Wooden Armor vs Anti-Tank Weapons

YouTube / The Military Show

Thinking Outside The Box

RPGs have no problem taking down pieces of wood and paper, right? Well, not really.

When the ISIS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf group attacked Marawi, Philippines, in 2017, the Filipino forces accrued heavy losses due to how vulnerable their armored personnel carriers were to the RPG-2s.

To counter them, the Filipino forces decided to attach thick pieces of wood – and even cardboard, to the hulls of their tanks and vehicles. 

The move turned out to be surprisingly effective, as the RPG-2s used by the occupiers utilized a warhead that triggered the moment it hit anything. 

When the rocket hits the wood and cardboard, it detonates before impacting the actual armor underneath. This small yet effective change helped turn the tide against the rebels. 

Many HEAT-armed missiles nowadays have two charges or tandem warheads, which are more effective against reactive and multi-layered armor.