Bombshell Genius
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
While the Kreelan explosive-reactive armor has had some successes in ground combat, it was found that vehicles equipped with ERA were dangerous to use and forced any infantry support to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles in combat, due to the risk of collateral damage from shrapnel projection both to infantry and to nearby property. Unlike its explosive cousin, the Mario, the non-explosive version, projects little, if any, shrapnel upon taking hits, which allows infantry support to at any distance from a vehicle using it. As with its explosive cousin, the inner plate needs to be installed on a backing plate located on the vehicle's chassis. As for what happens when a projectile hits a tile: a projectile will penetrate the outer plate, as it would an ordinary durasteel plate of that thickness, and then it will hit the rubber liner, sandwiched between two durasteel plates, allowing it to absorb part of the energy of the projectile, but does so with much less ability to project shrapnel. Depending on how much energy it had upon penetrating the outer plate, the projectile may have much less energy to go around, or perhaps even fail to penetrate the inner plate altogether. Also, due to rubber's diminished ability to reduce projectiles' energy, compared to explosives, it provides less protection than ERA of the same thickness. Of course, the aim of the Mario NERA is not so much to stop the projectile (it could but it would only be able to stop slugs up to 12.7mm) but to disrupt the projectile flight path so that the inner layers can defeat the projectile.
In addition, if directed-energy weapons are fired at a tile of Mario NERA, it will likely also cause the rubber liner underneath the outer plate to expand. Tiles usually come in 20x20cm formats (several sizes of tiles can be produced for different vehicles) with a thickness of 7cm, weighing about 5 kg apiece; assuming the bolts come off the backing plate without problem, a tile can be replaced in as few as 15 seconds and, unlike its explosive cousin. A plate might survive a glancing blow from a blaster rifle, but a direct hit from one's standard blaster rifles may cause the outer plate to be penetrated and then cause the rubber to expand or melt. As for disruptors being fired on Mario NERA tiles, it would simply vaporize the outer tile but once the bolt comes into contact with the rubber lining, it would also cause the tile to expand, and also cause the outer tile to be disintegrated as well.
- Intent: To provide a non-explosive reactive armor scheme
- Image Source: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: Non-explosive reactive armor
- Name: Mario non-explosive reactive armor (NERA)
- Manufacturer: Ringovinda Systems
- Homeworld (optional): N/A
- Production: Mass
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Modularity: Yes
- Material: Durasteel, rubber
- Classification: Compound
- Weight: Heavy
- Quality: 7
- Color: Steel gray
- Durasteel plates
- Rubber lining
- Allows greater protection against projectiles and shaped charges
- Tiles can be easily replaced
- Must be used in heavy tiles
- Each tile can only take a limited number of hits (depending on weapons): after the rubber lining is expended, the tile must be replaced
- Requires backing plates to prevent the assembly from falling apart
- Provides only limited protection against directed-energy weapons
- Vulnerable to incendiaries: if an incendiary penetrates the outer plate, the rubber lining catches fire
While the Kreelan explosive-reactive armor has had some successes in ground combat, it was found that vehicles equipped with ERA were dangerous to use and forced any infantry support to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles in combat, due to the risk of collateral damage from shrapnel projection both to infantry and to nearby property. Unlike its explosive cousin, the Mario, the non-explosive version, projects little, if any, shrapnel upon taking hits, which allows infantry support to at any distance from a vehicle using it. As with its explosive cousin, the inner plate needs to be installed on a backing plate located on the vehicle's chassis. As for what happens when a projectile hits a tile: a projectile will penetrate the outer plate, as it would an ordinary durasteel plate of that thickness, and then it will hit the rubber liner, sandwiched between two durasteel plates, allowing it to absorb part of the energy of the projectile, but does so with much less ability to project shrapnel. Depending on how much energy it had upon penetrating the outer plate, the projectile may have much less energy to go around, or perhaps even fail to penetrate the inner plate altogether. Also, due to rubber's diminished ability to reduce projectiles' energy, compared to explosives, it provides less protection than ERA of the same thickness. Of course, the aim of the Mario NERA is not so much to stop the projectile (it could but it would only be able to stop slugs up to 12.7mm) but to disrupt the projectile flight path so that the inner layers can defeat the projectile.
In addition, if directed-energy weapons are fired at a tile of Mario NERA, it will likely also cause the rubber liner underneath the outer plate to expand. Tiles usually come in 20x20cm formats (several sizes of tiles can be produced for different vehicles) with a thickness of 7cm, weighing about 5 kg apiece; assuming the bolts come off the backing plate without problem, a tile can be replaced in as few as 15 seconds and, unlike its explosive cousin. A plate might survive a glancing blow from a blaster rifle, but a direct hit from one's standard blaster rifles may cause the outer plate to be penetrated and then cause the rubber to expand or melt. As for disruptors being fired on Mario NERA tiles, it would simply vaporize the outer tile but once the bolt comes into contact with the rubber lining, it would also cause the tile to expand, and also cause the outer tile to be disintegrated as well.
