It was shown by authors that if there exists pressure-induced phase transition of ceramic material at the critical stressPcso thatPc<H(H is the material hardness) the phase transition takes place during indentation in the thin layer under indenter. During kinetic energy projectile penetration into ceramics the stress must be of the same level as during indentation or more. X-Ray investigation of the powder from the crater of self-bounded silicon carbide destroyed by kinetic projectile has been carried out. In the initial specimen silicon carbide had the structure of the most abundant 6H hexagonal polytype with 6 layers in the lattice cell. But in the powder from crater there was the 33R rhombohedron polytype with 33 layers in the lattice cell together with initial 6H polytype. By this way phase transition6H→33Rwas observed in the thin surface layer of silicon carbide. This transformation is usually connected with sharp increase in dislocation density and can be an effective mode of energy absorption. ©2000 American Institute of Physics.