Improvised vehicle armour

{{Use British English|date=March 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} [[File:DanishResistanceAC2795.jpg|thumb|right|Improvised armour added to a truck by railway shop workers for the [[Danish resistance movement]] near the end of [[World War II]]]]

'''Improvised vehicle armour''' is a form of [[vehicle armour]] consisting of [[vehicle armour|protective materials]] added to a [[vehicle]] such as a [[car]], [[truck]], or [[tank]] in an irregular and extemporized fashion using available materials. Typically, improvised armour is added in the field and it was not originally part of the design, an official up-armour kit, nor centrally planned and distributed. Improvised armour is used to protect occupants from [[small arms]], [[crew-served weapons]], [[artillery]] (or [[tank gun]]) fire, and [[anti-tank mine]]s. Improvised additions have included metal plate, scrap metal, sandbags, concrete, wood, and, since at least the 2000s, [[Kevlar]]. These materials vary widely in their ballistic protection.

Improvised vehicle armour has appeared on the battlefield for as long as vehicles have been used in combat. Though usually used in military or conflict contexts, improvised vehicle armour has also been used in non-combat contexts, such as to protect the vehicles of [[strikebreaker]]s.

== History ==

=== World War I === The first armoured cars to see combat in [[World War I]] were entirely improvised, although this soon changed as the war continued. A few were used by the Belgian Army during the German invasion.<ref name=AFVWW12 /> The British [[Royal Naval Air Service]] received reports of this and converted some of their own cars.<ref name=AFVWW12 /> Improvised conversion continued until December 1914 when the first standardized design entered service.<ref name=AFVWW12>{{cite book |last=Livesey |first=Jack |title=Armoured Fighting Vehicles of World Wars I and II |year=2007 |publisher=Southwater |isbn= 978-1-84476-370-2|pages=12–13 }}</ref> The British [[Royal Naval Air Service]] in Dunkirk sent teams in cars to find and rescue downed reconnaissance pilots in the battle areas. They mounted machine guns on them<ref>''Band of Brigands'' p 59</ref> and as these excursions became increasingly dangerous, they improvised boiler plate armouring on the vehicles using metal provided by a local shipbuilder.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

=== World War II === [[File:M4 Sherman tank - Flickr - Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden.jpg|thumb|An [[M4 Sherman|M4 (105) Sherman]] with spare track-links welded onto its sloped frontal glacis-plate for additional armoured protection, shown here at Langenberg Liberation Memorial in [[Ede, Netherlands]]]]

Most armies involved in [[World War II]] adopted some form of improvised armour at some point. The [[Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]] in the United Kingdom equipped itself with a number of vehicles with improvised armour, such as the [[Bison concrete armoured lorry]], intended to be used for defending airfields. Later in 1944, some [[Cromwell tank|Cromwell]] and [[Churchill tank]]s had sections of tracks attached to their existing armour to provide yet more extra protection.<ref name=GForty>{{cite book |title=World War Two Tanks |url=https://archive.org/details/worldwartwotanks00fort |url-access=limited |last=Forty |first=George |year=1995 |publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-85532-532-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/worldwartwotanks00fort/page/n7 9]}}</ref> US [[M8 Greyhound]] armoured car crews would sometimes line the floors of their vehicles with [[sandbag]]s to provide extra protection against [[landmine]]s<ref name=AFVWW71>{{cite book |last=Livesey |first=Jack |title=Armoured Fighting Vehicles of World Wars I and II |year=2007 |publisher=Southwater |isbn= 978-1-84476-370-2|pages=71 }}</ref>, this was also done with most light vehicles, the Jeeps were well known to have many field modifications done; even the M113s would see sandbags piled on the floor for the same reason.

The addition of improvised armour to tanks was performed by both Axis and Allies forces due to the [[arms race]] between the designers of [[antitank weapon]]s and the designers of tank armour. In some cases, a tank that was effectively protected against existing antitank weapons at the time of its manufacture ended up, once finally tested and delivered to the battlefield, being vulnerable to newly designed antitank weapons. As such, tank crews would ask field repair workshops to increase their protection, using a wide range of armouring principles, including welded or bolted on metal "skirts" around treads and turrets ([[spaced armour]]) and welded screens ([[slat armour]]). Some German improvised armour was designed to protect weak points, such as sandbags added by Afrika Korps tank crews to the turret joint. On the Eastern Front, some tank crews added sandbags due to fears of [[magnetic mine]]s. [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-154-1986-05, Russland, Sturmgeschütz III mit Seitenschürzen.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Sturmgeschütz III]] with added [[spaced armour]] and large wooden beams.]]

The German military became aware of these improvised armour approaches used by their troops and issued a recommendation against using most of them in 1944 in the Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen (Newsletter for the Armoured Forces).<ref>Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 14, August 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 40 p. Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 15, September 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 30 p.Reisebericht über die Teilnahme an der Rüstungsbesprechung und Rücksprache beim P.A. 1944. 6 p. General der Artillerie Nr. 240/44 g.Kdos.</ref> While the German military was aware that improvised armour boosted tank crews' morale (by giving a sense of increased security) the analysts argued that many improvised armouring techniques were not effective. For example, welding spare tank treads to a turret was not effective, as treads were not armour-grade steel, and concrete was found to offer little protection while also leading to excess fragmentation. Some improvised armour, such as adding concrete or welding on tank treads on an 80 to 90-degree angle, actually made enemy weapons more effective, and both approaches overtaxed the tanks' powertrains from the extra weight.<ref>Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 14, August 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 40 p. Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 15, September 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 30 p. Reisebericht über die Teilnahme an der Rüstungsbesprechung und Rücksprache beim P.A. 1944. 6 p. General der Artillerie Nr. 240/44 g.Kdos.</ref>

Welding on improvised Schürzen (skirting) was not permitted, due to concerns that welding the original factory plate armour could weaken it; however, using brackets to mount turret-side and back skirts or side skirts was permitted.<ref>Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 14, August 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 40 p. Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen No. 15, September 1944. Berlin : Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, 1944. 30 p. Reisebericht über die Teilnahme an der Rüstungsbesprechung und Rücksprache beim P.A. 1944. 6 p. General der Artillerie Nr. 240/44 g.Kdos.</ref> Side skirts were permitted because the Soviet 14,5 mm antitank rifles could penetrate the less-armoured sides of the [[Panzer]].

Some US tanks had spare [[Continuous track|tracks]] attached to their armour. This was done with the [[M4 Sherman]] and [[Stuart tank]]s. Besides spare track-links, other improvised armour included wooden logs, tree trunks, armour plating from other destroyed or abandoned tanks and even a thick layer of concrete, albeit the lattermost very rarely. Concrete was sometimes added above the driver to protect the thinner roof above a driver from antitank rifle fire coming from above. Sandbags would also be stacked on a Sherman's front plate and arranged on the turret roof to protect the crew from ricochets when looking out the hatches or using the MGs. US tanks in the Pacific theater would also weld nails or cages to their hatches and make improvised track skirts to counter Japanese anti-tank attacks; wood was also common as an anti-magnetic measure.

Soviet tank crews sometimes welded makeshift metal frames to their tanks to protect against [[shaped charge]] explosives such as the German [[Panzerfaust]] anti-tank weapon. Commonly referred to as "Bed Frames", and while there does exist the possibility some were actual bed frames, it instead refers to the officially issued steel mesh frames, which resembled common bed frames at a glance. The "Bed Frame" was an early version of modern [[slat armour]], which was used in the 2000s to protect tanks against [[rocket-propelled grenade]]s such as the [[RPG-7]].

During the [[North African Campaign]], the German [[Afrika Korps]] attached strips of spare tracks to the front of their [[Panzer III]]s <ref>{{cite book |title=Tank Warfare The Illustrated History of the Tank at War 1914–2000 |last=Jorgensen |first=Christer |author2=Chris Mann |year=2001 |publisher=Amber Books Ltd |isbn=1-86227-135-6 |page=87}}</ref> and [[Panzer IV]]s. Elsewhere, such as on the Eastern Front and in Italy, the German military also relied on add-on plates of armour of varying thickness (including the well-known Schürzen add-on side armour plating), cement and timber to increase the armour of their tracked combat vehicles, especially those with weaker armour like the Marder series of [[self-propelled anti-tank gun]]s and the StuG III (many of these were given either timber, concrete, additional armour plating or spare tracks to increase their battlefield survivability). Most German vehicles exported to their allies in the war also carried such forms of armour, such as StuG IIIs sent to Finland, which carried both log (on the sides) and concrete (frontally) armour.

=== Vietnam War === In the [[Vietnam War]], U.S. [[gun truck]]s were armoured with sandbags and locally fabricated steel armour plate.<ref name="Gardiner">Gardiner, Paul S. [http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug03/gun_trucks.htm "Gun Trucks: Genuine Examples of American Ingenuity,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102202739/http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug03/gun_trucks.htm|date=2 November 2007}} ''Army Logistician'', PB 700-03-4, Vol. 35, No. 4, July–August 2003, Army Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, Virginia. ISSN 0004-2528</ref>

=== Troubles === {{See also|South Armagh Sniper (1990–1997)|Attack on Derryard checkpoint}} During [[The Troubles]], the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] used several types of [[Improvised tactical vehicles of the Provisional IRA|improvised tactical vehicles]].

=== Strike of 1984 === During the [[UK miners' strike (1984–1985)|1984 UK miners' strike]], buses used for transporting [[strikebreaker]]s to work were armoured against attacks by strikers by fitting metal bars to their windows. These improvised armoured buses were nicknamed "battle buses".{{Cn|date=July 2023}}

=== Iraq War === [[File:HillbillyArmor5tonCargo.jpg|thumb|A U.S. Army 5-ton cargo truck with improvised armour on the doors, rear gunner's box, and an improved bumper]]

During the [[Iraq War]], improvised vehicle armour was colloquially referred to as "hillbilly armor", "farmer armor" or "hajji armor" by [[Military of the United States|American troops]].<ref name="Hirsh">Hirsh, Michael; Barry, John and Dehghanpisheh, Babak. [https://web.archive.org/web/20041212162930/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6700920/site/newsweek/ "'Hillbilly Armor': Defense sees it's fallen short in securing the troops. The grunts already knew,"] ''Newsweek'', 20 December 2004.</ref>

During the occupation that followed the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion]] that toppled [[Saddam Hussein]]'s regime, [[Iraqi insurgency (Iraq War)|insurgent forces]] deployed [[roadside bomb]]s, [[RPG-7|RPG]] teams, and [[snipers]] with [[small arms]] to attack [[military vehicle]]s on supply convoys and other known routes.<ref name="Moran">Moran, Michael. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130226103349/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4731185 "Frantically, the Army tries to armor Humvees: Soft-skinned workhorses turning into death traps,"] ''MSNBC'', 15 April 2004.</ref>

To protect themselves from these threats, American troops began reinforcing their [[Humvee]]s, [[Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles|LMTV]]s and other vehicles with whatever was available, including [[scrap metal]], [[kevlar]] blankets and vests, compromised [[bulletproof glass|ballistic glass]] and [[plywood]]. In some cases they relied on Iraqis to assist them in these efforts, and referred to the result as "hajji" armour.<ref name="Moran" /> They were also officially advised to line the floors of their Humvees with sandbags to deaden the impact of [[Improvised explosive device|IED]] and [[land mine]] explosions.<ref name="msnbc1">[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6676765 "Bush: Soldiers' equipment gripes heard: To colleagues' cheers, soldier complained about armor to Rumsfeld,"] ''MSNBC'', 9 December 2004.</ref>

Some officers in Iraq were disciplined over their refusal to carry out missions in what they considered improperly armoured vehicles.<ref name="Currey">Currey, Richard. [http://www.vva.org/archive/TheVeteran/2005_03/feature_goodrum.htm "Waiting For Justice: The Saga of Army Lt. Julian Goodrum, PTSD, Hillbilly Armor, and Whistle-Blowing,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128031100/http://www.vva.org/archive/TheVeteran/2005_03/feature_goodrum.htm |date=28 November 2008 }} ''The VVA Veteran'', March 2006.</ref>

Hungarian troops were said{{By whom|date=October 2021}} to be covering their non-armoured Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicles with [[ballistic vest]]s on the outside.

==== Military-supplied "up-armour" ==== [[File:Hillbilly armor.jpg|thumb|"Hillbilly" scrap armour plate on door of U.S. Army 8x8 [[Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck|HEMTT]] at a base at [[Ar-Ramadi]], Iraq]] The US Army began deploying "up-armour" kits to better protect military vehicles in August 2003, two years before the Marine Corps would. Three levels of "up-armour" were implemented:

*Level I: fully integrated armour installed during vehicle production or retrofit (including ballistic windows) *Level II: add-on armour (including ballistic windows) *Level III: locally fabricated armour (interim solution, lacking ballistic windows)

The process of up-armouring all vehicles was to be complete by mid-2005.<ref name="dod">[https://web.archive.org/web/20041221234838/http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20041215-1801.html "Special Defense Department Briefing on Uparmoring HMMWV,"] U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), News Transcript, 15 December 2004.</ref>

As recently as February 2006, the Army was welding additional armour onto the armoured Humvee variant M1114 and five-ton [[Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles|MTV]] in Iraq.<ref name="Hunter">Hunter, Duncan. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060217/news_lz1e17hunter.html "Military is Functioning Well in Iraq,"] ''The San Diego Union Tribune'', 17 February 2006.</ref>

The [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marines]] developed their own marine armour kit (MAK), consisting of bolt-on armour for the crew compartment, ballistic glass, suspension upgrades, and air conditioning. However, the kit was not fielded until early 2005, and even then only to certain specified units.<ref name="Crum">Crum, R. USMC Maj. [https://web.archive.org/web/20041209062240/http://www.defenselink.mil/transformation/articles/2004-12/ta120204c.html "New Marine Armor Kit to Upgrade 'Hummers',"] ''Transformation'', 2 December 2004.</ref> Level I armour kits are now phasing out MAKs for MTVRs and M1114 HMMWVs.

=== Marvin Heemeyer === In the [[Marvin Heemeyer]] incident, a disgruntled man built an improvised armoured bulldozer and attacked buildings and police. The machine used in the incident was a modified [[Komatsu Limited|Komatsu]] D355A bulldozer,<ref name="denverchannel">{{cite web |date=15 April 2005 |title=Crews Begin Dismantling Granby Bulldozer |url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4393800/detail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315221635/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4393800/detail.html |archive-date=15 March 2012 |access-date=27 June 2006 |publisher=[[KMGH-TV]]}}</ref> fitted with makeshift armour plating covering the cabin, engine, and parts of the [[caterpillar track|tracks]]. In places, this armour was over {{convert|1|ft|cm}} thick, consisting of 5000-PSI Quikrete concrete mix fitted between sheets of [[tool steel]] (acquired from an automotive dealer in Denver), to make ad-hoc [[composite armour]]. This made the machine impervious to [[small arms]] fire and resistant to [[explosive]]s: three external explosions and more than 200 rounds of [[ammunition]] were fired at the bulldozer and had no effect on it.<ref name="msnbc">{{cite web |date=5 June 2004 |title=Man who bulldozed through Colo. town is dead |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5139598 |access-date=31 August 2006 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

=== Rumsfeld questioning incident === [[File:UpArmorLMTVAdder.jpg|thumb|upright|A U.S. Army [[LMTV]] cargo truck with up-armoured cab]] [[File:10k.jpg|thumb|A 10K [[forklift]] outfitted with hillbilly armour protecting its cab]] [[File:UpArmor.jpg|thumb|An airman works on a truck as part of an expanded program to improve the armoured protection for U.S. troops. [[Balad Air Base]], Iraq (April 2005).]]

The practice of U.S. troops reinforcing their vehicles with improvised armour became well known after a U.S. soldier questioned U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] about the need to salvage armour from scrap materials on 8 December 2004, at [[Camp Buehring]], Kuwait.<ref name="Burns">Burns, Robert. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20041209-122417-5119r.htm "Soldiers criticize lack of armor,"] ''Associated Press'', 9 December 2004.</ref><ref name="abcnews1">[http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=314807&page=1 "Rumsfeld Responds to U.S. Soldier's Grilling: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Tries to Quell the Firestorm Over the 'Hillbilly Armor' Issue,"] ''ABC News'', 9 December 2004.</ref> The question was met with cheers from fellow troops.<ref name="Sonnenfeldt">Sonnenfeldt, Helmut and Nessen, Rob. [http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/sonnenfeldt20041230.htm "You Go to War with the Press You Have,"] ''Washington Times'', 30 December 2004.</ref>

{{Blockquote| '''Wilson''': "Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armour our vehicles? And why don't we have those resources readily available to us?"

'''Rumsfeld''': "It isn't a matter of money. It isn't a matter on the part of the Army of desire. It's a matter of production and capability of doing it. As you know, ah, you go to war with the army you have – not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time. You can have all the armour in the world on a tank and (still) be blown up..."}}

Rumsfeld was paying a visit to approximately 2,300 troops on the eve of their deployment across the border to Iraq. [[Specialist (rank)|Specialist]] Thomas Wilson of the [[278th Armored Cavalry Regiment|278th Regimental Combat Team]] ([[Tennessee]] [[Army National Guard]]) asked the question, but it was later revealed that Lee Pitts, an [[embedded journalist|embedded reporter]] for the ''[[Chattanooga Times Free Press]]'', had asked Wilson to make the inquiry.<ref name="Griscom">It was widely reported that Wilson was "asked" to make the inquiry by Pitts or somehow "pressured" by him. Tom Griscom, executive editor of the ''Times Free Press'', wrote the following in a 10 December 2004, editor's note: "Questions have been raised as to whether Mr. Pitts used the soldier or put words in his mouth. While Mr. Pitts states that he discussed the armour question with the soldiers, Spc. Wilson chose to ask the question."</ref><ref name="cnn1">[http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/09/rumsfeld.reporter/index.html "Reporter planted GI's question for Rumsfeld: Says issue of unarmored vehicles wasn't being covered,"] ''CNN'', 10 December 2004.</ref><ref name="Pitts">Pitts, Lee. [http://poynter.org/forum/view_post.asp?id=8447 Email from Pitts to colleagues, 8 December 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618102221/http://poynter.org/forum/view_post.asp?id=8447 |date=18 June 2008 }}, posted on Poynter Institute website by Jim Romenesko, 9 December 2004.</ref>

Several related questions were asked of Rumsfeld by other troops. Some of Wilson's fellow soldiers and commanders supported his inquiry in later interviews. Col. John Zimmermann, staff judge advocate of Wilson's unit said that 95 per cent of the unit's 300 vehicles lacked appropriate armour, and suggested that it was the result of a double standard used to equip the National Guard as compared with active-duty forces.<ref name="abcnews2">[http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=312959&page=1 "Soldiers Must Rely on 'Hillbilly Armor' for Protection: Troops Scavenge Scrap Metal to Protect Combat Vehicles,"] ''ABC News'', 8 December 2004.</ref><ref name="Schmitt">Schmitt, Eric. "U.S. defense chief taken aback by pointed questions," ''The New York Times'', 9 December 2004.</ref>

On 9 December 2004, President [[George W. Bush]] responded to the incident, saying that the expressed concerns were being addressed.<ref name="msnbc1" />

On 10 December 2004, it was reported that following the incident, [[Armor Holdings, Inc.]], the company producing armoured Humvees for the Army, was asked to increase production from 450 to 550 per month—its maximum capacity.<ref name="nbcnews1">[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6694474 "U.S. to boost armored Humvee output: Pentagon ups order after soldier's question causes stir,"] ''NBC News'', 10 December 2004.</ref> Also on 10 December, Congressman [[Marty Meehan]] (D-MA, [[House Armed Services Committee]]) issued a news release harshly critical of the Bush administration and [[The Pentagon]]: Meehan described the shortage of armoured vehicles as "a dangerously exposed center of gravity" of America's military presence in Iraq, and the lack of preparedness for insurgent tactics such as deploying [[improvised explosive device]]s (IEDs) as "symptomatic of a headlong rush to war."<ref name="Meehan">[http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ma05_meehan/NR041210Armor.html "Meehan Calls for Ramped Up Armoring of Vehicles,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503094737/http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ma05_meehan/NR041210Armor.html |date=3 May 2007 }} Congressman Martin T. Meehan (MA05), news release, 10 December 2004.</ref>

On 15 December 2004, the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] held a special briefing on the issue of up-armouring. Officials stated that the process of up-armouring SPC Wilson's unit was nearly complete on 8 December, and was completed within 24 hours of the incident. Brig. Gen. Jeff Sorenson, Deputy for Acquisition Systems Management, stated during the briefing that fully armoured vehicles had been isolated and destroyed in the former [[Soviet Union]]'s campaigns in Afghanistan and Chechnya, and that the [[Military operations other than war|hearts and minds]] aspect of the Army's counterinsurgency efforts would be negatively impacted were soldiers to remain isolated from the populace in fully armoured vehicles.<ref name="dod" />

The incident sparked criticism of Rumsfeld,<ref name="Kristol">Kristol, William. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A132-2004Dec14.html "The Defense Secretary We Have,"] ''Washington Post'', 15 December 2004.</ref> and led some to question the nation's commitment to its troops.<ref name="Costello">Costello, Tom. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170116174106/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6689062/ "Lack of armor sign of the times in Iraq,"] ''MSNBC'', 9 December 2004.</ref>

=== Mexican drug War === [[Drug cartels]] involved in the [[Mexican drug war]] have in a number of cases fitted [[Narco tank|improvised armour to heavy trucks]].<ref name="cave2012">{{cite news |last=Cave |first=Damien |date=7 June 2011 |title=Monster Trucks on the Road, From Gangs in Mexico |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/world/americas/08mexico.html?_r=4 |access-date=17 January 2012}}</ref>

=== Libyan civil war === During the [[2011 Libyan civil war]], [[anti-Gaddafi forces]] were seen operating [[T-55]] tanks and [[Technical (vehicle)|technicals]] (trucks with mounted machine guns and other crew served weapons) with improvised armour mounted on them, likely in an attempt to improve survivability against superior [[Libyan Army (1951-2011)|Libyan Army]] hardware such as [[T-72]] tanks.

=== Russo-Ukrainian War === {{See also|Anti-drone cage}}[[File:Makeshift IFV («Aidar» battalion).jpg|thumb|right|Metal plates welded onto a truck in Ukraine]] [[File:Destruction of Russian tanks by Ukrainian troops in Mariupol (3).jpg|thumb|right|A neutralised and abandoned Russian [[T-72|T-72B3M]] tank with makeshift slat armour attached to the turret, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.]] During the [[War in Donbas (2014–2022)|war in Donbas]], units on both sides of the conflict improvised and experimented with adding armour to vehicles like trucks or [[BTR-80]] amphibious armoured personnel carriers or similar.<ref name="Jenzen-JonesFerguson2014">{{cite book|author1=N.R. Jenzen-Jones|author2=Jonathan Ferguson|title=Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqjLBQAAQBAJ|date=18 November 2014|publisher=Armament Research Services Pty. Ltd.|isbn=978-0-9924624-3-7}}<br/>[http://armamentresearch.com/Uploads/Research%20Report%20No.%203%20-%20Raising%20Red%20Flags.pdf Full PDF on armamentresearch.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201185108/http://armamentresearch.com/Uploads/Research%20Report%20No.%203%20-%20Raising%20Red%20Flags.pdf |date=1 December 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-fortress-on-wheels/25480436.html|title=Ukrainian 'Fortress On Wheels'|date=4 August 2014 |access-date=14 November 2017|via=www.rferl.org}}</ref>

In late 2021, various Russian tanks were observed with top-mounted improvised [[slat armour]] made from steel grilles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roblin |first=Sebastien |title=Russian Tanks Massing Near Ukraine Sport Mods Against Drones, Javelin Missiles |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2021/11/29/russian-tanks-massing-near-ukraine-sport-mods-against-drones-javelin-missiles/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311172448/https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2021/11/29/russian-tanks-massing-near-ukraine-sport-mods-against-drones-javelin-missiles/?sh=27d246bf65e9 |archive-date=2022-03-11 |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> In December 2021, the Ukrainian Army released video of a military exercise in which an armoured fighting vehicle (apparently a [[BTR (vehicle)|BTR]] mated to a [[T-64]]-like turret) protected by armour of this sort was destroyed by one of the two Javelin missiles fired. However, the actual combat effectiveness of this style of armour was still unknown.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43648/ukrainian-troops-test-javelin-missile-against-russian-cage-style-improvised-tank-armor |title = Ukrainian Troops Test Javelin Missile Against Russian Cage-Style Improvised Tank Armor |date=23 December 2021|author=Thomas Newdick|website=The Drive|publisher=Brookline Media Inc.}}</ref> In 2022, during the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]] where it saw combat usage, it was pejoratively referred to as "emotional support armour" or "[[Anti-drone cage|cope cages]]"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/russian-tanks-in-ukraine-are-sprouting-cages/21808191|title=Russian tanks in Ukraine are sprouting cages|date=14 March 2022|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|quote=They have indeed been mockingly dubbed by Western analysts as “emotional support armour” or “cope cages”. Superficially, they are an example of what is known in military circles as field-expedient armour—in other words, stuff that has been added to vehicles after they have entered service.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316001931/https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/russian-tanks-in-ukraine-are-sprouting-cages/21808191|archive-date=16 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-10/how-do-anti-tank-missiles-work-helpful-ukraine-soldiers/100868934|title=How do anti-tank missiles work, and how helpful might they be for Ukraine's soldiers?|date=10 March 2022|author=James Dwyer|website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|quote=These are colloquially termed “cope cages” by various communities on the internet. Of course, they will do little to minimise the impact from a missile, but they do demonstrate that Russian soldiers are fearful of the threat the missiles present.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315035355/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-10/how-do-anti-tank-missiles-work-helpful-ukraine-soldiers/100868934|archive-date=15 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=12 March 2022 |title=What to know about the role Javelin antitank missiles could play in Ukraine's fight against Russia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/12/javelins-ukraine-russia/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |quote=Social media has been littered with photos of destroyed Russian tanks with cages. The images have acquired a symbolic resonance so quickly that Internet users have coined the term “cope cage” earning a page on the Internet’s primary meme directory.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220312163708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/12/javelins-ukraine-russia/|archive-date=12 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.portfolio.hu/global/20220302/igazi-tankszornyet-zsakmanyoltak-az-ukranok-530323|title=Igazi tankszörnyet zsákmányoltak az ukránok|date=2 March 2022|website=[[Portfolio.hu]]|language=hu|quote=Érdekes egy szót említeni a „kutyaólként" vagy "csirkeketrecként," angolszász forrásokban „cope cage,” vagyis durván „dolgozd fel ketrecként” emlegetett improvizált páncélzatról a tornyon. A páncélzat célja az lenne, hogy megvédje a harcjárműveket a felülről érkező drónrakétáktól vagy páncéltörő rakétáktól.|trans-quote=It is interesting to mention the terminology surrounding the improvised armour on the tower, referred to as "dog kennel" or "chicken coop" in Hungarian, or "cope cage" in Anglo-Saxon sources. The purpose of the armour is to protect the combat vehicles from drone missiles or armour-piercing rockets coming from above.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220315072940/https://www.portfolio.hu/global/20220302/igazi-tankszornyet-zsakmanyoltak-az-ukranok-530323|archive-date=15 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Ben |date=2022-05-09 |title=Speech by Defence Secretary on Russia's invasion of Ukraine |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-by-defence-secretary-on-russias-invasion-of-ukraine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223143452/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-by-defence-secretary-on-russias-invasion-of-ukraine |archive-date=2023-02-23 |website=gov.uk |place=National Army Museum, London |language=en |quote=Russian soldiers’ futile use of pine logs as makeshift protection on logistical trucks and attaching overhead ‘cope cages’ to their tanks, it’s nothing short of tragic. But their commanders’ failures to adapt before entering them into such a conflict is criminal.}}</ref> among online communities, as an expression of skepticism over their effectiveness. Military analysts have suggested that the armour was most likely designed in an attempt to mitigate the threat of [[top attack|top-attack]] weapons such as the [[FGM-148 Javelin]], alternatively against RPGs fired from above in cities, [[loitering munition]]s and drone attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-forces-are-attaching-cages-to-their-tanks-experts-say-they-demon|title=Russian soldiers appear to be fixing makeshift cages to the turrets of their tanks in a crude effort to protect themselves against Ukraine's anti-tank missiles|date=26 March 2022|author=Alia Shoaib|website=[[Business Insider]]|quote="The cages are supposed to defend against anti-tank weapons that strike the top of the vehicle, where the armor is the thinnest. "The idea is that if you set off a bazooka or a Panzerfaust... they're set off early and so they don't hit the tank itself..." Crump explained. However, the cages are largely ineffective against the modern anti-tank weapons used by the Ukrainians, such as the Javelin and NLAW... Many modern weapons are designed to counter that sort of protection|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326104931/https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-forces-are-attaching-cages-to-their-tanks-experts-say-they-demon|archive-date=26 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/russian-tanks-in-ukraine-are-sprouting-cages/21808191|title=Russian tanks in Ukraine are sprouting cages|date=14 March 2022|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|quote=Another idea is that the cages are a response to the conflict in 2020 between Armenia and Azerbaijan, over Nagorno-Karabakh, in which large numbers of Russian-made Armenian tanks were destroyed from above by MAM-Ls ... A third possibility is that the cages are meant as protection against RPGs ... which are being fired at tanks from above. This ... is a preferred tactic in urban warfare, where buildings offer shooters the necessary elevation.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316001931/https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/russian-tanks-in-ukraine-are-sprouting-cages/21808191|archive-date=16 March 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newdick |first=Thomas |title=Russian T-80 Tank With Improvised Anti-Drone Armor Reportedly Appears In Crimea |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43273/russian-t-80-tank-with-improvised-anti-drone-armor-reportedly-appears-in-crimea |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224022448/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43273/russian-t-80-tank-with-improvised-anti-drone-armor-reportedly-appears-in-crimea |archive-date=24 February 2022 |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=The Drive |date=24 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref> In May 2022, it was reported in Russian media interviews with Russian tankers who had returned from Ukraine that their crews eventually removed the cages, as they obstructed the use of machine guns and radios, and prevented timely evacuation if the tank caught fire.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sergei Valchenko|date=24 May 2022|url=https://www.mk.ru/politics/2022/05/24/tankistgeroy-rasskazal-o-specoperacii-i-pogib-pobedim-no-legko-ne-budet.html|title=Танкист-герой рассказал о спецоперации и погиб: "Победим, но легко не будет"|website=[[Moskovskij Komsomolets]]|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524133619/https://www.mk.ru/politics/2022/05/24/tankistgeroy-rasskazal-o-specoperacii-i-pogib-pobedim-no-legko-ne-budet.html|archive-date=24 May 2022|url-status=live|trans-quote=At first we welded the body kits (metal grilles for protection against anti-tank missiles) to the tanks, but then they were all removed. Firstly, it is inconvenient: the machine gun is unable to move, and the radio connection disappears when the antenna touches the grille. If there is some kind of fire, it will be simply unrealistic to get out of the tank... So they were all removed and thrown away.|quote=Обвесы (металлические решетки для защиты от противотанковых ракет) мы сначала все наварили на танки, а потом их все сняли. Во-первых, неудобно: пулемет не двигается, антенна когда замыкает об решетку – сгорает радиостанция, связь пропадает. И если будет какое-то возгорание, та�� просто нереально будет вылезти из танка... Поэтому их все сняли и выкинули.}}</ref> In June 2022 similar structures were seen on some Russian deployed [[T-62]] tanks.<ref name=Parsonst62>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Dan |date=6 June 2022 |title=Ancient Russian T-62 Tanks Spotted Wearing Cage Armor In Ukraine |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ancient-russian-t-62-tanks-spotted-wearing-cage-armor-in-ukraine |work=The Drive |access-date=21 June 2022}}</ref> In May 2023 a Russian T-72B3 was seen with improvised top armour with [[explosive reactive armour]] bricks mounted on it.<ref name=Stetsonera>{{cite news|last=Payne|first=Stetson|date=6 May 2023|title=Russian Tank With 'Cope Cage' Covered In Explosive Reactive Armor Emerges|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/russian-tank-debuts-cope-cage-covered-in-explosive-reactive-armor|work=The Drive|location=|access-date=9 May 2023}}</ref>

After the invasion Russian forces began to add improvised armour to their trucks.<ref name=Newdick /> First in the form of scrap metal, logs and armoured panels from armoured vehicles such as APCs and later in the form of more form-fitting welded plates.<ref name=Newdick>{{cite news |last=Newdick |first=Thomas |date= 6 April 2022 |title=Russia's Increasingly Bizarre "Artisanal" Armor Looks More Mad Max Than Major Power |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45108/russias-increasingly-bizarre-artisanal-armor-looks-more-mad-max-than-major-power |work=The Drive |access-date=8 April 2022}} </ref>

Improvised armour has also been employed by the Ukrainian army, and has been observed repeatedly in the battlefield on howitzers, IFVs, tanks and foreign-donated equipment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malyasov |first=Dylan |date=5 July 2023 |title=Ukraine adds armor ‘cages’ to its artillery systems |url=https://defence-blog.com/ukraine-adds-armor-cages-to-its-artillery-systems/ |access-date=19 August 2023 |website=Defence Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Epstein |first=Jake |title=Photos capture the crude cages Russian and Ukrainian crews are welding on their tanks and armor as a last-ditch defense |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ukraine-welding-crude-cages-tanks-last-ditch-defense-effort-2023-7 |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rommen |first=Rebecca |title=Ukraine sends the powerhouse 82nd Air Assault Brigade into battle, as generals decide 'to put all their chips on the table,' says defense analyst |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-deploys-elite-82nd-brigade-2023-8 |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Syrian civil war and conflict against the Islamic State === In their role in the ongoing [[Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict (2013–present)|Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict]] and [[Syrian civil war]] and finding themselves lacking in the amount of modern armour, members of the [[Kurdistan]] [[peshmerga]] and [[People's Protection Units]] (YPG) were reported to have fabricated homemade armoured fighting vehicles of widely varying designs to fight [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]] militants, who are armed with captured modern armour. Many of the improvised vehicles were converted tractors and farm equipment fitted with Soviet-era guns, some with elaborate paint schemes and designs. Western commentators and reporters have likened the appearance of some of these vehicles as like the makeshift vehicles featured in the [[Mad Max (franchise)|''Mad Max'']] post-apocalyptic action multi-media franchise.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/30/homemade-armoured-vehicles-isis-peshmerga|title=Battlefield DIY – the homemade armoured vehicles fighting Isis|first=Emine|last=Saner|newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 September 2014|access-date=14 November 2017|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> The allied [[Free Syrian Army]] rebels have also been reported to have fashioned similar makeshift armoured fighting vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G30ffBEa_dw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/G30ffBEa_dw |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=DIY Tank Used in Fight Against ISIS|last=Vocativ|date=1 October 2014|access-date=14 November 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

ISIS made some use of improvised armoured fighting vehicles using metal pipes as armour.<ref name=nash18>{{cite book |last=Nash |first=Ed |last2=Searle |first2=Alaric |title=Kurdish Armour Against ISIS |publisher=Osprey Publishing|date=2021 |isbn=9781472847584 |page=18}}</ref>

=== Battle of Marawi === During the [[Battle of Marawi]], the ground forces of the Philippines' [[Philippine Army|Army]] and [[Philippine Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] used wooden armour plating on their armoured personnel carriers such as the [[GKN Simba]], [[Cadillac Gage Commando|V-150]], [[M113 apc|M113A2]] and [[LAV-300|Marine LAV-300]] FSV/APC to protect against rocket propelled grenades fired from the [[Maute group|Maute]] and [[Abu Sayyaf]] terrorists in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/907313/wood-reinforced-vehicles-foil-maute-antitank-weapons|title = Wood-reinforced vehicles foil Maute antitank weapons|date = 21 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/makeshift-wooden-armor-philippine-tanks-marawi-maute-a00203-20170608|title=Will Makeshift Wooden Tank Armor Protect Our Troops in Marawi?}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a26804/wooden-armor-tank-rockets/|title = These ISIS-Fighting Philippine Tanks Are Clad in DIY Wooden "Armor"|date = 7 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sofrep.com/83195/images-surface-of-wood-armor-on-philippine-military-vehicles-fighting-isis-could-that-actually-work-against-an-rpg/|title = Images surface of wood armor on Philippine military vehicles fighting ISIS: Could that actually work against an RPG?|date = 9 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/180663-military-opens-mapandi-bridge-marawi-media/|title = IN PHOTOS: Military opens Mapandi bridge to media amid heavy fighting in Marawi|date = 30 August 2017}}</ref>

=== Storm chasers === In recent years, some [[storm chasing|storm chasers]] in the United States have developed purpose-made vehicles, such as the [[Tornado Intercept Vehicle]]s designed to survive the hostile environment inside a [[tornado]]. These vehicles are built on truck and [[sport utility vehicle|SUV]] chassis with heavy armour shells built onto them consisting of steel, [[kevlar]], [[polycarbonate]], and Rhino Linings to protect against airborne debris.{{Cn|date=July 2023}}

== See also == {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * [[Anti-drone cage]] * [[Armadillo armoured fighting vehicle]] * [[Bison concrete armoured lorry]] * [[Improvised fighting vehicle]] * [[Improvised tactical vehicles of the Provisional IRA]] * [[Jury-rigging]] * [[Narco tank]] * [[Plastic armour]] * [[Killdozer (bulldozer)|Killdozer]] * [[Turtle tank]] {{div col end}}

== References ==

== External links == * [http://www.antiwar.com/blog/comments.php?id=P1541_0_1_0 US Soldiers show off Hillbilly Armor] – Video clip from the film ''[[Gunner Palace]]'' (2005)

[[Category:Improvisation]] [[Category:Vehicle armour]] [[Category:Bulletproofing]] [[Category:Military vehicle components]]