Transparent tanks? Army scientists discover new ways to make armor

[rangerrebew]

Transparent tanks? Army scientists discover new ways to make armor
Todd South
 

Recently published research by Army scientists could one day lead to transparent vehicle armor, essentially made from materials you could buy at Home Depot.

Dr. Kevin Masser explained to Army Times that the research found new ways to employ — with minor adjustments — common polymers, the kind used to make face shields, safety glasses, even those plastic barriers now ubiquitous at checkout counters.

No, the scientists aren’t out to produce no-see-um tanks a la Wonder Woman’s invisible jet. But with just a few tweaks, researchers were able to increase the material’s ballistic performance by more than 400 percent, which could have profound significance for future combat vehicles.

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2020/09/19/transparent-tanks-army-scientists-discover-new-ways-to-make-armor/

[PeteS in CA]

If I understand correctly, current tank armor is composite, armor-grade steel, Kevlar, and possibly some sort of ceramic. Each has its own type of resistance to penetration, so another material with its own peculiar type of resistance could make for an even more resistant composite (or types of composites).