The Modular Expandable Armor System (MEXAS) is a composite armour system developed by the German company IBD Deisenroth Engineering. MEXAS was introduced in 1994 and has been applied on over 20,000 combat vehicles worldwide.
The successor of MEXAS is the Advanced Modular Armor Protection (AMAP).
Ceramic armour tiles of MEXAS
Canadian Leopard C2 heavily up-armoured with MEXAS-M being deployed to Afghanistan
Some CV90 like this CV9030N are fitted with MEXAS
The Canadian LAV III is utilizing MEXAS
Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different materials such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armours are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration. It is possible to design composite armour stronger, lighter and less voluminous than traditional armour, but the cost is often prohibitively high, restricting its use to especially vulnerable parts of a vehicle. Its primary purpose is to help defeat high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) projectiles.
The Soviet T-64 was the first mass-produced tank with composite armour
The Leclerc tank is equipped with NERA (Non-explosive reactive armour)
Plasan SandCat light (5t) military vehicle featuring integrated composite armoured body
The British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank uses Chobham armour.