List of Menghean reactive armour types

This article contains a list of reactive armour types used by Menghe. Some of these ERA types are well-documented outside of Menghe, while others are partially or entirely classified.

PBJ-1 through 4 were developed for main battle tanks, to be used on the hull upper glacis plate and turret face and to a lesser extent on the sides of the hull. PBJ-2 through 4 in particular have large explosive masses, and can only be mounted on top of thick armour plates, lest they bend the backing armour and generate spalling inside the crew compartment. These types also produce a large amount of metal shrapnel when activated, posing a risk to dismounted infantry near the tank.

PBJ-1

Commonly known as "first-generation ERA" or "Type 1 ERA," PBJ-1 (1호 폭발반응장갑, il-ho pokbakbanŭngjangganb) was the first type of reactive armour to see service in Menghe, introduced on the JCh-5D main battle tank in 1991. It is based on the Letnian Kontakt-1 ERA, with small brick-like modules each containing two explosive strips sandwiched between steel plates. It is only effective against HEAT ammunition, and tandem HEAT ammunition can generally defeat it. The reactive armour modules are also overly sensitive, and can be triggered by shrapnel and autocannon fire.

PBJ-2

PBJ-2 is the successor to PBJ-1, introduced in 2002 on the JCh-5R MBT. In line with the PBJ-1, it is typically known in open-source documents as "second-generation ERA." It consists of large, narrow panels measuring approximately 40 by 25 centimeters. Each panel consists of a steel outer plate, an explosive filler, and a steel inner plate. In addition to disrupting HEAT charges, PBJ-2 is reportedly able to reduce the effectiveness of APFSDS penetrators, likely by inducing yaw or shear forces as the penetrator passes through the plates moving in opposite directions. It is less sensitive as well: the outer plates can deflect small-arms fire without reducing the module's effectiveness, and autocannon fire will not detonate the explosive filler.

PBJ-3

PBJ-3 (likewise mistranslated in most sources as "third-generation ERA") was introduced as a hasty response to the Maverican Zk.3 Bison tank, which reportedly carried unitary 125mm ammunition similar to that of the JCh-5. Concerned that PBJ-2 ERA was not sufficient to stop the longer penetrating rod of the Zk.3, the Menghean Army urged the rapid adoption of a prototype ERA concept still in testing by one of the Army's own in-house development labs, granting it the PBJ-3 designation. PBJ-3 first appeared on the JCh-6N main battle tank, which was introduced in 2008, one year after the Zk.3 Bison.

Each PBJ-3 module consists of a row of linear shaped charges with crescent cross sections. These are detonated by a wire running along the back of the module. Early sources on the PBJ-3 claim that it neutralizes long-rod APFSDS penetrators by slicing them into segments with a series of "knives" produced by the linear shaped charges. Independent simulations have cast doubt on the effectiveness of this system, as the shaped charges are deformed by the projectile's impact and are unlikely to penetrate a supersonic tungsten rod even under ideal conditions. Some analysts speculate that Menghean Army reports on the effectiveness of "third-generation ERA" may have been part of a wider disinformation campaign.

The Menghean Army apparently concurred with these analyses in private, because PBJ-3 was never refitted to the JCh-5. Instead, the JCh-6N1 was unveiled in 2012 with the more conventional PBJ-4 ERA, and existing JCh-6Ns were refitted with the new type as well.

PBJ-4

PBJ-4 ERA is the successor to PBJ-3, and the first Menghean reactive armour type first introduced abroad under its formal designation rather than a "generation" number. It apparently reverts to the same conceptual layout as PBJ-2, with an explosive mass sandwiched between steel plates, but increases the mass of both the explosive and the plates. Photos from live-fire tests suggest that the angled outer plates are able to entirely withstand 30mm APFSDS ammunition, which does not trigger the explosive layer. PBJ-4 also purportedly reduces the probability of one ERA module detonating adjacent modules, improving the system's longevity. Like PBJ-2, however, it uses large plates, any one of which would create a substantial hole in the armour.

PBJ-4 is reportedly most effective when the striking projectile impacts at an angle of more than 60 degrees from pernendicular. It also requires an especially thick backing: according to one source, the armour plate behind it must be no thinner than 75mm in order to avoid damage to the vehicle's own hull, though this may represent an especially generous margin. For this reason, it is typically mounted on the turret face and hull glacis plate of tanks, sometimes with a spacing brace between the module and the hull. It is typically not fitted on the sides of the turret or hull.

Hodu

Hodu ("Walnut") is a type of lightweight ERA developed by Samsan Defense in the 2010s. It was accepted for service in 2016 on the N1 variant of the BSCh-8 IFV. It comes in two types. Hodu-S modules are designed to be mounted on the hull sides and vertical surfaces of the hull front, and contain stacked steel-and-explosive sandwich units angled at 60 degrees from vertical. This means that even a projectile striking directly from 90 degrees off the hull centerline strikes the reactive armor sandwich at an angle of 60 degrees.

Hodu ERA is oriented toward HEAT rather than KE threats, and is meant to protect the side of a vehicle from anti-tank rockets fired by infantry. It is reportedly not effective against APFSDS projectiles, but may be mounted atop an additional a hardened steel or composite plate, as on the BSCh-8 variants carrying it, to increase side-arc protection against autocannon fire.