Editing Armour

{{Short description|Covering used to protect from physical injury or damage}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2023}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2011}}<!-- This article uses UK English. Please do not change spellings. -->
[[File:Xixia Chainmail Armor (41985701161).jpg|thumb|[[Western Xia]] mail armour|alt=Torso-covering mail armour on a black mannequin]]

'''Armour''' ([[Commonwealth English]]) or '''armor''' ([[American English]]; see [[American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or|spelling differences]]) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or [[projectile]]s during [[combat]], or from a potentially dangerous environment or activity (e.g. cycling, construction sites, etc.).  [[Personal armour]] is used to protect soldiers and [[war animal]]s. [[Vehicle armour]] is used on [[warship]]s, [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s, and some [[combat aircraft]], mostly [[ground attack aircraft]].

A second use of the term ''armour'' describes [[Division (military)#Armoured division|armoured forces]], [[#Armoured fighting vehicles|armoured weapons]], and their role in combat. After the development of [[armoured warfare]], [[tank]]s and [[mechanised infantry]] and their combat formations came to be referred to collectively as "armour".

== Etymology ==
[[File:Paris bordone 016.jpg|thumb|''Portrait of a Gentleman in Armour with Two Pages'' by [[Paris Bordone]]|alt=An oil painting depicts a partially-armoured man who is assisted by two boys, one of whom is tying on some armour onto his arm while the other holds his helmet. A group of soldiers are amassed in the background.]]
The word "armour" began to appear in the Middle Ages as a derivative of [[Old French language|Old French]]. It is dated from 1297 as a "mail, defensive covering worn in combat". The word originates from the Old French {{lang|fro|armure}}, itself derived from the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|armatura}} meaning "arms and/or equipment", with the root {{lang|la|armare}} meaning "arms or gear".<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of armour in English |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/armour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729011510/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/armour |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 July 2012 |website=Oxford Dictionaries |access-date=12 April 2016 }}</ref>

== Personal ==
{{Main|Body armor}}
Armour has been used throughout [[recorded history]]. It has been made from a variety of materials, beginning with the use of leathers or fabrics as protection<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/armour-protective-clothing|title=armour &#124; History, Types, Definition, & Facts &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com}}</ref> and evolving through [[Mail (armour)|chain mail]] and metal plate into today's modern [[composite armour|composites]]. For much of [[military history]] the manufacture of metal personal armour has dominated the technology and employment of armour.

Armour drove the development of many important technologies of the Ancient World, including wood [[laminate|lamination]], mining, [[Refining (metallurgy)|metal refining]], vehicle manufacture, leather processing, and later decorative metal working. Its production was influential in the [[Industrial Revolution]], and furthered commercial development of metallurgy and engineering. Armour was also an important factor in the development of [[firearm]]s, which in turn revolutionised warfare.

=== History ===
[[File:Πανοπλία των Δέντρων 8005.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Dendra panoply]], [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean Greek]] armour, {{circa|1400 BC}} |alt=Bronze armour and a helmet with pieces of boar's tusk]]
Significant factors in the development of armour include the economic and technological necessities of its production. For instance, [[plate armour]] first appeared in [[Middle Ages|Medieval Europe]] when [[Trip hammer | water-powered trip hammers]] made the formation of plates faster and cheaper. At times the development of armour has paralleled the development of increasingly effective weaponry on the battlefield, with armourers seeking to create better protection without sacrificing mobility.

Well-known armour types in [[European history]] include the [[lorica hamata]], [[lorica squamata]], and the [[lorica segmentata]] of the [[Roman legion]]s, the [[mail (armour)|mail]] [[hauberk]] of the early medieval age, and the full steel plate harness worn by later [[medieval]] and [[renaissance]] [[knight]]s, and breast and back plates worn by heavy cavalry in several European countries until the first year of World War I (1914–1915). The [[samurai]] warriors of [[Feudal Japan]] utilised [[Japanese armour|many types of armour]] for hundreds of years up to the 19th century.

==== Early ====
[[File:China Shanxi Ming dynasty - Buddhist deity GuanGong or Guan Yu - wood IMG 9575 Museum of Asian Civilisation.jpg|thumb|upright|Wooden statue of [[Guan Yu]] in mountain pattern armour, 16th c. [[Ming dynasty]]|alt=Statue depicting a man in colorful armour]]
The first record of body armor in history was found on the [[Stele of the Vultures|Stele of Vultures]] in [[Sumer|ancient Sumer]] in today's south [[Iraq]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gabriel |first1=Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6sAftYT6dsIC&q=oldest+%22armor%22+stele+vultures&pg=PA51 |title=From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies |last2=Metz |first2=Karen S. |date=1991 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-27645-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gabriel |first=Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&q=oldest+%22armor%22+stele+vultures&pg=PA78 |title=The Ancient World |date=2007 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-33348-4 |language=en}}</ref> and various forms of scale mail can be seen in surviving records from [[Military of ancient Egypt#New Kingdom armies|the New Kingdom of Egypt]], [[Military of the Zhou dynasty|Zhou dynasty China]], and [[Military history of India#The Indian dynasties|dynastic India]]. [[Cuirass]]es and [[combat helmet|helmet]]s were manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.<ref>Farris 1998, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dCNioYQ1HfsC&pg=PA75 p. 75]</ref> ''Tankō'', worn by foot soldiers and ''keikō'', worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early [[Japanese armour]] constructed from iron plates connected together by leather thongs. Japanese lamellar armour (''keiko'') passed through Korea and reached Japan around the 5th century.<ref>Robinson 2002, p. 10</ref> These early Japanese lamellar armours took the form of a sleeveless jacket, leggings and a helmet.<ref>Robinson 2002, pp. 169–170</ref>

Armour did not always cover all of the body; sometimes no more than a helmet and leg plates were worn. The rest of the body was generally protected by means of a large [[shield]]. An example of armies equipping their troops in this fashion were the Aztecs (13th to 15th century CE).<ref>Fagan 2004, {{Page needed|date=June 2011}}</ref>

In East Asia, many types of armour were commonly used at different times by various cultures, including [[scale armour]], [[lamellar armour]], [[laminar armour]], [[plated mail]], [[Chainmail|mail]], [[plate armour]], and [[brigandine]]. Around the dynastic Tang, Song, and early Ming Period, cuirasses and plates (mingguangjia) were also used, with more elaborate versions for officers in war. The Chinese, during that time used partial plates for "important" body parts instead of covering their whole body since too much plate armour hinders their martial arts movement. The other body parts were covered in cloth, leather, lamellar, or [[Chinese armor#mountain pattern armour|mountain pattern armor]]. In pre-Qin dynasty times, leather armour was made out of various animals, with more exotic ones such as the rhinoceros.

[[Mail (armour)|Mail]], sometimes called "chainmail", made of interlocking iron rings is believed to have first appeared some time after 300 BC. Its invention is credited to the [[Celts]]; the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] are thought to have adopted their design.<ref>Gabriel 2007, [https://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&pg=PA79 p. 79]</ref>

Gradually, small additional plates or discs of iron were added to the mail to protect vulnerable areas. Hardened leather and [[splint armour|splinted]] construction were used for arm and leg pieces. The [[coat of plates]] was developed, an armour made of large plates sewn inside a textile or leather coat.

==== 13th to 18th century Europe ====
{{see|Components of medieval armour|Armour in the 18th century}}
[[File:Child armour of Žygimantas Augustas, exhibited in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius.jpg|thumb|upright|Child armour of [[Sigismund II Augustus]], which was commissioned by [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Ferdinand I]] for his daughter [[Elizabeth of Austria (1526–1545)|Elizabeth of Austria]]'s marriage to Sigismund II Augustus<ref>{{cite web |title=Intriguojanti vieno šedevro istorija – Žygimanto Augusto vaikiškų šarvų paroda |url=https://www.valdovurumai.lt/lt/naujienos/i/2635/intriguojanti-vieno-sedevro-istorija-zygimanto-augusto-vaikisku-sarvu-paroda/ |website=Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania |access-date=23 April 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>]]
Early plate in Italy, and elsewhere in the 13th–15th century, were made of iron. Iron armour could be [[Carburising|carburised]] or [[Case hardening|case hardened]] to give a surface of harder steel.<ref>Williams 2003, pp. 740–41.</ref> Plate armour became cheaper than mail by the 15th century as it required much less labour and labour had become much more expensive after the [[Black Death]], though it did require larger furnaces to produce larger [[Bloomery|blooms]]. 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. Another advantage of plate was that a lance rest could be fitted to the breast plate.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 55</ref>

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. Additionally, several new forms of fully enclosed helmets were introduced in the late 14th century.

[[File:MET Armures.jpg|thumb|left|Heavily armoured riders and their [[barding|barded]] [[war horse]]s, 16th century|alt=Three statues of riders and horses in armour]]
Probably the most recognised style of armour in the world became the [[plate armour]] associated with the [[knight]]s of the European [[Late Middle Ages]], but continuing to the early 17th century [[Baroque]] period in all European countries.

By 1400, the full harness of plate armour had been developed in armouries of Lombardy.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 53.</ref> Heavy cavalry dominated the battlefield for centuries in part because of their armour.

In the early 15th century, advances in weaponry allowed infantry to defeat armoured knights on the battlefield. The quality of the metal used in armour deteriorated as armies became bigger and armour was made thicker, necessitating breeding of larger cavalry horses. If during the 14–15th centuries armour seldom weighed more than 15&nbsp;kg, then by the late 16th century it weighed 25&nbsp;kg.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 916</ref> The increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armour therefore gave substantial resistance.

In the early years of low velocity firearms, full suits of armour, or breast plates actually stopped bullets fired from a modest distance. Crossbow bolts, if still in use, 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. For most of that period, it allowed horsemen to fight while being the targets of defending [[Arquebus|arquebusiers]] 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]]. 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.

==== Later ====
[[File:Elements of a Light-Cavalry Armor MET DT780.jpg|thumb|''Elements of a Light-Cavalry Armor'', {{circa|1510}}|alt=Metal armour for torso and arms]]
Gradually, starting in the mid-16th century, one plate element after another was discarded to save weight for foot soldiers.

Back and breast plates continued to be used throughout the entire period of the 18th century and through Napoleonic times, in many European [[heavy cavalry]] units, until the early 20th century. From their introduction, [[musket]]s could pierce plate armour, so cavalry had to be far more mindful of the fire. In Japan, armour continued to be used until the late 19th century, with the last major fighting in which armour was used, this occurred in 1868.<ref>Robinson 1951, {{Page needed|date=June 2011}}</ref> [[Japanese armour|Samurai armour]] had one last short lived use in 1877 during the [[Satsuma Rebellion]].<ref>Robinson 2002, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh-to448NTEC&pg=PA208 p. 208]</ref>

Though the age of the knight was over, armour continued to be used in many capacities. Soldiers in the [[American Civil War]] bought iron and steel vests from peddlers (both sides had considered but rejected body armour for standard issue). The effectiveness of the vests varied widely, some successfully deflected bullets and saved lives, but others were poorly made and resulted in tragedy for the soldiers. In any case the vests were abandoned by many soldiers due to their increased weight on long marches, as well as the stigma they got for being cowards from their fellow troops.<ref>Stewart, pp. 74–75</ref>

At the start of World War I, thousands of the French [[Cuirassier]]s rode out to engage the German Cavalry. By that period, the shiny metallic [[cuirass]] was covered in a dark paint and a canvas wrap covered their elaborate Napoleonic style helmets, to help mitigate the sunlight being reflected off the surfaces, thereby alerting the enemy of their location. Their armour was only meant for protection against edged weapons such as [[bayonet]]s, [[sabre]]s, and [[lance]]s. Cavalry had to be wary of [[repeating rifle]]s, machine guns, and [[artillery]], unlike the foot soldiers, who at least had a [[Trench warfare|trench]] to give them some protection.

=== Present ===
Today, [[ballistic vest]]s, also known as [[flak jacket]]s, made of ballistic cloth (e.g. [[kevlar]], [[dyneema]], [[twaron]], [[Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene|spectra]] etc.) and ceramic or metal plates are common among police officers, [[security guard|security guards]], [[prison officer|corrections officers]] and some branches of the military.

The US Army has adopted [[Interceptor body armour]], which uses Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPIs) 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 {{convert|10|m|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>ArmorUP</ref> [[Dragon Skin]] is another ballistic vest which is currently in testing with mixed results. As of 2019, it has been deemed too heavy, expensive, and unreliable, in comparison to more traditional plates, and it is outdated in protection compared to modern US IOTV armour, and even in testing was deemed a downgrade from the IBA.

The British Armed Forces also have their own armour, known as Osprey. It is rated to the same general equivalent standard as the US counterpart, the [[Improved Outer Tactical Vest]], and now the [[Soldier Plate Carrier System]] and [[Modular Tactical Vest]].

The Russian Armed Forces also have armour, known as the 6B43, all the way to 6B45, depending on variant. Their armour runs on the GOST system, which, due to regional conditions, has resulted in a technically higher protective level overall.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ancient German armour helmet.jpg|Medieval German helmet.|alt=Rusted metal helmet
File:Armors for Man and Horse, Syrian, Iranian and Turkish, comprehensively about 1450-1550,The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.jpg|Early Modern horse armour on display at [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York City, New York.|alt=Statue of horse and rider in armour
File:Rustning, Gustav Vasa - Livrustkammaren - 32921.tif|Plate armour|alt=Full set of plate metal armour
File:Riot Policeman in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.jpg|[[Riot police]] with body protection against physical impact. However, it does not provide very much protection against firearms. |alt=Uniformed police officer wearing body armour
</gallery>

== Vehicle ==
{{Main|Vehicle armour}}

The first modern production technology for armour plating was used by navies in the construction of the [[ironclad warship]], reaching its pinnacle of development with the [[battleship]]. The first [[tank]]s were produced during World War I. Aerial armour has been used to protect pilots and aircraft systems since the First World War.

In modern ground forces' usage, the meaning of armour has expanded to include the role of troops in combat. After the evolution of [[armoured warfare]], [[mechanised infantry]] were mounted in armoured fighting vehicles and replaced [[light infantry]] in many situations. In modern armoured warfare, armoured units equipped with tanks and [[infantry fighting vehicle]]s serve the historic role of [[heavy cavalry]], [[light cavalry]], and [[dragoon]]s, and belong to the armoured branch of warfare.

=== History ===

==== Ships ====
{{further|Warship|Naval armour}}
[[File:HMS Warrior (1860).jpg|left|thumb|{{HMS|Warrior|1860|6}} during her third commission between 1867 and 1871|alt=A ship with an iron hull]]

The first [[ironclad]] battleship, with [[iron armour]] over a wooden hull, {{ship|French ironclad|Gloire||2}}, was launched by the [[French Navy]] in 1859<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 73–74</ref> prompting the British [[Royal Navy]] to build a counter. The following year they launched {{HMS|Warrior|1860|6}}, which was twice the size and had iron armour over an iron hull. After the [[Battle of Hampton Roads|first battle between two ironclads]] took place in 1862 during the [[American Civil War]], it became clear that the ironclad had replaced the [[Ship of the line|unarmoured line-of-battle ship]] as the most powerful warship afloat.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 86.</ref>

Ironclads were designed for several roles, including as high seas battleships, [[coastal defence ship]]s, and long-range [[cruiser]]s. The rapid evolution of warship design in the late 19th century transformed the ironclad from a wooden-hulled vessel which carried sails to supplement its steam engines into the steel-built, turreted battleships and cruisers familiar in the 20th century. This change was pushed forward by the development of heavier naval guns (the ironclads of the 1880s carried some of the heaviest guns ever mounted at sea),{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} more sophisticated steam engines, and advances in metallurgy which made steel [[shipbuilding]] possible.

The rapid pace of change in the ironclad period meant that many ships were obsolete as soon as they were complete, and that naval tactics were in a state of flux. Many ironclads were built to make use of the [[naval ram|ram]] or the [[torpedo]], which a number of naval designers considered the crucial weapons of naval combat. There is no clear end to the ironclad period, but towards the end of the 1890s the term ''ironclad'' dropped out of use. New ships were increasingly constructed to a standard pattern and designated battleships or [[armoured cruiser]]s.

==== Trains ====
[[File:Wagon pancerny s.jpg|thumb|upright|An armoured train from 1915|alt=A train with metal plates affixed to the exterior]]

[[Armoured train]]s saw use from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, including the American Civil War (1861–1865), the [[Franco-Prussian War]] (1870–1871), the [[First Boer War|First]] and [[Second Boer War|Second]] Boer Wars (1880–81 and 1899–1902), the [[Polish–Soviet War]] (1919–1921), the [[World War I|First]] (1914–1918) and [[World War II|Second World Wars]] (1939–1945) and the [[First Indochina War]] (1946–1954). The most intensive use of armoured trains was during the [[Russian Civil War]] (1918–1920).

==== Armoured fighting vehicles ====
{{Main|Armoured fighting vehicle}}

Ancient [[siege engine]]s were usually protected by wooden armour, often covered with wet hides or thin metal to prevent being easily burned.

Medieval [[war wagon]]s were horse-drawn wagons that were similarly armoured.  These contained guns or crossbowmen that could fire through gun-slits.

The first modern [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s were [[armored car (military)|armoured cars]], developed {{circa|1900}}.  These started as ordinary wheeled motor-cars protected by iron shields, typically mounting a machine gun.<ref>Macksey, Kenneth (1980). ''The Guinness Book of Tank Facts and Feats''. Guinness Superlatives Limited, {{ISBN|0-85112-204-3}}.</ref>

During the First World War, the stalemate of [[trench warfare]] during on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] spurred the development of the [[Tanks in World War I|tank]]. It was envisioned as an armoured machine that could advance under fire from enemy rifles and machine guns, and respond with its own heavy guns. It used [[caterpillar track]]s to cross ground broken up by shellfire and trenches.

==== Aircraft ====
With the development of effective [[anti-aircraft artillery]] in the period before the Second World War, military pilots, once the "knights of the air" during the First World War, became far more vulnerable to ground fire. [[Survivorship bias|As a response]], armour plating was added to aircraft to protect aircrew and vulnerable areas such as engines and fuel tanks. [[Self-sealing fuel tank]]s functioned like armour in that they added protection but also increased weight and cost.

=== Present ===
[[File:Abrams-transparent.png|thumb|The [[United States Military|US Military]]'s [[M1 Abrams]] [[Main battle tank|MBT]] uses [[composite armour|composite]], [[reactive armour|reactive]], and [[cage armour]]|alt=A tank]]

Tank armour has progressed from the Second World War armour forms, now incorporating not only harder [[Composite armour|composites]], but also [[reactive armour]] designed to defeat [[shaped charge]]s. As a result of this, the [[main battle tank]] (MBT) conceived in the [[Cold War]] era can survive multiple [[rocket-propelled grenade]] strikes with minimal effect on the crew or the operation of the vehicle. The [[light tank]]s that were the last descendants of the [[light cavalry]] during the Second World War have almost completely disappeared from the world's militaries due to increased lethality of the weapons available to the vehicle-mounted infantry.

The [[armoured personnel carrier]] (APC) was devised during the First World War. It allows the safe and rapid movement of infantry in a combat zone, minimising casualties and maximising mobility. APCs are fundamentally different from the previously used armoured [[half-track]]s in that they offer a higher level of protection from artillery [[Air burst|burst]] fragments, and greater mobility in more terrain types. The basic APC design was substantially expanded to an [[infantry fighting vehicle]] (IFV) when properties of an APC and a light tank were combined in one vehicle.

Naval armour has fundamentally changed from the Second World War doctrine of thicker plating to defend against [[Shell (projectile)|shells]], [[bomb]]s and torpedoes. Passive defence naval armour is limited to [[kevlar]] or steel (either single layer or as [[spaced armour]]) protecting particularly vital areas from the effects of nearby impacts. Since ships cannot carry enough armour to completely protect against [[anti-ship missile]]s, they depend more on defensive weapons destroying incoming missiles, or causing them to miss by confusing their guidance systems with [[electronic warfare]].

Although the role of the ground attack aircraft significantly diminished after the [[Korean War]], it re-emerged during the [[Vietnam War]], and in the recognition of this, the [[US Air Force]] authorised the design and production of what became the [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10]] dedicated anti-armour and [[ground-attack aircraft]] that first saw action in the [[Gulf War]].

[[High-voltage transformer fire barriers]] are often required to defeat [[ballistics]] from small arms as well as projectiles from [[Bushing (electrical)|transformer bushings]] and [[lightning arrester]]s, which form part of large electrical [[transformer]]s, per [https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=850 NFPA 850]. Such fire barriers may be designed to inherently function as armour, or may be [[passive fire protection]] materials ''augmented by armour'', where care must be taken to ensure that the armour's reaction to fire does not cause issues with regards to the fire barrier being armoured to defeat explosions and projectiles in addition to fire, especially since both functions must be provided simultaneously, meaning they must be fire-tested together to provide realistic evidence of fitness for purpose.

[[Unmanned combat aerial vehicle|Combat drones]] use little to no vehicular armour as they are not crewed vessels, this results in them being lightweight and small in size.

== Animal armour ==

=== Horse armour ===
{{Main|Barding}}
[[Image:Dresden-Zwinger-Armoury-Armor.02.JPG|thumb|A 16th-century knight with a horse in full barding|alt=Statue of horse and rider in armour]]

[[Body armour]] for [[Horses in warfare|war horses]] has been used since at least 2000 BC. Cloth, leather, and metal protection covered cavalry horses in ancient civilisations, including ancient Egypt, Assyria, Persia, and Rome. Some formed [[heavy cavalry]] units of armoured horses and riders used to attack infantry and mounted archers.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Stuart W. |last1=Pyhrr |first2=Donald J. |last2=LaRocca |first3=Dirk H. |last3=Breiding |title=The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480–1620 |year=2005 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |location=New York |isbn=9781588391506 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V8WFr7Fjdi8C |page=8}}</ref> Armour for horses is called ''barding'' (also spelled ''bard'' or ''barb'') especially when used by European [[knight]]s.

During the late [[Middle Ages]] as armour protection for knights became more effective, their mounts became targets. This vulnerability was exploited by the [[Scotland|Scots]] at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]] in the 14th century, when horses were killed by the infantry, and for the English at the [[Battle of Crécy]] in the same century where [[English longbow|longbowmen]] shot horses and the then dismounted [[Kingdom of France|French]] knights were killed by [[heavy infantry]]. Barding developed as a response to such events.

Examples of armour for horses could be found as far back as [[classical antiquity]]. [[Cataphracts]], with [[scale armour]] for both rider and horse, are believed by many historians to have influenced the later European knights, via contact with the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref name="Nell, Grant S. 1995">Nell, Grant S. (1995) ''The Savaran: The Original Knights''. University of Oklahoma Press.</ref>

Surviving period examples of barding are rare; however, complete sets are on display at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]],<ref>[http://philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/309965.html Horse Armor of Duke Ulrich of Württemberg] at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]</ref> the [[Wallace Collection]] in London, the [[Royal Armouries]] in [[Leeds]], and the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York City.  Horse armour could be made in whole or in part of [[cuir bouilli]] (hardened leather), but surviving examples of this are especially rare.<ref>Phyrr et al., 57–59</ref>

=== Elephant armour ===
[[File:Royal Armouries, Leeds 20190201 123036 (49307523651).jpg|thumb|alt=War elephant display in a museum|Model of an armoured elephant at the [[Royal Armouries Museum]]]]
[[War elephant]]s were first used in ancient times without armour,{{sfn|Kistler|2007|p=9}} but armour was introduced because elephants injured by enemy weapons would often flee the battlefield. Elephant armour was often made from hardened leather, which was fitted onto an individual elephant while moist, then dried to create a hardened shell.{{sfn|Kistler|2007|p=13}} Alternatively, metal armour pieces were sometimes sewn into heavy cloth.{{sfn|Kistler|2007|p=22}} Later [[lamellar armour]] (small overlapping metal plates) was introduced.{{sfn|Kistler|2007|p=211}} Full plate armour was not typically used due to its expense and the danger of the animal overheating.{{sfn|Kistler|2007|p=21}}

== See also ==
* [[Battledress]]
* [[Bioinspired armor]]
* [[Bomb suit]]
* [[High-voltage transformer fire barriers]]
* [[Linothorax]]
* [[Powered exoskeleton]]
* [[Rolled homogeneous armour]]
* [[Commercial uses of armor]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|20em}}

== References ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* "Ballistic Protection Levels." BulletproofME.com Body Armor. ArmorUP L.P., n.d. 19 October 2014
* {{cite journal |first= R.L. |last=DiNardo |title=The First Modern Tank: Gunther Burstyn and His Motorgeschutz |journal=The Journal of Military History |volume=50 |pages=12–15 |issue=1 |date=January 1986 |issn=0026-3931 |oclc= 477932108 |doi=10.2307/1988528|jstor=1988528 }}
* {{cite book |last= Fagan |first= Brian |title= The Seventy Great Inventions of the Ancient World |publisher= Thames & Hudson |location= London |year= 2004 |isbn= 978-0-500-05130-6 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/seventygreatinve0000unse }}
* {{cite book |last= Farris |first= William |title= Sacred Texts and Buried Treasures |publisher= University of Hawai'i Press |location= Honolulu |year= 1998 |isbn= 978-0-8248-2030-5 }}
* {{cite book |last= Gabriel |first= Richard |title= The Ancient World |publisher= Greenwood Press |location= Westport |year= 2007 |isbn= 978-0-313-33348-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kistler |first=John M. |title=War Elephants |date=2007 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |isbn=978-0-8032-6004-7}}
* {{cite book |last= Regan |first= Geoffrey |title= The Guinness Book of More Military Blunders |publisher= Guinness |location= Enfield |year= 1993 |isbn= 978-0-85112-728-6 |ref=Regan1993}}
* {{cite book |last=Reid |first=Peter |title=Medieval Warfare |location=New York |publisher=Carrol & Graf Publishers |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7867-1859-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/medievalwarfaret0000reid }}
* {{cite book |last= Robinson |first= Basil William |title= Arms and Armour of Old Japan |publisher= H.M. Stationery Office |location= London |year= 1951 |isbn= 978-0-11-290074-0 }}
* {{cite book |last= Robinson |first= Henry |title= Oriental Armour |publisher= Dover Publications |location= New York |year= 2002 |isbn= 978-0-486-41818-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Sondhaus |first=Lawrence |title=Naval Warfare 1815–1914 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-415-21478-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Gail B. |title=The Civil War: Weapons of War |location=San Diego |publisher=Lucent Publishers |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-56006-626-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/weaponsofwar00stew }}
* {{cite book |last=Williams |first=Alan |title=The Knight and the Blast Furnace: A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period |journal=History of Warfare |volume=12 |location= Leiden |publisher=Brill |year=2003 |isbn=978-90-04-12498-1}}
* {{cite book |last= Willmott |first= H.P. |title= First World War |publisher= DK Publishing |location= New York |year= 2003 |isbn= 978-0-7894-9627-0 |ref=Willmott2003}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

{{Types of armour}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Armour| ]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Military equipment of antiquity]]