Testing tank recoil effects on crew
Any armoured fighting vehicle experiences recoil and shock during movement on rough terrain, firing its main gun or hitting a mine. The most vulnerable of all is the crew which operates the tank. High impulse shock loads can cause a decrease in combat performance or partial crew incapacitation. Such instances carry the risk of head injury. Most dynamic impacts inside an armoured vehicle are transmitted to operators through the seats. While there are protective measures in place, like padded tank helmets and dampening seating (driver only), these may not be enough when MBTs are equipped with more powerful cannons, which exceed the expected recoil absorption provided by the chassis they are mounted on. Historically, test facilities were geared toward validating individual components for resistance to external factors like high-impact pulse loads. Ergonomic testing for crew protection was performed mainly in field tests, near the end of development. While computer-aided systems...