that spanned 2 square meters. The weight of the combination of the solid foam and set of transparent thermoplastic panels came out to 45 kilograms. The weight of the panels was therefore a small fraction of the weight of the vehicle (approximately 3,000 kg) and did not meaningfully affect its agility.
In some versions, one of more of the transparent panels may have associated therewith a rotatable flexion region, for example a hinge, for rotation of the one or more transparent panels to compensate for varying topographical situations and thereby present an inclined surface to an incoming disabled RPG fired from a hilltop relative to a surface on which the vehicle stands.
The present invention may also be described as a vehicle protection kit against RPGs, comprising an RPG disruption mechanism 26 attached to the vehicle for disabling the RPG (i.e. creating a “disabled RPG, as defined, by truncating the piezo-electric sensor or disabling the detonator mechanism of the RPG) without removing explosives from the detonator of the RPG and allowing a disabled RPG to impact the vehicle. The RPG disruption mechanism may include active RPG countermeasure mechanism 26 or a static mechanism such as structure attached to the vehicle (not shown). The vehicle protection kit may also include a layer of solid foam 50 covering non-windowed sides of the vehicle and transparent panels 20 covering windowed sides of the vehicle, the panels inclined off a vertical plane normal to the surface on which the vehicle rests by an angle such that a disabled RPG colliding with the transparent panels after being decelerated will have less impulse of impact than a threshold impulse of impact needed to trigger explosion of the explosives.
As shown in FIG. 6, the present invention may also be described as a method 100 of protecting a vehicle from an RPG without adversely affecting an agility of the vehicle. Method 100 may have a step 110 of disabling the RPG (creating a disabled RPG, as defined) which may be by active disruption or static disruption, so that the disabled RPG still containing explosives impacts the vehicle. The active disruption may be disabling the detonator mechanism of the RPG for example by activating an activation system to deliver a disturbing element that either truncates the piezo-electric sensor of the RPG or short circuits the detonator mechanism, or the neutralizing may be a static structure attached to the vehicle that short circuits or otherwise completely neutralizes the piezo-electric sensor thereby avoiding a jet stream explosion. The static structure may be a set of rods or discs or spheres. As a result of the disabling of the RPG, a disabled RPG containing explosives may continue toward and impact the vehicle.
A further step 120 of method 100 may involve absorbing an impact from deflecting the disabled RPG using transparent lightweight panels 20 covering windows of the vehicle so as to reduce the impulse of impact from the disabled RPG to below a threshold level of deceleration needed for explosion, the transparent panels inclined off a vertical plane by between 20 and 40 degrees (and preferably between about 20 to 30 degrees or between about 25 to 35 degrees) to prevent the disabled RPG from exploding and penetrating the vehicle. The panels need not add significant weight to the vehicle and hence the method of protection need not reduce the agility and value of the vehicle.
The method may in some versions also include a step of using solid foam 50, such as aluminum foam, around non-windowed sections of the vehicle to reduce the impulse of impact from the disabled RPG against non-windowed sections of the vehicle. The method may also include reducing the impulse of impact from the disabled RPG to below a threshold level of deceleration needed for explosion, which threshold level may be 9 G.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A protection system for vehicle windows against RPGs, comprising:

an RPG countermeasure mechanism against an RPG that results in a disabled RPG, the RPG countermeasure mechanism selected from (i) an active disruption mechanism that propels an object at an incoming RPG and (ii) a static structure attached to a vehicle to be protected; and

a set of transparent panels attached to the vehicle, the panels large enough to cover the windows of the vehicle, the panels of the set of transparent panels inclined relative to an imaginary vertical plane normal to a surface that the vehicle rests on by an angle that is between 20 and 40 degrees, the panels made of a material for absorbing an impact from the disabled RPG with no residual explosion.

2. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the material is a rigid then thermoplastic.

3. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the material is poly(methyl methacrylate).

4. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising a layer of shock absorbing foam covering a non-windowed portion of the vehicle.

5. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the angle is such that the transparent panels extend out to a surface of a layer of shock absorbing foam that covers a non-windowed portion of the vehicle.

6. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising each of the transparent panels inclined to a vertical position by an angle that is between 25 and 35 degrees.

7. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising a first panel and a second panel of the set of transparent panels, an upper end of the first panel intersecting the vertical plane, a lower end of the second panel intersecting the vertical plane.

8. The protection system of claim 7, further comprising the first and second panels joined at a lower end of the first panel and at an upper end of the second panel.

9. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the active disruption mechanism comprises:

an RPG disruption mechanism in close proximity to the vehicle for launching a disrupter that disables a detonator mechanism of the RPG;

a casing having an anvil supporting a propelling mechanism for propelling a disrupting element toward an approaching RPG; and

an activation system for activating the propelling mechanism.

10. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a layer of foam surrounding walls of the vehicle other than windows of the vehicle.

11. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 10, wherein the foam is selected from a metal and a polymer.

12. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 11, wherein the foam is made from aluminum.

13. An RPG neutralization mechanism for a vehicle, the RPG including explosives, the RPG neutralization mechanism comprising:

an RPG disruption mechanism in close proximity to the vehicle for disabling a detonator mechanism of the RPG without removing the explosives and thereby resulting in a disabled RPG;

a set of transparent panels covering windows of the vehicle, each transparent panel of the set configured at an incline angle of approximately 20 to 40 degrees from an imaginary vertical plane normal to a surface on which the vehicle rests and rigid so as to reduce an impulse of impact of the RPG colliding with the vehicle to below a threshold impulse of impact, the threshold impulse defined to trigger explosion of the explosives in the disabled RPG.

14. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 13, wherein the transparent panels are configured to reduce the impulse of impact of the RPG to no more than 7 G.

15. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 13, wherein the transparent panels are made of a rigid thermoplastic.

16. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 13, wherein the transparent panels are made from poly(methyl methacrylate).

17. The RPG neutralization mechanism of claim 13, wherein the incline angle is approximately 25 degrees.

18. A vehicle protection kit against RPGs, comprising:

an RPG disruption mechanism attached to the vehicle for disabling an RPG without removing explosives from a detonator of the RPG and allowing a disabled RPG to impact the vehicle;

a layer of foam covering non-windowed sides of the vehicle;

transparent panels covering windowed sides of the vehicle, the panels inclined off a vertical plane normal to the surface on which the vehicle rests by an angle such that a disabled RPG colliding with the transparent panels after bouncing off the solid foam will have less impulse of impact than a threshold impulse of impact needed to trigger explosion of the explosives.

19. The vehicle protection kit of claim 18, wherein the transparent panels are configured to reduce the impulse of impact of the RPG to no more than 7 G.

20. The vehicle protection kit of claim 18, wherein the angle is 20 to 25 degrees.

21. A method of protecting a vehicle from an RPG without adversely affecting an agility of the vehicle, comprising:

disabling the RPG by active disruption or static disruption, so that a disabled RPG still containing explosives impacts the vehicle; and

absorbing an impact from the disabled RPG using transparent lightweight panels covering windows of the vehicle so as to reduce an impulse of impact from the disabled RPG to below a threshold level of deceleration needed for explosion, the transparent panels inclined off a vertical plane by between 20 and 40 degrees to prevent the disabled RPG from exploding.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising

using solid foam around non-windowed sections of the vehicle to reduce the impulse of impact from the disabled RPG against non-windowed sections of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising absorbing the impact from the disabled RPG using the transparent lightweight panels so as to reduce an impulse of impact from the disabled RPG to no more than 7 G.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the transparent panels inclined off a vertical plane by between 25 and 35 degrees.