Starship Reactive Armor is a form of mountable armor protection for starships used and manufactured by the Iron Company.

Starship reactive armor is an adaptation of an existing terrestrial technology meant to defeat the ever-increasing threat of hollow charge warheads in common use for space combat in the Valhalla galaxy. As conventional explosives do not function in space, the Company decided instead to use pressurized gas instead. While successful, the armor's usefulness has remained…questionable upon their arrival in the Kagami Galaxy though it provides some protection, albeit limited, against directed energy weapons.

Like its terrestrial-based cousin, it resembles a series of bricks usually made layers of steel with impact-resistant gel between to prevent micro impacts from accidentally setting it off. It is placed along most portions of the vessel. As explosives don't quite work in space-being little more than light and heat; highly pressurized gas, usually carbon dioxide but others can be used in its place, is contained within. Upon impact from a hollow charge, the gases explosively decompress, forcing the metal plates out at an angle and disrupting the shape charge jet. After each battle, any expended bricks will need to be replaced.

It should be noted that albeit very limited, protection against directed energy weapons as the resulting hit often causes the gas being directed outwards to turn into plasma and defuse the energy behind the attack; even Aetheric weapons are not immune to this but it does use up the charge and may end up doing damage to the hull of the vessel it is attached to. Kinetic weapons can defeat it, but it is not a sure thing as the metal plates exploding outwards can damage or destroy the projectile in question.

Commissar Farzi created this article on 2023/09/08 10:31.

This was approved by Andrew on 2024/11/08.((https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/skimmer-class-cutter.72485/#post-450495)