Abstract: A vessel-based armor system is disclosed that comprises an outer vessel element and a ballistic protection element enclosed within. The vessel itself does not provide protection from ballistic threats; rather, the protective element within the vessel mitigates the ballistic threat. The vessel provides housing for the internal protective element. The design of the vessel permits the insertion and removal of the protective element and the replacement with a different protective element. In the primary embodiment, the protective element is an armored insert comprising at least one ballistic resistant plate (or panel). A preferred embodiment of the armored insert comprises a series of offset panels or plates thereby forming a spaced armor arrangement within the vessel. The same vessel is capable of accepting fill material, strata of fill material and armor interstitial plates, or a liquid, thereby increasing the flexibility of use, range of cost, weight, and setup time in the deployment of the armor system.