Modern computational studies of vehicle armor are most often focused on ensuring that protection meets international standard EN 1063, which takes into account only frontal impact of the projectile. Accounting for the effect of the contact angle and minimizing the glancing angle (the angle at which the projectile continues its relative motion along the barrier surface) is a research problem that is often overlooked. Its goal is to minimize associated losses during evacuation, i.e., to ensure minimal kinetic energy after contact with the protective structure. Based on developed rational computational models using established approaches within the LS-DYNA software package, a computational study has been conducted on the effect of the projectile penetration depth into protective multilayer structures made with loose granular material at different contact angles. The influence of the thickness of the outer shell layers on the plates stopping capability under frontal impact at various angles is demonstrated, followed by determination of the glancing angle. A boundary-value problem — bullet impact at the joint between plates — is also considered. The study used Dragunov sniper rifle 7.62 mm caliber APM2 bullets considering an initial muzzle velocity. The results of this work allow employing new-type armor for civilian vehicles comprehensive assessment.

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