Armor constructed from multiple layers of different materials (ceramics, metals, plastics, fibers like Kevlar or UHMWPE) bonded together to achieve synergistic defensive properties greater than any single component. It works on the "layered defense" principle: a hard ceramic outer layer shatters and blunts a projectile, a fibrous middle layer catches the fragments and absorbs energy through deformation, and a tough backing plate stops any final penetration. It's lightweight, modular, and highly effective against a range of threats.
Example: The body armor plates worn by modern soldiers are Composite Armor, typically a ceramic strike face (like boron carbide) backed by ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers. The armor on a main battle tank, like Chobham armor, is a more complex composite of ceramics, metals, and air gaps designed to defeat shaped-charge jets.
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 3, 2026
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