THE FIRST TANK WITH COMPOSITE ARMOUR | Chieftain vs T-64 Object 432 | Armour Penetration Simulation
The T-64 was the first tank enter service with composite armour, with the initial version featuring a steel and aluminium turret.
The simulation presents the impact of the Chieftain's 120mm L15A5 Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) on the upper glacis of the T-72 Ural/T-64A at ~250m. The projectile features a tungsten-nickel-copper core and tilting cap, with relatively low tensile strength and elongation compared to more modern tungsten alloys.
The turret cheeks are particularly thick, with the impact point resulting in a Line of Sight (LoS) thickness of ~330mm 260BHN Cast Homogenous Armour (CHA) and ~270mm of cast aluminium. For reference, the L15 projectile was the most effective in-service NATO kinetic round for most of the 60's and 70's, being able to penetrate ~300mm LoS RHA.
