There are many materials that have better thermal properties than Plexiglass with good IR transmission. There is one material that seems to be the best fit for your application, aluminium oxynitride. Commercially available under the name ALON, when in thicknesses of 1.6" it is more effective at stopping .50 BMG than 3.7" of glass laminate and is lighter. It comes in 18x35 inch sheets, so your array of panels is possible. Probably not cheap though.
Found an actual report on the .50 BMG test. The ALON was a 1.6" laminate. The laminate material could degrade or fail from repeated laser blasts. So the panes will be thicker than 1.6", but you should still be able to get the desired results.
Last edited by mmartin798; 08-04-2017 at 09:06 AM.
Reason: Additional information
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