Multifunctional Concealed Bulletproof Vest—Development and Testing

Abstract

The article presents the problem of designing and testing of multifunctional concealed bulletproof vest in which both soft and hard ballistic inserts are elastic and adjustable to the body of the user. The main challenge in the development process, was to create a hard ceramic-based armour system which meets the camuflage, flexibility and protection requirements. The vest must be as lightweigt as possible while maintaining the expected protective area and ballistic performance against various threats. Vest inserts construction is described and material selection proceedure is justified. The results of firing and stab resistance tests based on polish and foreign standards are presented. Soft fiber-based ballistic inserts were fired with the use of 7.62x25 mm TT and 0.44 Magnum SJHP pistol ammunition as well as fragment simulating projectiles (FSP). Flexible ceramic-based panels were tested with 5.7x28 mm SS190 pistol ammunition with increased penetration capability. Special attention was paid to the problem of ballistic resistance of the flexible inserts at the points of inflection. Additionally selected zones of the vest were tested for stab-resistance.