Patent ID: 7565778

Claim:
A method of protecting a main core ( 2 ) of a vehicle against an attack originating from an environment surrounding the vehicle, comprising the steps of: attaching a composite structure to the main core( 2 ), said composite structure comprising at least a laminated surface covering ( 1 ) with at least one elastomeric member ( 3 ), a protective layer ( 4 ), and a damage tell-tale ( 5 ); initially intercepting an attack from the environment to the composite structure by the protective layer ( 4 ), the protective layer interposed at least in part between the main core ( 2 ) and an attack zone of the environment from which an impact from the attack occurs; and distributing and/or absorbing at least a fraction of an attack energy intercepted from the attack by the protective layer ( 4 ) by the laminated surface covering ( 1 ), wherein, upon the attack energy being above a predetermined threshold suitable for subjecting the main core ( 2 ) to damage, at least a fraction of said attack energy is transferred to the main core ( 2 ) and also to the damage tell-tale ( 5 ), the damage tell-tale ( 5 ) being integrated at least in part in the composite structure and configured to reveal the damage to the main core ( 2 ) as a visible trace in the composite structure.