This newly spotted modification features additional Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), marking a potential upgrade to increase the machine’s defensive capabilities.
It is assumed that the BMP-3 was equipped with ERA kits “4S24”, specially designed to reduce the vulnerability of light vehicles under the Karkas-2 program. The 4S24 system provides similar protection against cumulative blasts as the 4S20 Kontakt explosive jet armor, but contains half the amount of explosive material.
To prevent damage to the body of the light armor, dynamic protection elements are placed in a container between layers of polymeric material, ensuring a controlled deceleration of detonated metal plates penetrating the light armor. This design aims to disrupt cumulative while maintaining the armor’s primary function of mitigating penetration.
Russian sources claim that the Karkas-2 dynamic protection system successfully prevented the transmission of detonation between protection elements, providing essential protection against the effects of cumulative currents.
BMP-3 was equipped with 4S24 units on the sides and front. However, these measures do not protect the armored personnel carrier from the threat posed by Ukrainian drone kamikazes, the Defense Blog writes.
