The　protection　effectiveness　of　the　sacrificial　cladding,　consisting　of　a　steel　face　plate　and　an　aluminum　foam　core,　subjected　to　near-field　blast　was　experimentally　and　numerically　investigated　in　the　present　study.　It　was　proposed　to　evaluate　the　protection　effect　of　the　sacrificial　cladding　from　two　perspectives,　namely,　the　increased　energy　input　to　the　cladding-structure　system　as　well　as　the　increased　energy　absorption　of　the　system.　First,　a　blast　test　was　conducted　on　the　monolithic　steel　plates　without　and　with　sacrificial　cladding　under　the　TNT　equivalent　charge　weights　of　400　g　and　1400　g,　in　which　both　the　positive　protection　effect　with　400　g　charge　weight　as　well　as　the　negative　protection　effect　with　1400　g　charge　weight　were　observed.　Subsequently,　numerical　simulation　with　the　model　validated　by　the　test　data　was　employed　to　further　investigate　the　blast　mitigation　effectiveness.　The　numerical　results　suggested　that　applying　sacrificial　cladding　would　lead　to　a　significant　increase　in　the　energy　input　to　the　cladding-structure　system,　thus　the　negative　protection　effect　of　the　cladding　occurred　when　the　increased　energy　input　to　the　system　was　more　than　the　energy　absorption　of　the　cladding.　Furthermore,　from　the　viewpoint　of　the　energy　input　to　the　system　and　the　energy　absorption　of　the　cladding,　the　influence　of　some　important　factors　including　the　face　plate　thickness　(mass),　core　strength,　and　stand-off　distance　on　the　protection　effectiveness　of　the　sacrificial　cladding　was　further　investigated　with　numerical　simulation.　The　results　showed　that　with　cladding,　a　near-field　blast　with　a　small　stand-off　distance　with　the　same　charge　weight　was　likely　to　lead　to　a　negative　protection　effect　due　to　the　significantly　increased　energy　input　to　the　system.　To　realize　the　positive　protection　effect　of　the　cladding,　the　measures　of　increasing　the　face　plate　thickness　(mass)　and　the　core　strength　were　feasible　since　they　could　significantly　reduce　the　energy　input　to　the　system　and　increase　the　energy　absorption　of　the　cladding　simultaneously.　The　results　in　the　present　study　provided　a　reference　for　the　preliminary　design　and　application　of　sacrificial　cladding　in　structural　protection.　©　2022　Elsevier　Ltd