Body armor with Dyneema®: trusted against threats in Europe

For many years, military and law enforcement personnel in Eastern European countries used low-cost ballistic solutions, like thick steel and heavy ceramic plates, to protect against threats faced on the job. Today, modern threats and new material innovations are driving the adoption of lightweight armor solutions – and that goes for both personal and vehicle armor applications.

Of course, that’s no surprise. Composite solutions made with Dyneema® fiber can reduce the overall weight and thickness of protective armor with no compromise on performance, making them a preferable choice. The weight saved can be reallocated to additional personal protective equipment to improve blast protection or, in vehicle armor applications, can improve fuel economy and prevent mechanical stress. Over a vehicle’s 10-yearlife span, these savings will outweigh the initial cost of armoring a vehicle with lightweight alternatives.

One key concern for law enforcement personnel in Eastern Europe is the 7.62x25 mm Tokarev projectile. Historically, these have been produced in multiple factories throughout Warsaw Pact countries, resulting in a variety of penetration capabilities. No matter the source of origin, the Tokarev threat is difficult to stop, owing to the projectile’s pointed nose construction and small diameter.

Since we first introduced Dyneema® unidirectional (UD) material to the market in the mid-1990s, it’s been recognized as key material ingredient to designing lightweight soft body armor to protect against the most demanding ballistic threats, such as the Tokarev projectile. In fact, 7.62 mm has been one of the most commonly used calibers in testing and verifying the performance of ballistic armor made with Dyneema®.

The lightweight, high-strength performance of Dyneema® UD material means that, compared to competitive alternatives, less material is needed to achieve the same level of ballistic protection. That protection defeats incoming Tokarev LC projectiles both at normal impact and at 30˚ obliquity. It also easily stands up to other threats, such as two shots close together or impacts close to an edge. All in all, these properties ensure high resistance against fragments, all delivered in the form of a flexible, lightweight vest for military and law enforcement personnel.

At Avient®, we’ve successfully tested Dyneema® against standard and overmatched threats as well as post-impact toxicity at our technical center in Heerlen, the Netherlands. Our materials have also been externally verified by other industry leaders at, for example, VTU in Slavicin, Czech Republic and Moratex in Łódź, Poland.

Of course, robust resistance against Tokarev bullets is just one aspect of our high-performance material’s overall ballistic stopping power.

Perhaps more impressive still is Dyneema®’s ability to stop 7.62×39 mm AK47 Mild Steel Core (AK47 MSC) projectiles – a leading threat in modern warfare in Eastern Europe – without the use of steel or ceramic backing. Thanks to Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology, Dyneema® hard armor solutions allow body armor manufacturers to produce 25x30 cm ballistic plates weighing only around 1 kg, for protection with low weight and high reliability.

Whatever and wherever the threat, Dyneema®’s broad product portfolio and application database are the clear choice for designers of lightweight armor systems – and, increasingly, Eastern Europe’s preferred protection solution for military and law enforcement applications.