Kontakt 5

Kontakt-5 is a type of reactive armor third generation of Soviet origin. It is the first type of reactive armor capable of providing effective protection against ammunition APFSDS.

Made up of "bricks" of explosive sandwiched between two sheets of metal, entered service in 1985 to equip the tank T-80U. The plates are arranged so as to move sideways rapidly when the explosive detonates. This forces the more armor piercing passing through the thickness of the plate itself, as more metal is putting the projectile. The piercing will also be subjected to powerful forces leterales, which could be large enough to break the projectile into two or more pieces. This significantly reduces the penetration of the piercing capabilities as the point of impact is dissipated over a larger volume of armor.

The shielding effectiveness of Kontakt-5 was confirmed in tests conducted by the Bundeswehr German and U.S. Army. The Germans tried the Kontakt-5 mounted on tanks T-72 and correspondent Pentagon Leland Ness confirmed that "when applied to T-72 tanks, the heavy reactive armor made them immune to the APFSDS of DU fired by 120 mm guns of U.S. tanks M1 Abrams, Who were among the most formidable tank shells at the time. "This applies, of course, when the projectile hits the reactive armor, which only covers 60% of the frontal aspect of a T-72 in which it is mounted.

New piercing, such as M829A2 M829A3 U.S., have been improved to overcome the design of Kontakt-5 (although it is also made improvements to Kontakt-5, see T-84 and T-90.) The M829A2 was the immediate response, developed in part to confront the new armor bricks explosive. The M829A3 incorporates further improvements and is designed to meet future armor protection methods. In response to the M829A3, the Russian Army Relikt produced his most modern reactive armor, which would provide twice the protection that the Kontakt-5.

The shielding Kontakt-5 is used by Russia and Ukraine.

The Kontakt-5 has been superseded by newer Kaktus tthat only seen on prototype tanks such as Chyorny Oryol.