Everyone,lets put these jokes a side for a moment.This homemade armor that these troops have placed on these vehicles are being done by some extremely smart people,the people and military of the Republic of the Philippines.

On the serious side, the effects of a couple of magazines of seven six two ricocheting off of one of these APC's in downtown Olongopo would be devastating. The lumber would absorb energy and fragments. Plastic buckets with water in them would do the same.

The water wouldn't stay in the buckets for long. The rough rides would empty them pretty fast unless they were lidded. Put an open bucket of liquid in the bed of a pickup and see what happens. Up here there are roads with lines of paint where morons have tried to carry open 5 gallon buckets of paint in their truck expecting the paint to stay the bucket without slopping everywhere with every tap of the brakes, gas pedal or bump in the road. Those open buckets laying at an angle would be empty the first time they hit the brakes or accelerated. A door isn't going to stop anything from ricocheting, nor is the scrap wood they are using. It would just splinter making more projectiles. They wouldn't fly as far but would still cause injuries. If they truly wanted protection they'd use heavier timbers, like railroad ties or sand bags. Our local 7th grade wood shop class could do better.

Relatively stationary vehicles. They do appear to be using what they find. Yes, a door will reduce energy because it affects the round inbound and out after the ricochet. Immediate vicinity very dangerous. Five yards away, a civilian would be much less affected than an undeterred slug. Just my thoughts. Now I wonder what your thoughts are on why so many vehicles, so much time and for what?
Think large crowds, vehicles parked, terroists on a rooftop, in an alley or on a balcony. Empty a couple of magazines at an APC and watch the carnage as the rounds bounce around downtown.

Philippine lumber is pretty hard stuff

I had no intention of making fun of these soldiers when I started this thread. I guess I should have tried to keep it focused on the primary subject...

Here are a few more pics :

























H.P.

More views of "Free Wifi" :









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H.P.

A lot of lumber they are using looks to be coconut. Very tough wood. Also, anything that would act as stand off to detonate a shape charge is better than nothing. I would also think that a 2-inch plank of coconut wood might just disrupt the plasma jet from the shaped charged. If you want more in-depth info I could ask my brother in law who is in that area now.

Wood armor the way they are doing it isn't going to stop shaped charge anti-armor round. Read this, first thing I found on Google, simple explanation: http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a26804/wooden-armor-tank-rockets/

Didn't find it on google. Found others though. Still, anything is better than nothing.

While it may not do that well against modern munitions, the general idea isn't new. We've all seen lots of photos of Allied tanks in Normandy with similar stuff, i.e., tied-on logs, piles of sandbags, etc. That stuff wasn't very effective against a Tiger's 88, despite what was shown in "Fury." And Shermans in the PTO had elaborate planking draped all over them to avoid magnetic charges. That photo of the "Jeepneys" takes me back to time I spent in the Phillipines. Great times!

Another view of "Ramadhan Kareem" :


LAV-300's















Full size







"Free Wifi" once again :



H.P.

Anyone seen any other pics of the YPR/AIFV-25 on page 2 of the thread?

https://scontent.fmnl3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19059305_926005327556222_5244041408288672565_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeFS2cd_XqSdeqDbebYS5OY94Hlb6hqR8M3qJiPIst50CR8zcEtDWLbJA3JhtDYlheHmib7QJHlS4UykoDXubAHz8aC1X0BAAKJ8xO1wDeLX4KNcBkrD930AYd3RqS_cHxo&oh=29f4d24741e57412fab3ed0c4eeb3982&oe=59E89439

I'm seriously contemplating building it from the AFV club kit that has been mouldering in my stash for an eon..... It would be something really different and a real conversation piece at my club....

Very interesting photos and discussion. Something struck me though that seems to reveal my ignorance. And I intend no disrespect. But much of the writings on these vehicles are in English. From what I remember of my world history classes from decades ago, I thought the Filipinos spoke Spanish. Is that still the case, and if so, why some much writing in English?
TIA
John

the Philippines were a Spanish colony from the 1500s until the end of the eighteenth century, then colony of the USA from 1898-9 if I did not mistake until 1946 but the USA has so far had great power/influence in the Philippines so that the Spanish was supplanted from English so much that English is now one of the official languages, of Spanish only some words and surnames remained

This is the only one I've found so far...Looks like "wood armor" is mostly fitted to wheeled AFV's.

Here's another AIFV :



H.P.

Thanks Henri-Pierre. My search has not revealed any others. Cheers