The armor for providing ballistic protection comprises an armor plate for stopping projectiles with an auxiliary plate disposed in front thereof at a determined spacing therefrom, the auxiliary plate being constituted by a ceramic plate pierced by a large number of cells distributed in a regular mesh and constituted by blind holes extending perpendicularly to the rear face of the auxiliary plate and opening out into the front face thereof. The effect of the auxiliary plate is to destabilize and to score the projectiles so as to enhance their tendency to shatter on striking the armor plate.