Pike nose

A pike nose (from Russian: щучий нос) is a configuration of vehicle armour in which an armoured vehicle's frontal armour consists of three angular plates put together to form a cone-like shape, similar to the nose of a pike, from which the name stems. Often welded, it can also be cast. The design allows for very effective frontal angling of the armour plates, increasing protection from the front.

The pike nose has appeared on armoured vehicles since World War I, but the design gained popularity following World War II, with heavy tank designs such as the Soviet IS-3. Following the obsolescence of heavy tanks, however, the design has become rare in modern times, only rarely appearing on light vehicles.