The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has announced the creation of India’s lightest bulletproof jacket, designed to offer protection against the most severe Level 6 threat as per Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This announcement was made by the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.
Crafted by DRDO’s Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE) in Kanpur, the new bulletproof jacket is designed to shield against 7.62 x 54 R API sniper rounds. It has been rigorously tested at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh, affirming its compliance with the BIS 17051-2018 standards.
The jacket features a hard armor panel (HAP) that can withstand multiple hits—specifically, six shots from high-caliber sniper ammunition—in both integrated and standalone configurations. This panel is comprised of a monolithic ceramic plate backed by polymer, aimed at optimizing both safety and comfort for operational use.
This innovative design results in an areal density of less than 40 kg/m^2 for the integrated HAP, and less than 43 kg/m^2 for the standalone HAP, making it the lightest in its class currently available in India.
The development of this high-performance protective gear is a significant achievement for DRDO, reflecting its commitment to advancing defense technology and enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of Indian soldiers. The chairman of the Department of Defence R&D and the DRDO chief have both lauded the DMSRDE team for their groundbreaking work in developing this crucial piece of defense equipment.