At this year’s SHOT, Angel Armor introduced a companion piece to their Avail ballistic armor vehicle door drop-in panels, the Enlight Window Armor. Enlight is a Level IIIA transparent window armor designed for drop-in, tool-free installation to virtually any vehicle window. It offers multi-round ballistic protection from pistol-caliber projectiles up to .44 Magnum.
ST. PAUL, Minn — The U.S. Army has selected Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company, as the awardee for two low-rate initial production (LRIP) contracts for next-generation helmet systems and hard body armor inserts as part of the Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) and Vital Torso Protection (VTP) – Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) components of the Soldier Protection System (SPS).
The Army designed the IHPS to give soldiers a lighter-weight ballistic helmet system that also provides passive hearing protection and increased blunt-impact performance. This helmet system includes numerous accessories, including a mandible, visor, night vision goggle attachment device, rails and modular ballistic applique. The contract awarded to Ceradyne is valued at over $7 million for the delivery of more than 5,300 IHPS helmet systems. Production is expected to start in 2017.
The VTP will equip soldiers with lighter-weight body armor inserts. The $36 million contract is for the production of more than 30,000 ESAPI, with production also expected to start in 2017. This VTP award is an addition to a previous $34 million award, for a total of $70 million on the VTP LRIP contract.
“We are honored to be the awardee of these prestigious contracts,” said Cheryl Ingstad, business manager, Advanced Ceramics Platform – Defense, 3M. “The SPS program represents the highest level of lightweight technology to date. Our focus from the onset has been to meet the Army’s stringent specifications for the SPS, and that will continue as we move into initial production. As a leading science company, 3M has deep expertise in advanced lightweight materials, which, combined with our proven production history, differentiates our defense offerings.”
The SPS will replace the Army’s current personal protective equipment (PPE) system. It is designed to defeat current threats while providing an overall weight reduction for soldiers compared to existing PPE. Both the IHPS and VTP began as research and development programs with multiple contenders.
Ceradyne has delivered more than 120,000 enhanced combat helmets (ECH) to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps since 2014. The ECH offers the highest protection level of any helmet in the U.S. Armed Forces inventory, even protecting against certain small arms threats. Ceradyne has also delivered more than 2 million hard body armor inserts to the U.S. Armed Forces to date.
For more information about soldier protection solutions provided by 3M, visit www.3M.com/Defense.
MORRIS PLAINS, NJ, Jan 12, 2017 — Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has released Centurion™, a composite fabric designed to make law enforcement apparel and equipment 35 to 40 percent lighter. Centurion is the latest performance fabric made from Honeywell Spectra® fiber and is suitable for any type of application where the product needs to be strong but lightweight.
Traditionally, law enforcement officers have carried extra gear such as ammunition and radios by attaching them to modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) web designs that include straps sewn onto their tactical vests. MOLLE straps add extra weight and can make movement more difficult for officers.
By contrast, vests made with Centurion fabric are 35 to 40 percent lighter because they do not require extra fabric. Centurion is laser-cut according to user preference, resulting in slits along the vests from which officers can hang, hook or tie gear as needed. Because nothing needs to be sewn into these vests, they are lighter and more comfortable for officers to wear, as well as faster and easier for manufacturers to produce. Combined with Spectra fiber’s strength, Centurion-made vests are resistant to cuts, abrasion and water, making them suitable for many tough environments.
“Centurion represents the next evolution of lightweight law enforcement equipment, removing several pounds from the more than 20 pounds that an officer can typically wear while on patrol,” said Lori Wagner, armor marketing manager for Honeywell Packaging and Composites. “At the core of Centurion fabric’s remarkable properties is Spectra, Honeywell’s next-generation fiber that is the material of choice for law enforcement agencies around the world as well as the U.S. military. Honeywell’s armor technology not only provides life-saving materials, but also produces industry-leading, high-performance, lightweight fabric like Centurion, designed to help those who protect us.”
Spectra fiber is made from ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene using a patented gel-spinning process. Pound for pound, Spectra is 15 times stronger than steel, yet light enough to float. It has up to 60 percent greater strength than alternate aramid fiber. Spectra fiber is used to create Spectra Shield®, an advanced ballistic-resistant material. Honeywell’s Shield technology is a patented Honeywell process designed to optimize the ballistic performance characteristics of Spectra as well as aramid fiber in Gold Shield® materials.
Spectra Shield and Gold Shield products have been widely adopted and proven for the most advanced armor applications globally, from bullet-resistant vests, breast plates and helmets to combat vehicles and military aircraft – all which require lightweight solutions and superior performance.
Honeywell maintains an active Spectra fiber and ballistic materials research program focused on continuous improvement and development of high-performance materials. For more information about Spectra fiber, visit www.honeywell-spectra.com.
We’ve been an ATS dealer for years, but the AEGIS V2 Plate Carrier didn’t come up on our radar until a friend of ours in SF said we needed to check it out.
We were happy to see all the features they included for a plate carrier in the $200 price range. From the spacer mesh interior, to the included shoulder pads and side plate straps, the ATS Aegis V2 hits a sweet spot in our Plate Carrier line-up and should definitely be a contender for your 2017 upgrade!
Available today in RG, CB, BK & MC- click HERE to Order!
Beez Combat Systems’ SAPI/ESAPI Extreme Concealable Plate Carrier is, as the name implies, a low-profile plate carrier designed to hold SAPI/ESAPI and Poly cut plates, 3/4″ to 1.25″ thick. The ECPC is made of 500D Cordura nylon and MilSpec thread, and features 2″ low-profile shoulder adjustment, as well as Velcro loop panel for the attachment of name/ID plates, blood type patches, or other identifying patches. The elastic cummerbund is fully adjustable, and the ECPC is available with or without cummerbund flaps.
Available in all standard operational solid colors and MultiCam.
www.beezcombatsystems.com/SAPI-ESAPI-Extreme-Concealable-Plate-Carrier-BCS-SAPI-ESAPIECP
There was a time when helmets were only worn by SOF for airborne operations. Now, it’s standard practice to wear both helmet and body armor in both live-fire training as well as operations. Similarly, when I joined the Army in the mid-80s, the only eye pro were crappy Sun, Wind and Dust Goggles. By the late-90s, effective eye protective glasses and goggles were standard issue and wear in garrison, as well as deployed. The same can be said for active hearing protection. While it’s still not universal, most service members have access to hearing protection with active noise reduction features in addition to their ear plugs. We’ve adapted to the realities of the threat environment and driven technology solutions to the point of protecting head, eyes and ears. Now it’s time to get serious about protecting our service members’ respiratory system.
I first saw the Special Operations Tactical Respirator in the Gentex booth at Warrior West and was immediately impressed. There is no active requirement for this product. Gentex saw an unstated need and spent internal R&D Dollars to create a solution. I have a lot of friends with heavy metal poisoning from years of operating in threat environments as well as training in shoot houses. You’ll pick up a lot of lead just breathing during training, but being deployed exposes folks to a lot of residual, environmental threats as well. In the case of heavy metals, they collect in your body and left untreated, poison for the rest of your life. Naturally, it’s best to avoid altogether, or at least mitigate exposure. That’s where the SOTR comes in.
Adapted from technology created for use in the F-35 Lightning II Program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter Program) and leveraging over 35 years of other experience in the development of oxygen masks and CBRN equipment for aircrew and aircraft maintainers, Gentex Corporation designed its first respirator for ground applications, the Ops-Core Special Operations Tactical Respirator (SOTR). The new half-mask respirator will provide protection against a wide range of oil and non-oil based particulate contaminants encountered by Special Operations Forces, tactical operators or specialized law enforcement officers.
The half-mask respirator filter offers at least 99.7% filtration efficiency against airborne particulates including lead, asbestos, lubricant mist, and explosive gunfire residue. If it catches on, I can see future development of a filter for use against riot control agents and even CBRN threats for in-extremis use.
Key customer input driving the development of the respirator was that existing respiratory masks were excessive for the current threats they faced and that they did not integrate well with helmets or weapons systems. Employing their streamlined systems approach to design, Ops-Core developed the new respirator to provide protection without interfering with operator’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP), and to seamlessly interface with weapon systems for optimal effectiveness.
Other key features of the low profile half-mask respirator include a microphone, compatibility with standard ground communications headsets, two exhalation valves for easier breathing, easy-to-adjust suspension straps for both helmet worn and helmetless wear, a flexible and lightweight silicone face piece to enable fit to a large variety of facial types, front mounted inhalation valve and cartridge ports for enhanced field-of-vision, and a quick, one-handed filter change. In addition to the strap seen here for stand-alone use, the SOTR will also attach to the FAST helmet in a similar fashion to the O2 mask used for MFF parachuting operations.
Available in early 2017, the Ops-Core Special Operations Tactical Respirator was developed at the company’s facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California, which is dedicated to the research, development, and manufacture of respiratory protective products for military and law enforcement professionals.
Beginning in 2016, the Dutch Army purchased 80 Smart Vests. The Smart Vest is a ballistic vest with an integrated, mobile communication system which includes GPS and Blue Force Tracking, and is a part of the material project, Improved Operational Soldier System (VOSS). With a comms package by the Israeli firm Elbit and battery and GPS systems from Thales Netherlands, the Army plans to begin fielding 5,500 examples of the Smart Vest in 2017.
In the photo below, from the Dutch Army newspaper, a member of C Company from the 42nd Battalion “Limburgse Jagers”, tests a prototype of the Smart Vest, which took place over a three week period. The evaluation results will be shared with the manufacturers for any possible improvements.
As you can see in this second photo, the Smart Vest is in the equipment camo variant of NFP. During the US Army’s Camouflage Improvement Effort, there was to be a family of camouflage patterns developed with three-to-four patterns, all sharing common shapes and geometry. The first would be for Transitional use. Additional bookends for Woodland and Arid environments were to be offered as well as an optional fourth pattern specifically for use with Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment, although most contenders chose to use their Transitional patterns for this purpose. The Netherlands Fractal Pattern program takes a similar approach, with specialty patterns for different environments. Coincidentally, this is the first public photo of the NFP equipment pattern. The combat shirt is a trial version as well, although it is in a Coyote color.
The Smart Vest is powered by the E-lighter, a Fokker developed portable diesel generator, which provides 48 hours of power. Like the Smart Vest, the E-Lighter is an independent subproject under VOSS, with development almost complete.
Official test reports now confirm PPSS Group’s new NIJ Std 0101.06 Level IIIA Bullet Resistant Vests also offer protection from full contact shots, which form a fundamental part of the infamously stringent German Police as well as FBI Body Armor Test Protocol.
Being clearly delighted Robert Kaiser, CEO of PPSS Group said: “Launching our new NIJ Std 0101.06 Level IIIA bullet resistant vest today is a truly special event in itself, but knowing our body armour also protect from full contact shots means we have once again significantly improved the personal safety of those who serve and protect our countries and citizens.”
“Too many law enforcement officers are being shot by their own firearms from extremely close range. Understanding this particular risk was crucial during the development phase of our new high performance body armour.”
PPSS Group’s latest body armour also offer consistent protection from Tokarev Ball 7.62 x 25mm and Makarov 9 x 18mm, handgun rounds primarily used in the Russian Federation and Eastern European countries.
This advanced design has been successfully tested against a general issue TASER® device, which was recently conducted in a realistic operational setting – with a no effect on the wearer. The wearer was not incapacitated by the Taser discharge nor suffered any effects of the device.
The hybrid ballistic package has been created using a highly advanced new ultra-resilient European ballistic material, an integrated solution that combines high ballistic performance with a high level of comfort, improved flexibility, and substantially reduced Back Face Deformation (BFD).
Tony Welsh, COO of PPSS Group is highlighting the firm’s commitment: “We really are devoted to our continuous research and development. Our ambitious goal was to develop one of the best and operationally most sensible bullet resistant vests, and it is now clear that we have successfully reached our objective.”
“There is no question about it this standard is without any doubt the single most important ballistic resistance standards in the world. The latest is also the most stringent and most important version of it. “
A NIJ Std 0101.06 tested and certified body armour ultimately means increased protection for the wearer. It means reassurance and peace of mind knowing that a body armour is based on the very latest design and manufacturing capabilities and technologies. A detailed and very informative and useful article on this standard can be found here PPSS Group website.
A video featuring CEO Robert Kaiser being shot by a Glock 17 firing a 9mm Parabellum round from close range, highlighting the exceptional performance of this body armour is available for viewing on YouTube.
In case you have any questions or wish to discuss, please contact PPSS Group on +44 (0) 845 5193 95 email info@ppss-group.com or visit www.ppss-group.com or www.ppss-northamerica.com.
