In order to investigate the damage mechanisms of zirconium-based amorphous alloy fragments penetrating carbon fiber targets and their subsequent effects on target failure, ballistic experiments were conducted using a 12.7 mm ballistic gun. The experiments involved spherical zirconium-based amorphous alloy fragments impacting a composite target system consisting of a 6-mm thick carbon fiber laminate and a 2-mm thick LY12 alloy plate. These targets were arranged in both stacked and spaced configurations to evaluate the effects of target configuration on the damage caused by fragment impact. To quantitatively assess the subsequent damage, image recognition technology was employed to analyze the damage area of the LY12 target after impact.The results indicated that the damage area of the carbon fiber target was positively correlated with the velocity of the impacting fragment, with no significant hole expansion observed. On the front side, damage primarily resulted from fiber shear failure and compressive deformation, while the back face of the carbon fiber laminate exhibited tensile tearing and interlaminar delamination. These findings suggest that the carbon fiber target experienced a combination of mechanical damage modes, including shear and compressive deformation on the impact side, and tensile and delamination failures on the rear face, as a result of the high-velocity impact.In the case of the LY12 aluminum alloy target, the damage area increased with fragment velocity. When the velocity was below 954.7 m/s, the damage area on the LY12 target in the spaced configuration was smaller than that of the stacked configuration. However, as the fragment velocity increased, the damage area of the LY12 target in the spaced configuration grew rapidly, while the damage area in the stacked configuration increased more gradually. At higher velocities, the damage area in the spaced configuration was significantly larger than that in the stacked configuration. This trend suggests that for high-velocity impacts, the spaced configuration of the targets was more effective in promoting greater damage to the LY12 target.