Defense

The U.S. Army's Radical Idea to Save Its Tanks from Enemy Missiles

Remember that shield that Captain America uses? The one that deflect bullets?

Well, the U.S. Army wants the same kind of shield. But not for the infantry. It's a shield for tanks.

The Army is asking industry to to develop moveable tank armor that, like Captain America's shield, can stop an incoming missile.

The specifications call for a mechanism that can move an armor panel, at least 1-foot-square in size, to a distance of 10 inches horizontally. And do so within less than five seconds. The armored panel would be an extra layer of protection attached to the outside of the vehicle, and remotely controlled by the crew.

The proposal is somewhat vague, but the idea appears to be armor that can be rearranged like a puzzle. So that, for example, a tank attacked from the sides or rear can shift additional armor to shield its vulnerable flanks.