Defense Articles

NIJ is seeking proposals to develop, test, evaluate, and demonstrate technologies in the area of soft body armor as used in law enforcement and corrections.

Deadline is Nov. 17.

* Specific areas of interest include: Advanced ballistic resistant materials.

* Nondestructive evaluation of soft body armor.

* Soft body armor area of coverage.

* Life cycle exposure protocols and equipment for ballistic resistant body armor.
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* Advanced soft body armor designs.

* Cooling technologies for wearers of body armor.

Inf.: Body Armor Research, www.ncjrs.gov/pdffilesl/nij/sl000764.pdf

The FBI reported murders of officers in 2005 continued at high levels, although the 55 felonious deaths were well below the 21st Century peak of 70 in 2001.

Officers were wearing body armor in 30 of the 50 deaths due to firearms. Most wounds occurred in parts of the body other than the torso. Of nine deaths from torso wounds, only one occurred because of equipment failure. The assault weapon was a shotgun.

For officers dying from torso wounds, bullets entered through armholes, side panels and immediately above or below the area covered by a vest.

Deadly assaults on officers in the current year are continuing at the pace of a year ago.

Most officers fall victim to firearms, the FBI said, noting five deaths from vehicles and 50 from guns. But two-thirds of the murders occurred during vehicle patrol.

In analyzing the relationship of body armor in the fatalities, the FBI found only one death due to vest failure in 2005 compared to four in 2004.
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Law enforcement agencies have been upgrading body armor since the widespread publicity about vest failure in the death of a Forest Hills, Pa., police officer in 2003.

The National Institute of Justice adopted new minimum standards for bullet-resistant vests last year.

Most of the assailants had records of criminal violence and several were gang members. Gang assaults on police in California have become an increasing problem.

Apparently due to their criminal histories and knowledge of police procedures, these assailants fired below, above or to the side of the vests.

Of the identified assailants, 41 were under the age of 35 and 23 were youths between the ages of 17 and 25. Several had prior criminal records for assaulting officers and most had convictions for violent drug crimes.

Two new fibers are vying to one day replace the respected but heavier Kevlar, the staple of body armor for decades, as the Army strives to enhance mobility by reducing the Soldier load. Body armor is one of the more riveting individual equipment successes, especially from the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, with reports of dozens of saved lives directly attributed to the bullet and shrapnel-halting ability of the helmet, flexible vest and rigid chest plate combination worn by troops. Even though it protects well, body armor ranks with water, ammunition and weapon as the heaviest items worn or carried by troops, according to engineers on the Ballistics Technology Team at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. “The Army is putting the best available armor materials into Soldiers’ armor,” said Philip Cunniff, a research mechanical engineer. “Part of our work in the Ballistics Technology Team is to develop new materials and techniques to lighten the load of those armor systems.”

Body armor technology has advanced in the past century to protect the head and torso against high-velocity handgun bullets and fragmenting munitions, such as those from artillery shells, mortar shells, mines and grenades. Lightweight small arms protection is also now available for the torso.
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The nylon “flak” vest for ground troops and steel helmet from the 1960s were replaced by Kevlar vests and helmets during the 1980s in a product called Personnel Armor System, Ground Troops (PASGT). At the users’ request, performance increased with the PASGT system but weight remained about the same, according to Cunniff. The next major change was in the 1990s with an improved version of Kevlar that helped lighten the vest by 25 percent and increased ballistic protection.

The team’s objective is to reduce the weight again, this time by 25-30 percent, without losing performance. Zylon and M5 fibers show potential in meeting or exceeding that goal. Zylon, a commercially-available fiber first developed by the Air Force in the 1980s and now produced in Japan, turned in a solid performance in testing, said Cunniff. A prototype helmet made last year with Zylon was developed as part of the Human Systems Defense Technology Objective for Ballistic Protection for Improved Survivability. The Zylon helmet weighs 1.79 pounds vs. 3 pounds for the PASGT at the same protection levels. Cunniff said two possible roadblocks with Zylon are environmental degradation and the law requiring certain military products to be manufactured in the United States with domestic materials. Zylon has shown to break down with exposure to light, high heat and humidity, although Cunniff said there may be solutions to these problems.

An alternative material to Zylon is M5, an ultra-high performance fiber developed by Magellan Systems International in Bethesda, Md.

According to a mathematical model of Cunniff’s for the estimation of impact performance based on the mechanical properties of armor materials, M5 appeared to provide exceptional impact performance.

His model indicated that M5 could cut weight by at least 35 percent compared to currently available fragmentation armor at the same protection level. So far, the ballistic impact test results with a limited, relatively low-strength sample of M5 are glowing. “We shot it, and it came out better than we expected,” Cunniff said. “We found there was something wrong with the model; we underpredicted the performance of the material. Of everything we looked at, it looks like (M5) will be a really big improvement in reducing the weight of armor.” Another feature of M5 fiber is excellent thermal and flame protection. Besides helmets, fragmentation vests and composites for use in conjunction with ceramic materials for small arms protective plates, M5 fiber could also be used for structural composites for vehicles and aircraft.

To say things are busy for workers at Oakland Park-based Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. is an understatement. Walk through the company’s new 104,000-square-foot production facility in Pompano Beach and it will become apparent why.

Parent company DHB Industries, based in Westbury N.Y., booked $230 million in sales last year, up from $130 million the year prior. The bulk of the sales came from its South Florida body armor division, which manufactures bulletproof vests. For the first quarter, DHB’s revenues stood at $74 million, compared to $46 million during the same period a year ago. Sandra Hatfield, Point Blank’s president, projects sales should reach $270 million by year-end.

“This is not a normal manufacturing facility–this is not just a cut and sew,” Hatfield says. “We are making lifesaving products here at a totally different level.”

No less than 450 employees crowd into the Pompano facility, each meticulously working on assignments from cutting patterns, to counting layers of bulletproof Kevlar, to stitching the materials up.

Exactly how many orders Point Blank is taking these days is a secret Hatfield closely guards. She estimates the company is fulfilling between 1,000 and 3,000 orders a day for products that include concealable and tactical (visible) armor as well as antiballistic blankets to protect military vehicles from explosives. Since the start of United States military action in Iraq, those items have been in high demand.

Opening the Pompano facility in April was essential, Hatfield says, for the company to fill its rising backlog of orders, which currently stands at $415 million. The facility nearly doubled the company’s manufacturing space, adding to Point Blank’s original facility in Oakland Park and another that opened in February in Deerfield Beach, which together have 118,000 square feet.

Orders flood in from correctional facilities and law enforcement agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, the US Treasury Department’s Secret Service and the US Drug Enforcement Agency. Local accounts such as the Broward Sheriff’s Office also contribute to Point Blank’s bottom line.

The company’s biggest customer, though, is the US military.

“If you took all the pieces of the pie and put them together,” Hatfield says, “they are still not as big as the military.”

Deployed troops will soon start getting side protection for their Interceptor Body Armor (IBA), thanks to the efforts of Program Executive Office Soldier. The IBA Deltoid Extension was one of dozens of pieces of equipment PEO Soldier officials showed off to the Pentagon press corps during a media briefing June 14.In the two years since the organization stood up, it has researched and fielded or is in the process of researching more than 350 pieces of equipment–everything from boots to parachutes to new rifles–in order to save soldier lives, improve their quality of life, and increase their effectiveness on the battlefield, said Brig. Gen. James Moran, PEO Soldier executive officer.

“Outfitting soldiers is just as important as [acquiring] a major piece of equipment,” Moran said.

At about 16 pounds, IBA is lighter than the 25-pound Vietnam-era flack jacket it replaced, and it offers better protection, Moran said. The Deltoid Extension will add about another five pounds and protects the sides of the ribcage and shoulders. However, the extension comes with a price for the soldier. Moran explained that it can limit movement and block air from circulating under the body armor–decreasing the soldier’s ability to cool off in a hot environment.

“Everything we do is a balance,” Moran said. “We want all soldiers to come back without any injuries. At the same time, we want them to be combat effective. Nothing can be made to be indestructible.”

Despite the weight of IBA, Moran said he has no doubt that the new body armor has saved lives. In the past 18 months, the Army has purchased about 300,000 full sets of IBA.

The current Army budget buys 50,000 Deltoid Extension sets this fiscal year, all of which will be shipped to selected troops by the end of September, according to Col. John Norwood, program manager for PEO Soldier -Equipment. The Army plans to request enough funding in next year’s budget to equip all 132,000 soldiers in the Central Command area of operations with the extension.

“We have a clever enemy, an adaptable enemy, so we must be clever and adaptable,” Moran said.

The National Institute of Justice has adopted new minimum interim standards for bullet-resistant body armor vests that would become effective Sept. 26.

NIJ through extensive testing found that certain vests were subject to serious deterioration that made them less effective over time, and, in some cases, totally ineffective.

But NIJ recommended that officers continue to use defective armor until replacements are available.

To accelerate the process, the Justice Department has expanded its grants to state and local police for the purchase of vests to replace those found to be ineffective.

NIJ said the interim standards would apply until the completion of random tests on vests submitted by manufacturers to assure they are in compliance.

NIJ said it would probably issue advisory notices as the reviews continue.

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered a study of the effectiveness of the vests in the summer of 2003 when a Forest Hills, Pa., officer wearing a vest was shot and seriously wounded. The assailant’s bullet penetrated the front panel of a second Chance vest made with Zylon.

NIJ suspended certification of body armor with Zylon on Aug. 24.

NIJ and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology jointly conducted studies into the durability of Zylon and found that it failed to meet the standards that the manufacturer’s promotional material claimed.

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center also conducted tests.

Among the three testing agencies, technicians fired various types of bullets ranging from handguns to assault weapons into about 100 different types of vests.

During the past 18 months, the federal government and numerous law enforcement agencies have filed litigation against second Chance. The company has filed for bankruptcy and reached a tentative agreement to pay nearly $30 million to settle claims.

Under the interim standards, NU found that 12 manufacturers had products that achieved various minimum levels of protection.

NIJ has identified four levels of threat for body armor covered under the interim regulations that the 12 manufacturers comply with.

* Threat Level II requires armor must protect against .357 magnum JSP loads with 158 grains traveling at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and 9-millimeter FMJ loads with 124 grains at velocity of 1,175 feet per second.

Soldiers may no longer wear body armor other than Army-issued interceptor body armor (IBA), Army officials announced last month.

In a safety message sent to all commanders March 17, the Army warned that commercial body armor may cause “death or serious injury to soldiers.”

Of main concern with officials is “Dragon Skin,” produced by Pinnacle Armor. While the manufacturer has received nearly $1 million lrom the Army to produce lighter-weight armor, Dragon Skin’s capabilities don’t yet meet Army requirements

The product also isn’t Army certified to protect against several small arms threats currently encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yet, the Dragon Skin’s advertising implies that it is superior to IBA. Army officials say there have been no tests to validate the claim.

Body armor currently issued to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan has gone through seven improvements since the beginning of the war, according to Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, the Army secretary’s deputy assistant for acquisition and systems management.

More than 200,000 sets of the latest iteration are now in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

Commanders have 30 days to ensure soldiers are in compliance.

In addition, commanders may tailor the IBA configuration to meet threat and mission requirements. Components include the outer tactical vest and ballistic plates, throat protector, collar, groin protector, Deltoid and Axillary Protector, side plates and side plate carriers.

Two new fibers are vying to one day replace the respected but heavier Kevlar, the staple of body armor for decades, as the Army strives to enhance mobility by reducing the Soldier load. Body armor is one of the more riveting individual equipment successes, especially from the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, with reports of dozens of saved lives directly attributed to the bullet and shrapnel-halting ability of the helmet, flexible vest and rigid chest plate combination worn by troops. Even though it protects well, body armor ranks with water, ammunition and weapon as the heaviest items worn or carried by troops, according to engineers on the Ballistics Technology Team at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. “The Army is putting the best available armor materials into Soldiers’ armor,” said Philip Cunniff, a research mechanical engineer. “Part of our work in the Ballistics Technology Team is to develop new materials and techniques to lighten the load of those armor systems.”

Body armor technology has advanced in the past century to protect the head and torso against high-velocity handgun bullets and fragmenting munitions, such as those from artillery shells, mortar shells, mines and grenades. Lightweight small arms protection is also now available for the torso.

The nylon “flak” vest for ground troops and steel helmet from the 1960s were replaced by Kevlar vests and helmets during the 1980s in a product called Personnel Armor System, Ground Troops (PASGT). At the users’ request, performance increased with the PASGT system but weight remained about the same, according to Cunniff. The next major change was in the 1990s with an improved version of Kevlar that helped lighten the vest by 25 percent and increased ballistic protection.

Ceradyne, Inc. (Company) (Nasdaq:CRDN) will be featured on The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels — Bulletproof,” which discusses various technologies and systems used to provide ballistic protection for personnel, vehicles and buildings.

“Modern Marvels — Bulletproof” is scheduled to air on The History Channel on Tuesday, February 19, 2002, at 10:00 PM, Eastern and Pacific time. The segment featuring Ceradyne includes an interview with CEO Joel Moskowitz and a brief look at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Costa Mesa, CA. The Company’s lightweight ceramic armor vests for protecting soldiers is highlighted.

Moskowitz remarked: “`Bulletproof’ covers a timely and relevant topic, and we are very pleased to have contributed the Ceradyne story to this program. For several years our state-of-the-art, lightweight ceramic armor vests have protected military personnel against ballistic threats. We believe the use of Ceradyne ceramic armor to defeat battlefield threats will provide one of the key opportunities for the Company’s anticipated growth.”

Ceradyne develops, manufactures and markets advanced technical ceramics for industrial, electronic, defense and consumer applications.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Ceradyne that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

On September 26, 2001, Safari Associates, Inc., (OTCBB:SAFR) demonstrated that its Molecuthane(TM) energy dampening soft walls can reduce deaths and injuries caused by motor sports drivers crashing into concrete walls at high speed.

They did this in a controlled, monitored crash of a racing vehicle into a Molecuthane(TM) soft wall at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Molecuthane is an amazing, new material with unique energy dampening properties which tremendously reduces impact G-force.

Race cars are fast, but not faster than a speeding bullet.

Today, Safari announced that it has granted Archangel International, Inc. of Warwick, New York, an exclusive worldwide distributorship for the use of Molecuthane energy dampening inserts in bulletproof body armor. Whether it is protecting a race driver by reducing the impact G-force of a 200 mph crash, or protecting law enforcement agents or military personnel by dampening the energy of a bullet slamming into body armor, Molecuthane is being recognized worldwide as the most energy absorbent material/technology ever developed.

Molecuthane motor sports soft wall.

Safari’s recent motor sports soft wall test, monitored by GMH Engineering of Oren, Utah, a leading forensic engineering firm, concluded that the expected G-force from the crash was reduced by more than 70%. As an extra precaution, Brian Van Deman, president of No Limit Racing Adventure, who drove a NASCAR-type truck into a section of the track’s concrete wall covered by Safari’s Molecuthane(TM) soft wall, also wore Safari Molecuthane(TM) harness pads. After the crash, Van Deman said, “It was really amazing. I felt the impact, but it was much less than I anticipated. It was a fraction of the force I expected. I used Molecuthane(TM) harness pads also, and felt nothing in my shoulders or collarbone. I would normally have been bruised or injured to some degree.”

Kelly Racing, a leading IRL racing team, having tested Safari Molecuthane(TM) harness pads is now cooperating with Safari in the development of other Molecuthane(TM) products for use in the auto sports industry. Sanctioning bodies are currently testing Molecuthane(TM) for a myriad of possible uses in the auto sports industry. Morton Berger, president of Safari Associates, Inc., said that “the Safari Molecuthane non-rebounding, reusable soft wall with its multiple air valves that prevent bounce, its various molecularly cross-linked layers of Molecuthane which absorb, dampen and distribute impact and reduce G-forces in excess of 70%, all sandwiched between its newly developed super hard plastic with an extremely low coefficient of friction, is a fully developed product, ready for immediate installation at auto race tracks. As far as made known, I firmly believe that our soft wall meets the “wish list”, specifications and criteria mentioned by every governing body in the auto racing industry. Molecuthane(TM), unlike other dampening materials being tested for soft walls, does not lose its unique qualities after being subjected to the G-forces resulting from high-impact crashes. Our soft wall can save lives and prevent serious injuries that happen all too often when speeding race cars hit the unforgiving concrete walls. Our marketing plans are moving forward as the Safari Molecuthane(TM) soft wall is now developed, proven and ready for installation.”

Molecuthane body armor inserts.

About the same time that Safari was demonstrating its soft wall, Walter Dubuque, vice president of Archangel International, Inc., 314 South Route 94, Warwick, New York a manufacturer and distributor of bulletproof body armor, was testing Molecuthane(TM) inserts with body armor to determine whether they would prevent the blunt force trauma injuries suffered by law enforcement and military personnel who are struck by a bullet that does not penetrate their body armor. Walter Dubuque, known for his expertise in body armor and anti-terror techniques, was astounded by the results of his tests. On November 8, 2001, Safari Associates entered into a three-year contract with Archangel International, Inc., by which it granted Archangel an exclusive worldwide right to distribute Molecuthane(TM) inserts to law enforcement and military agencies and to other manufacturers of body armor. Berger said that “I’m pleased that Molecuthane inserts will be distributed by a company with the expertise of Archangel International.” Berger also said that “Safari plans to be in full production of its Molecuthane(TM) body armor inserts within one hundred twenty (120) days.”

More About Archangel International, Inc.

The officers, directors and other personnel of Archangel are former military personnel who are recipients of some of the highest government and defense decorations. They are not only manufacturers and worldwide distributors of body armor but are also industry leaders in providing security, intelligence and special operations services to the executive levels of government and private industry. Archangel has a contract with the United States Coast Guard to teach advance protection of maritime assets and bomb threat management.

The contract between Safari Associates and Archangel International provides for the minimum purchase of 100,000 Molecuthane(TM) inserts during the first twelve months after Safari commences production and increases 10% each year thereafter for the next two years. Berger said that he is optimistic about the future of Molecuthane(TM) in the auto racing industry, law enforcement, military and wherever the dampening of high-impact forces for safety and comfort purposes are required.

This is the first distribution agreement that Safari has entered into requiring the production of what Safari believes will be an infinite variety of Molecuthane(TM) products. The contract, which can amount to approximately $10,000,000 in sales during the first year after it establishes production, is Safari’s largest undertaking since its inception in 1980.

This news release may include statements which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Please be Cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve significant risks and uncertainties and that actual results may vary from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of any number of factors, including the risk factors and other matters contained in the Company’s disclosure documents on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.