Integris seeks feedback from military and law enforcement on its new soft armor vests

PARIS—Integris Composites, the global leader in armor protection for the world’s elite military and law-enforcement units, invites active military and law enforcement people attending Milipol Paris 2023 to visit Stand 5 F009 and review prototypes of the company’s new Rapid Don/Doff body-armor vests, making their debut at the event.

New Integris Composites Soft Body Armor

Soft body-armor vests, carriers and tactical gear constitute a new category of personal protection from Integris Composites, the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour.

“For more than 25 years the company has been the go-to producer of ballistic plates that slide into the pockets of vests and carriers made by body armor manufacturers and used by the world’s leading military and law enforcement teams,” said Jan Grimberg, the senior vice president of marketing and sales EMEA at Integris.

“Moving one step further in the value chain, we are developing a new system of ballistic vest gear for law-enforcement and military units. Milipol marks the first public presentation of equipment that dramatically reduces time for donning and doffing one’s body armor rig—by 50 percent or more,” said Stephen Jackson, regional director Turkey, Middle East & Africa.

Public debut of the Integris Rapid Don/Doff vests is taking place at Integris Composites Stand 5 F009 during Milipol Paris 2023, Nov. 14–17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

Early versions of Integris Rapid Don/Doff vests/carriers have been tested in recent months by law enforcement groups in Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

During Milipol, military and police visitors in active service will be invited to test three prototype vests, each featuring a different magnetic latch and Rapid Don/Doff one-side or two-side opening system.

Message to Police and Military Users

“Our message to users? ‘Put it on and take it off as many times as you want. We want to hear your questions.’ We are not telling people, ‘This is what you need.’ We are saying, ‘Tell us what you need, and we will deliver. We are committed to making the gear you want and need,’” said Jackson.

Integris Composites Magnetic Buckle System

“Using our magnetic buckle system, they can take it off, put it on in two seconds —much faster than traditional gear with only hook-and-loop Velcro® fasteners. Even more, it enables us to create a personalized fit the first time it is set up. Users are now able to rapidly don and doff vests repeatedly without losing their settings,” added Jackson.

Integris is also displaying standard vests, custom-designed plate carriers and shields that are also part of the personal protection portfolio.

New Focus for Integris

“Integris began a pivot from a standalone supplier of ballistic plates into the role of an end-to-end solution integrator in early 2022 and we are continuing to build momentum following the announcement of our name change in September,” explained Grimberg.

Integris Composites Facility in France

“The company is becoming a full-spectrum supplier of the highest level of personal protection for military forces and law enforcement. “We want to position Integris as a holistic protection company—the resource for whatever protection you need,” Grimberg added.

Integris is an engineering company and the manufacturer of composite armor for land vehicles, aircraft, naval craft, protective housing for optronics and other sensitive technology in addition to personal protection gear. The company’s scope includes the design, development, production, sales, and services of composite armor solutions. Integris’ product portfolio consists of panels or ready-to-install kits made from high-strength materials like HDPE, aramids and ceramics. For more information go to: www.integriscomposites.com.

PARIS — Integris Composites, the global leader in armor protection for the world’s elite military and law-enforcement units, will display its new “make your own shield” concept and soft body armor vests at Milipol Paris 2023 Stand 5 F009, taking place Nov. 14–17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

“We are presenting two innovations,” said Jan Grimberg, the senior vice president of marketing and sales EMEA at Integris, “a new product line of body armor vests with our Rapid Don/Doff system that is an industry first and a new line of customizable ballistic shields.”

Integris, the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour, is continuing the company’s quarter-century emphasis on safety, reliability and survivability.

Make Your Own Shield Concept

The new shield line is designed to respond to law enforcement and military organizations, which frequently want designs tailored to their procedures.

Shields Up! Integris Composites – the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour — is introducing new police and military tactical shields at Milipol Paris 2023, Stand 5 F009, from Nov. 14-17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. Visitors can view a new line of customizable ballistic shields as well as a new version of the Integris Composites CXP Ergo Shield shown here.

“Bespoke solutions are nothing new for Integris Composites, but in the past, small-quantity, custom shield orders had to contend with the entire industry’s inherent need to tailor-make molds for every version—cost prohibitive for small orders,” said James Williamson, Integris Composite’s sales manager for France, Spain and Portugal.

The addition of new equipment in the past year enables Integris to make shields that are specific to a customer’s needs for shape, size and weight, but with a significantly shorter lead time and at a price like that of larger series. “Our new manufacturing capability reduces the nonrecurring costs (NRC) of molds. This makes one, two or a few handheld portable shields completely feasible,” explained Williamson.

Two operators standing before the autoclave at the Integris Composites facility in France inspecting a ballistic armor plate. Formerly TenCate Advanced Armour, the company is introducing new products at Stand 5 F009 Milipol Paris, Nov. 14-17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

A Dream Capability

“This is a dream capability. Now, as a customer, you have a choice. You can buy something off the shelf from our catalog. Or you can buy a customized solution that’s a lot more affordable than it was in the past,” said Williamson.

Custom products are especially appealing to law enforcement and military since many units require specifications in size, weight and shape to allow active members to perform their duties with a focus on safety and durability. “They don’t have to buy a million euros worth of product to get exactly what they want. They do not have to buy thousands of units to get exactly what they want. They can get exactly what they want when ordering a few units,” added Williamson.

Testing New Rapid Don/Doff Vests

Throughout the show, Integris invites active members of law enforcement and the military to try on Rapid Don/Doff armor vests, which are making their public debut here.

These vests use a magnetic buckle system. “They can take it off, put it on in two seconds without losing their settings,” said Stephen Jackson, regional director of Turkey, the Middle East and Africa. “This enhances safety, comfort and predictability.”

Special Pride

“There is a special pride in participating in Milipol,” said Grimberg. “We are a truly international company. With 25 percent of our workforce in France, we are proud to have the opportunity to display these two innovations in Paris under the banner of a new name,” said Grimberg.