Investigation of the high-strain rate (shock and ballistic) response of the elastomeric tissue simulant Perma-Gel®

•Plate-impact and ballistics tests on the epithelial/muscular analogue Perma-Gel®.•Us-up and σx-up/σx-v equations-of-state established for the first time.•Perma-Gel's® high-rate compressibility tentatively linked to ballistic response.•Importance of individual tissue analogue material properties highlighted.•Importance of composite rather than individual simulants noted.