There is an interesting article on Newsmax.com about new police body armor that uses CERAMIC plates to stop RIFLE rounds!
I can understand how a steel plate can stop a bullet, and even basically understand how Kelvar stops a bullet, but how can something made of ceramic stop any bullet, let alone a rifle round like a 30-06 Armor Piercing?!?
Here's the article from Newsmax.com:
Police Confront Escalating Threats With New High-Tech Armor
Bruce Mandelblit
Thursday, May 29, 2003
Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, we all are forced to live in a new world with fresh risk and threats.
This holds especially true for those people known as “first responders.â€
The initial individuals to take action in reference to any possible terrorist incident would be our local police officers, firefighters and EMTs, and they may face anything from weapons of mass destruction to high-powered rifles.
Most law enforcement officers in the United States are issued and wear concealable soft body armor, commonly known as a “bulletproof vest,†under their uniforms. Soft body armor is a marvelous discovery, and has saved about 2,500 lives over the years.
As good as the current soft armor is, it does have its limitations, specifically against the threat of rifle rounds.
Today’s police officers, sadly, are more likely than ever to face an AK-47 or M-16 rifle used by potential terrorists, drug dealers, gang members and other assorted street thugs.
In 1986, the suspects in the notorious Miami FBI shootout used a shotgun and a rifle in their deadly battle with FBI agents.
We all remember the infamous 1997 North Hollywood bank robbery in which two heavily armed bandits, using AK-47s, fought the outgunned LAPD officers. These two bank robbers were estimated to have fired over 1,000 rounds at officers and civilians until they were finally stopped by those brave police officers.
Even more recent was the awful 2002 Washington, D.C.-area three-week shooting spree that left 10 innocent folks dead. The alleged snipers used an AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the military M-16, to commit their horrific crimes.
It is vital to note that the soft body armor used by police officers will not stop any rounds from these high-powered rifles and, in fact, may even make the officer’s injuries worse by causing the rifle round to tumble and fragment, causing a more serious wound than if the bullet simply passed through.
In the last 10 years alone, 125 law enforcement officers died after being shot in the upper torso with rifles while wearing soft body armor.
It is obvious that a very large safety gap must be filled between the concealable soft body armor commonly worn by the average police officer and the heavy and bulky tactical vests used by SWAT teams.
Fortunately, a new product has just entered the market that fills this essential gap between soft body armor and tactical SWAT vests.
The concept is simple: a low-cost, lightweight vest, under 12 pounds and consisting of a carrier containing two 10-by-12-inch high-tech ceramic plates, designed to be worn over the officer’s basic Level II soft body armor. This vest can be put on in seconds using the “one-size-fits-all†harness and will provide up to Level IV ballistic protection (i.e., M-16, AK-47, shotgun, M-1 carbine, 30-06 AP, etc.) for the responding officer.
Because these state-of-the-art ceramic plates are designed to literally “destroy†the bullet during impact, the police officer will be able to respond virtually immediately and “stay in the fight.â€
For more information on this new high-tech ceramic plate rifle vest, please e-mail: [email protected].
My Final Thoughts: Soft body armor alone may not be sufficient protection from the hazards that today’s police officers must confront.
Given this new technology, I believe all police, deputies and other law enforcement officers and agencies should seriously consider getting these technologically advanced rifle vests into all their patrol vehicles. Those who work in higher-risk private security, such as nuclear security officers, should also ponder this advanced rifle vest.
In fact, I think this rifle vest is such an important officer safety innovation, I have decided to help market this new officer safety technology.
Police officers today have to confront new and potentially lethal threats. Everything from terrorists and gang members to drug dealers and “active shooter†situations, such as the recent Columbine disaster, are realistic daily risks that all law enforcement officers must face and defeat!
All law enforcement officers should have available to them the proper equipment, technology and training so they may do their inherently dangerous jobs in as safe as reasonably possible manner.
(Note: I am always looking for the newest and most fascinating security, safety and crime prevention related products to feature in future Staying Safe columns. If you distribute such items, please email me with details.) Copyright 2003 by Bruce Mandelblit
* * * * * *
“Staying Safe†with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com Magazine.
Bruce welcomes your thoughts. His e-mail address is [email protected].
Bruce is a nationally known security journalist, as well as a recently retired, highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.
Bruce writes Staying Safe, a nationally syndicated weekly column covering the topics of security, safety and crime prevention.
Bruce was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – by Gov. Paul E. Patton for his public service.
This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
******
Can a LEO, or anyone else, explain how these ceramic plates work to stop rifle rounds?
What will they think of next?
Thanks...
I can understand how a steel plate can stop a bullet, and even basically understand how Kelvar stops a bullet, but how can something made of ceramic stop any bullet, let alone a rifle round like a 30-06 Armor Piercing?!?
Here's the article from Newsmax.com:
Police Confront Escalating Threats With New High-Tech Armor
Bruce Mandelblit
Thursday, May 29, 2003
Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, we all are forced to live in a new world with fresh risk and threats.
This holds especially true for those people known as “first responders.â€
The initial individuals to take action in reference to any possible terrorist incident would be our local police officers, firefighters and EMTs, and they may face anything from weapons of mass destruction to high-powered rifles.
Most law enforcement officers in the United States are issued and wear concealable soft body armor, commonly known as a “bulletproof vest,†under their uniforms. Soft body armor is a marvelous discovery, and has saved about 2,500 lives over the years.
As good as the current soft armor is, it does have its limitations, specifically against the threat of rifle rounds.
Today’s police officers, sadly, are more likely than ever to face an AK-47 or M-16 rifle used by potential terrorists, drug dealers, gang members and other assorted street thugs.
In 1986, the suspects in the notorious Miami FBI shootout used a shotgun and a rifle in their deadly battle with FBI agents.
We all remember the infamous 1997 North Hollywood bank robbery in which two heavily armed bandits, using AK-47s, fought the outgunned LAPD officers. These two bank robbers were estimated to have fired over 1,000 rounds at officers and civilians until they were finally stopped by those brave police officers.
Even more recent was the awful 2002 Washington, D.C.-area three-week shooting spree that left 10 innocent folks dead. The alleged snipers used an AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the military M-16, to commit their horrific crimes.
It is vital to note that the soft body armor used by police officers will not stop any rounds from these high-powered rifles and, in fact, may even make the officer’s injuries worse by causing the rifle round to tumble and fragment, causing a more serious wound than if the bullet simply passed through.
In the last 10 years alone, 125 law enforcement officers died after being shot in the upper torso with rifles while wearing soft body armor.
It is obvious that a very large safety gap must be filled between the concealable soft body armor commonly worn by the average police officer and the heavy and bulky tactical vests used by SWAT teams.
Fortunately, a new product has just entered the market that fills this essential gap between soft body armor and tactical SWAT vests.
The concept is simple: a low-cost, lightweight vest, under 12 pounds and consisting of a carrier containing two 10-by-12-inch high-tech ceramic plates, designed to be worn over the officer’s basic Level II soft body armor. This vest can be put on in seconds using the “one-size-fits-all†harness and will provide up to Level IV ballistic protection (i.e., M-16, AK-47, shotgun, M-1 carbine, 30-06 AP, etc.) for the responding officer.
Because these state-of-the-art ceramic plates are designed to literally “destroy†the bullet during impact, the police officer will be able to respond virtually immediately and “stay in the fight.â€
For more information on this new high-tech ceramic plate rifle vest, please e-mail: [email protected].
My Final Thoughts: Soft body armor alone may not be sufficient protection from the hazards that today’s police officers must confront.
Given this new technology, I believe all police, deputies and other law enforcement officers and agencies should seriously consider getting these technologically advanced rifle vests into all their patrol vehicles. Those who work in higher-risk private security, such as nuclear security officers, should also ponder this advanced rifle vest.
In fact, I think this rifle vest is such an important officer safety innovation, I have decided to help market this new officer safety technology.
Police officers today have to confront new and potentially lethal threats. Everything from terrorists and gang members to drug dealers and “active shooter†situations, such as the recent Columbine disaster, are realistic daily risks that all law enforcement officers must face and defeat!
All law enforcement officers should have available to them the proper equipment, technology and training so they may do their inherently dangerous jobs in as safe as reasonably possible manner.
(Note: I am always looking for the newest and most fascinating security, safety and crime prevention related products to feature in future Staying Safe columns. If you distribute such items, please email me with details.) Copyright 2003 by Bruce Mandelblit
* * * * * *
“Staying Safe†with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com Magazine.
Bruce welcomes your thoughts. His e-mail address is [email protected].
Bruce is a nationally known security journalist, as well as a recently retired, highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.
Bruce writes Staying Safe, a nationally syndicated weekly column covering the topics of security, safety and crime prevention.
Bruce was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – by Gov. Paul E. Patton for his public service.
This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
******
Can a LEO, or anyone else, explain how these ceramic plates work to stop rifle rounds?
What will they think of next?
Thanks...
