LIGHTWEIGHT ARMOR – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The goal of this activity is to provide high levels of protection from ballistic threats in most economical and production-sound manner. The action plan is to improve an existing technology and implement it in design of commercial armored vehicles and beyond.

Strong demand in improved armor has emerged as a result of widening ballistic and blast threats and in rising fuel cost. To meet new challenges and to be at the forefront of the market, our company is heavily investing in Research and Development of High Mass Efficient Armor (Lightweight Armor).

Main advantages of Lightweight Armor are:

1. Less modifications to vehicle chassis are required, making it more affordable;

2. Lighter weight of vehicle, lighter armor and chassis (with less reinforcement), which improves fuel efficiency.

3. Ability to utilize the same approach for watercrafts and aircrafts protection.

The new armor under development is a rigid composite armor with Mass Efficiency (areal density) similar to Titanium, but more technological in application and more cost effective. In addition to elevated ballistic protection this armor is designed to have better blast resistance (better protection against land mines and IEDs).

The program is currently at advanced stage of its development. Unique equipment to produce test samples of High Mass Efficient Armor as well as facilities to test it have been designed and set up. Some unique intellectual property has been created on which the project will capitalize during production phase. The R&D activities are not limited only to the development of new armor, but incorporates new design of a few original armored vehicles for border control, for peace keeping missions as well as some special vehicles targeting elevated ability to function, protect and support troops in war zone.