Armour or armor (see spelling differences) is protective clothing intended to defend its wearer from intentional harm in combat and military engagements, typically associated with soldiers. American and British English spelling differences are one aspect of American and British English differences. The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Armour has been used throughout recorded history, beginning with hides, leather, and bone, before progressing to bronze, then steel during the Roman Era, to modern fabrics such as Kevlar, Dyneema and ceramics. Recorded history can be defined as History that has been written down or recorded by the use of Language, whereas History is a more general term referring Hides are Skins obtained from animals for human use Examples of animal hide sources are Deer and Cattle typically used for producing Leather, Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 The Roman Era is a period in Western history when Ancient Rome was the centre of power of the world around the Mediterranean Sea, where Latin was the Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene ( UHMWPE) also known as high-modulus polyethylene ( HMPE) or high-performance polyethylene ( HPPE The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos)

Armour was also commonly used to protect war animals, such as war horses and elephants. Military animals are creatures that have been employed by mankind for use in Warfare They are a specific application of Working animals Generally these animals are Horses were first used in warfare over 5000 years ago The earliest evidence of the use of horses ridden in warfare dates A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat Armour for war horses was called barding. Barding (also spelled bard or barb) is Armour for horses During the late Middle Ages as armour protection for Knights Armour has also been produced for hunting dogs that hunt dangerous game, such as boars. For the species known as the African hunting dog Cape hunting dog or painted hunting dog see African Wild Dog A hunting dog refers to any Dog who The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. Since World War I, armoured fighting vehicles are protected by vehicle armour. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged For body armour see Armour, for armoured forces see Armoured warfare, for other uses see Armour (disambiguation.

In modern usage, Armour, or the armoured, is also a heavily armoured military force or organisation, such as heavy infantry or heavy cavalry (as opposed to light infantry or cavalry). Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing In modern armoured warfare, armoured units equipped with tanks serve the historic role of heavy cavalry, and belong to the armoured branch in a national army's organisation (sometimes, the armoured corps). Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces Mechanised infantry has replaced heavy infantry. Mechanized infantry (or "mech infantry" are Infantry equipped with Armored personnel carriers (APCs or Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs

Contents 1 History 1.1 History of armour in post-Ancient Europe 1.1.1 Mail 1.1.2 Transition to plate 1.1.3 Plate armour, 1300 - 1620 1.2 Characteristics of armour 1.3 Plate armour slowly discarded 1.4 Modern personal armour 1.4.1 Ballistic 1.4.2 Non-ballistic 2 See also 3 External links

History

Many factors have affected the development of armour throughout human history. Significant factors in the development of armour include the economic and technological necessities of armour production. For instance plate armour first appeared in Medieval Europe when water-powered trip hammers made the formation of plates faster and cheaper. Also modern militaries usually do not provide the best armour to their forces since doing so would be prohibitively costly. At times the development of armour has run parallel to the development of increasingly effective weaponry on the battlefield, with armourers seeking to create better protection without sacrificing mobility.

In European history, well-known armour types include the lorica segmentata of the Roman legions, the mail hauberk of the early medieval age, and the full steel plate harness worn by later Medieval and Renaissance knights, and a few key components (breast and back plates) by heavy cavalry in several European countries until the first year of World War I. The history of Europe describes the passage of time from humans inhabiting the European continent to the present day The lōrīca segmentāta was a type of segmented Armour exclusively used in the Roman Empire, but the Latin name was first used in the 16th century For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," Mail (also maille, often given as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of Armour or jewellery that consists of small metal rings linked A hauberk is a shirt of mail Armour. The term is usually used to describe a shirt reaching at least to mid-thigh and including sleeves Plate armour is personal Armour made from large Metal plates worn on the Chest and sometimes the entire Body. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. (1914-15).

In November 2006 it was announced in Greece that the oldest armour that exists in Greece was restored and will be put on display soon. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The armour dates from the Mycenaean Era around 1400 BC, some 200 years before the Trojan War. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her

In East Asian history laminated armour such as lamellar, coat of plates, and brigandine were commonly used. Lamellar Armour is a kind of personal armour consisting of small plates ( lames) which are laced together in parallel rows A coat of plates is a form of torso Armour consisting of metal plates sewn or riveted to a cloth or Leather backing A brigandine, a form of body Armour, is a cloth garment generally Canvas or Leather, lined with small oblong steel plates riveted Later cuirass and plates were also used, but were quite rare. In pre-Qin dynasty times, leather armour was made out of exotic animals such as rhinoceros. Chinese influence in Japan would result in the Japanese adopting Chinese styles, their famous 'samurai armour' being a result of this influence.

History of armour in post-Ancient Europe

Mail

Main article: Mail (armour)

Mail, sometimes called by the neologism "chainmail", is made of interlocking iron or steel rings, which may be riveted or welded shut or, solely in modern manufacture, simply closed with the ends abutting. Mail (also maille, often given as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of Armour or jewellery that consists of small metal rings linked A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been It is believed to have been invented by the Celtic people in Eastern Europe about 500 BC. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. When these Celts moved West they took mail with them. Most cultures who used mail used the Celtic word Byrnne or a variant, suggesting the Celts as the originators. The Roman Army used mail for almost all of its history. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD the infrastructure to make plate was largely lost in Europe, as a result mail was the best available armour during the ensuing Early Medieval period.

Transition to plate

Little by little, small additional plates or disks of steel were added to the mail to protect vulnerable areas. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language Plated mail (sometimes called plated chainmail, splinted mail or splinted chainmail) is a type of mail with embedded plates By the late 1200s, the knees were capped with steel, and two circular disks, called besagews were fitted to protect the underarms. Besagews are circular defences designed to protect the armpits as part of a harness of Plate armour. A variety of methods for improving the protection provided by mail were used as armourers seemingly experimented. Hardened leather and splinted construction were used for arm and leg pieces. Splint armour, also referred to as splinted armour, is a form of armour primarily from Medieval Europe The coat of plates was developed, an armour made of large plates sewn inside a textile or leather coat. A coat of plates is a form of torso Armour consisting of metal plates sewn or riveted to a cloth or Leather backing

Solid steel plate was then developed to protect the shins, feet, throat and upper chest, and soon (mid to late 1300s) these protective plates covered most of the mail. The next phase saw the plate cover almost all parts of the mail. Eventually a full mail hauberk was no longer worn as it had been made redundant. Mail continued to be used to protect those joints which could not be adequately protected by plate, such as the armpit, crook of the elbow and groin.

The small skull cap evolved into a bigger true helmet, the bascinet, as it was lengthened downward to protect the back of the neck and the sides of the head. The bascinet was a Medieval European open-faced Military Helmet, typically fitted with an Aventail and Hinged Visor Additionally, several new forms of fully enclosed helmets were introduced in the late 1300s to replace the great helm, such as the sallet and barbute. The great helm or heaume, also called pot helm and barrel helm, of the High Middle Ages arose in the late 12th century in The sallet (also called salade and schaller) was a war Helmet that replaced the Bascinet in northern Europe during the mid- 15th century A barbute is a visorless war helmet of fifteenth century Italian design often with distinctive "T" shaped or "Y" shaped opening for the eyes and mouth

Plate armour, 1300 - 1620

Main article: plate armour

Probably the most recognised style of armour in the world, associated with the knights of Late Medieval Europe, but continuing later through the 16th and 17th Centuries in all European countries. Plate armour is personal Armour made from large Metal plates worn on the Chest and sometimes the entire Body. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Heavy cavalry was being used before plate armour became the norm. In the 14th century, horsemen were using a small, mobile "hand cannon", which along with improved crossbows, and the first pistols, began to take a heavy toll on the mail clad, and partially plated knights and foot soldiers. The hand cannon ( Arabic: midfa; Chinese: 手[[wikt 銃|銃]] as it was called was the first handheld portable A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts Rather than dooming the use of body armour, the threat of small firearms intensified the use and further refinement of plate armour. There was a 150 year period in which better and more metallurgically advanced steel armour was being used, precisely because of the danger posed by the gun.

In the early years of pistol and muskets, firearms were relatively low in velocity. The full suits of armour, or breast plates actually stopped bullets fired from a modest distance. The front breast plates were, in fact, commonly shot as a test. The impact point would often be encircled with engraving to point it out. This was called the "proof". It was not uncommon for a man in armour, mounted on a horse, to ride up closer to the enemy, wheel in a tactical manoeuvre called a caracole, and discharge his hand-cannon or later, pistols, right into the faces of the adversary at close range. The caracole or caracol (from the Spanish caracol - " Snail " consists of a manoeuvre on Horseback in Dressage and previously Crossbow bolts, if still used, would seldom penetrate good plate, nor would any bullet unless fired from close range. In effect, rather than making plate armour obsolete, the use of firearms stimulated the development of plate armour into its later stages. Hence, guns and cavalry in plate armour were "threat and remedy" together on the battlefield for almost 400 years. For most of that period, it allowed horsemen to fight while being the targets of defending arquebuseers without being easily killed. Full suits of armour were actually worn by generals and princely commanders right up to the second decade of the 18th century. It was the only way they could be mounted and survey the overall battlefield with safety from distant musket fire.

The horse was afforded protection from lances and infantry weapons by steel plate barding. Horses in the Middle Ages differed in size build and breed to the modern Horse, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, Barding (also spelled bard or barb) is Armour for horses During the late Middle Ages as armour protection for Knights This gave the horse protection and enhanced the visual impression of a mounted knight. Late in the era, elaborate barding was used in parade armour.

See components of medieval armour for a summary description and comparison of the various parts of a harness as plate armour developed over time. Following is a table that concisely identifies various pieces of medieval armour mostly plate but some mail arranged by the part of body that is protected and roughly by date

Characteristics of armour

Since the 15th century, most parts of the human body had been fitted with specialized steel pieces, typically worn over linen or woollen underclothes and attached to the body via leather straps and buckles and points. The human body is the entire physical and mental structure of a Human Organism. Mail protected those areas that could not be fitted with plate; for example, the back of the knee. Well-known constituent parts of plate armour include the helm, gauntlets, gorget or 'neckguard', breastplate, and greaves worn on the lower legs. A helmet is a form of Protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries a variation of the hat A gorget originally was a steel collar designed to protect the Throat. This can also refer to a piece of riding equipment see Breastplate (tack. A greave (from 12th century French greve "shin" of uncertain origin is a piece of Armour that protects the Leg.

Typically, full-body plate armour was custom-made for the individual. The cost of armour varied considerably with time and place as well as the type of armour, coverage it provided and the cost of decoration. A typical suit of full plate harness cost around 1 pound sterling in 14th century England[1]. A man-at-arms in the same period made 1 shilling per day and so his armour cost about 20 days pay. As such plate armour was limited to the noble and landed classes and mercenary professional soldiers, who did most of the fighting in the Medieval period, with soldiers of lower standing generally wearing less armour. Armour often bore an insignia of the maker. Full plate armour made the wearer virtually impervious to sword blows as well as providing significant protection against arrows, bludgeons and even early musket shot. Although sword edges could not penetrate even relatively thin plate (as little as 1 mm), they could cause serious head trauma via the impact. Also, although arrows shot from bows, crossbows and early firearms could occasionally pierce plate especially at close range, later improvements in the steel forging techniques and armour design made even this line of attack increasingly difficult. The hand cannon ( Arabic: midfa; Chinese: 手[[wikt 銃|銃]] as it was called was the first handheld portable By its apex, hardened steel plate was almost impregnable on the battlefield. Knights were instead increasingly felled by blunt weapons such as maces or war hammers that could send concussive force through the plate armour resulting in injuries such as broken bones, organ haemorrhage and/or head trauma. A mace is a simple Weapon that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows For the tabletop games see Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40000. Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging / haemorrhaging (see American and British spelling differences) is the loss of Blood from Another tactic was to attempt to strike through the gaps between the armour pieces, using daggers, spears and spear points to attack the man-at-arms' eyes or joints. Man-at-arms (also called armsman or coistrel) was a medieval term for a Soldier, almost always a professional

Contrary to common misconceptions, a well-made suit of medieval 'battle' armour (as opposed to the primarily ceremonial 'parade' and 'tournament' armour popular with kings and nobility of later years) hindered its wearer no more than the equipment carried by soldiers today. It should be remembered that an armoured knight would be trained to wear armour from his teens, and would likely develop the technique and endurance needed to comfortably run, crawl, climb ladders, as well as mount and dismount his horse without recourse to a crane (a myth probably originating from an English music hall comedy of the 1830s, and popularised in Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 Novel by American Humorist and Writer Mark Twain. A full suit of medieval plate is thought to have weighed little more than 60 lb (27 kg) on average, considerably lighter than the equipment often carried by the elite of today's armies. (For example, SAS patrols have been known to carry equipment weighing well over 200 lb (91 kg) for many miles. The Special Air Service ( SAS) is a Special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model and inspiration for the special )

Plate armour slowly discarded

Gradually starting in the mid 16th century, one plate element after another was discarded to save weight for foot soldiers, but breast and back plates continued to be used through the entire period of the 18th century through Napoleonic times in many (heavy) European cavalry units, all the way to the early 20th century. Muskets from about 1700 and later could regularly pierce plate, so cavalry had to be far more mindful of the fire. At the start of World War I the French Cuirassiers, in the thousands, rode out to engage the German Cavalry who likewise used helmets and armour. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. By that period, the shiny armour plate was covered in dark paint and a canvas wrap covered their elaborate Napoleonic style helmets. Their armour was meant to protect only against sabres and light lances. The sabre or saber (see spelling differences) is a kind of Sword that usually but not always has The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. The cavalry had to beware of high velocity rifles and machine guns like the foot soldiers, who at least had a trench to protect them. A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide (as opposed to a wider Gully or Ditch Machine gunners in that war also occasionally wore a crude type of heavy armour. Towards the end of World War I, armies on both sides were experimenting with plate armour as protection against shrapnel and ricocheting projectiles. Shrapnel is the term originally applied to an anti-personnel artillery shell which carried a large number of individual bullets to the target and then ejected them forwards relying

Modern personal armour

Ballistic

Main article: Ballistic vest

Today, bullet proof vests made of ballistic cloth (e. A ballistic vest is an item of protective clothing that absorbs the impact from gun-fired Projectiles and shrapnel fragments from explosion g kevlar, dyneema, twaron, spectra etc. Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene ( UHMWPE) also known as high-modulus polyethylene ( HMPE) or high-performance polyethylene ( HPPE Twaron is the brandname of Teijin Aramid for a para-aramid. History Twaron is a heat-resistant and strong Synthetic fiber developed ) and ceramic or metal plates are common among police forces, security staff, corrections officers and some branches of the military. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force A security guard or security officer is usually a privately and formally employed person who is paid to protect Property, assets or people A corrections officer, correctional officer, detention officer, jail guard, prison guard, prison warder, or prison officer For infantry applications, lighter protection (historically known as a flak jacket) is often used to protect soldiers from grenade fragments and indirect effects of bombardment, but usually not small arms fire. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A flak jacket or flak vest is a form of Protective clothing designed to provide protection from Shrapnel and other indirect low velocity projectiles A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. A bombardment is an attack by Artillery fire directed against Fortifications, troops or towns and buildings Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry This is because assault rifles usually fire harder, higher-energy bullets than pistols, and the increased protection needed to stop these would be too cumbersome and heavy to use in combat. An assault rifle is a Selective fire Rifle or Carbine (not to be confused with a semi-automatic only replica firing Ammunition with muzzle An armor-piercing shell is a type of Ammunition designed to penetrate Armor. The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979.

The US Army has adopted Interceptor body armour, however, which uses Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (E-S. Interceptor is a type of body armor formerly fielded by the U A. P. I) in the chest, sides and back of the armour. Each plate is rated to stop a range of ammunition including 3 hits from a 7.62×51 NATO AP round at a range of 10 m, though accounts in Iraq and Afghanistan tell of soldiers shot as many as seven times in the chest without penetration. The 762x51mm NATO is a Rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard firearm cartridge among NATO countries

Non-ballistic

Despite advances in the protection offered by ballistic armour against projectiles, as the name implies, modern ballistic armour is much less impervious to stabbing weapons unless they are augmented with anti-knife/anti-stab armour (usually a form of mail). Mail (also maille, often given as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of Armour or jewellery that consists of small metal rings linked

Riot police are usually equipped with armour against blows. Riot control refers to the measures used by police military or other forces to control, disperse and arrest civilians that are involved in a Riot, demonstration A strike is an attack with an inanimate object such as a Weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to

See also

• Chinese armour
• Korean armour
• Mongolian armour
• Dragon Skin body armour
• Military uniforms
• Battledress
• Military history
• Vehicle armour
• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Hillbilly armour
• Powered exoskeleton

External links

• Roelipilami's Picture Gallery of authentic European museum armour and armour depicted in sculpture and paintings
• Medieval Armour Reproduction and History
• DSM's Dyneema page - modern materials
• Honeywell's Spectra page - modern materials
• Lightweight ballistic composites: Military and law-enforcement applications. Edited by A Bhatnagar, Honeywell International, USA
• International Testing Standards for Modern Personal Body Armor

China has a long history of Armour and Weapons development China has many varieties of armour but the most were of the lamellar, Coat of plates Korean armour is the Armour used traditionally in ancient times against swords in swordfighting and as well in other battlefield encounters by Koreans or those fighting Mongolian armour, like its Chinese counterpart has a long history Military uniforms comprises standardised Dress worn by members of the Armed forces of various nations Battledress, in the general sense is the type of uniform used as Combat uniforms as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions Military history is a Humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity For body armour see Armour, for armoured forces see Armoured warfare, for other uses see Armour (disambiguation. Rolled homogeneous armour, or RHA is a basic type of steel plate used as a baseline to compare the effectiveness of military Vehicle armour. A powered Exoskeleton is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of a skeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the

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