Body Armor

BODY ARMOR Sgt. Stanley Muszynski Eastern Michigan University, School of Staff and Command August 19, 2004

Body Armor

Table of Contents

Abstract.3

History of Body Armor.4

Types of Body Armor...7

Benefits of Wearing Body Armor..8

Body Armor Testing..9

V50 Armor testing.10

Body Armor Classification11

Ballistic Body Armor Resistance Chart.13

Materials used in Body Armor...16

Survey of Police Officers Wearing Body Armor20

References23

Body Armor

Abstract

In todays uncertain law enforcement world, there are many issues facing our Police Officers. With police officers being shot and killed regularly by drug addicts, felons and persons with absolutely no reason to even have a gun, we need to make sure that we offer our police officers everything possible to insure their safety, so that they can go about their business of protecting our communities.

Over the years people have always tried to protect themselves from their adversaries, whether it was in the days of the caveman, the Roman warriors or in our society today, the need to protect oneself is there, and it will not go away over time.

Through the years many products have been invented, tried and improved on. Body armor is no exception.

In this writing I hope to be able to explain to you the history of body armor, the types of body armor used to protect officers from the ever increasing high power ammunition threats in our city streets, as well as to inform you of what new and improved technology exist today to help save the lives of police officers.

Body Armor

HISTORY OF BODY ARMOR

The first recorded history of body armor was the cavemans clothing made from thick animal hides for protection. Later on shields made of wood or metal were used to protect ones body. During the middle ages, Roman soldiers wore a system of segments which were assembled with metal straps. This was called Lorica which is Latin for armor. (Legionxxiv.org/loricapage [L], May22 2003)

Around 1500 with the advent of firearms, that type of protective clothing was no longer a viable option. Soft armor, which was made from silk, came into use by the Japanese. In the late 19th century, the military explored the possibility of using soft armor. This type of garment was effective against low-velocity bullets, but did not offer protection against the new generation of weapons.

The first recorded use of body armor for police officers was demonstrated in 1931, but it did not prove to be very effective. (U.S.Dept.of Justice [USDJ, 3-6)

During World War II, the flak jacket was developed for military use. They were heavy very cumbersome and ineffective, but in the late 1960s new fibers were developed that made concealable body armor possible. (USDJ,)

Body Armor In the 1960s the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice began research to develop light weight body armor that police officers could wear on duty.

The investigation was able to identify new materials that could be woven together, that were light weight and had ballistic resistant that was excellent. After conducting the research, the agency believed the possibility of producing body armor that could be worn full time by officers on patrol was something that could be accomplished.

The National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice worked together with the Bureau of Standards, to come up with some type of performance standard that would define ballistic resistant requirements for the body armor that police officers would wear.

The greatest achievement made in the 1970s from all of the products that were tested and evaluated, was the manufacturing of vest for use by police that were made from Kevlar by DuPont. Kevlar was originally produced to replace the steel belting in tires (USDJ, 4)

Between 1971 and 1976 the National Institute of Justice put more than 3 million dollars into the development of body armor. This process was a four phase program that spanned several years. (USDJ, 4)

The first phase was to test the Kevlar to determine whether or not it would stop bullets. The second phase was to see how many layers of Kevlar it would take to stop penetration of bullets

Body Armor of varying calibers and speeds. And to design a sample vest that could protect officers from the common bullet threats like .38specials and .22 long rifle ammunition.

By 1973 a vest made with seven layers of Kevlar had been designed for testing by officers in the streets. The third phase of the program involved medical testing, to see what level of body armor would be needed to save officers lives. It was evident from the study that even if the bullet was stopped by the Kevlar, the impact trauma from the bullet would leave a serious bruise at least, to a fatality in the worst case scenario do to damage done to critical organs.

The fourth phase was the monitoring of the body armors wear ability and the effectiveness. Testing was conducted in three cities to verify that the vest was wearable and didnt prevent normal body movement that would interfere with normal police activities. In 1975 a very in-depth study was done with 15 police department that served a population over 250,000 and that had officer assault rates that were much higher than the national average. Some of the things that they evaluated were comfort while wearing a vest through an entire shift, as well as how the officers adapt to the vest in extreme temperatures and the long term durability of the vest.

The final report confirmed that the new Kevlar material was effective as bullet resistant body armor, that was light weight and able to be worn by police officers for full time use. (USDJ, 4-6)

Body Armor TYPES OF BODY ARMOR

There are two types of body armor used by police officers, soft body armor and hard armor. Soft body armor is designed to stop hand gun bullets, and is the type usually worn by the officers on the streets. Soft body armor is usually in a sleeveless carrier and is called a vest. Soft body armor can also be manufactured into the lining of a jacket or other outer garment. It is designed to be inconspicuous, but a person looking for it may be able to detect that the officer is wearing body armor, it can sometimes be seen through light clothing and close up to the officer.

Hard armor is often worn over the soft body armor, by police officers on a special detail, where they are expecting an unusual risk of stabbing or long gun fire. Hard body armor is usually not inconspicuous and is most often quite distinctive. People who watch Police shows on television, recognize it as the outfit worn by the S.W.A.T. officers. The police officers call it tactical armor or flak jacket. These vests are too heavy and hot to be worn on routine patrol. The flak jackets are made with panels that include steel or titanium, sometimes coated with ceramic. (Office of Technology Assessment [OTA], August 1992)

Most of the bullets that kill police officers are fired by handguns. Some of the soft concealable body armor is designed to protect officers from a full spectrum of hand gun ammunition. The lighter and less expensive vests offer protection against the most common hand gun ammunitions used. (OTA, August 1992, vol 1-7

Body Armor Many officers have been killed by rifles and other long guns. Soft body armor has saved some of them, but hard body armor is normally required to stop long gun or rifle ammunition.

BENEFITS OF WEARING BODY ARMOR

The best reason to wear Body Armor is that is saves lives. Wearing body armor could save many more lives if it was worn more often and by more officers. The wearing of body armor saves 10 to 30 officers from fatal wounds every year. The number of officers would more than double if all officers would wear the body armor all of the time. The wearing of body armor also saves officers from serious injuries and death in other types of assaults and even accidents, especially vehicle related accidents. The universal wearing of body armor would not save officers lives if they were shot in unprotected areas of the body, or from some guns and ammunition that is more powerful than what the vest was designed to stop. (OTA, August 1992, vol 1-13)

The main reason more officers that have soft body armor and dont wear it is that they say that the vests are uncomfortable. Most of the officers that have body armor that they dont wear, say that it is to hot to heavy or to stiff, and that it causes chafing. Some of the problems that the officers site regarding the weight stiffness and chafing may be caused by a vest that has a poor fit. A vest that fits properly is very important, especially if youre wearing it for long periods of time. (OTA, August 1992, vol 1-14)

Body Armor Officer complaints the vest makes them feel hot, cannot be attributed to a vest that has a poor fit. Body armor is hot. The body armor material is a thermal insulator, and it blocks the

evaporation needed by the body for normal perspirative cooling. Complaints about the weight of the vest are very important, because unlike the chafing and being to hot, weight is directly related to the ballistic resistance of the vest. The body armor being able to stop heavier, faster, harder bullets makes it heavier, as does covering a larger portion of the body. This just means that because weight lessens the comfort, there is a trade off between the amounts of comfort the officer wants or the amount of protection the officer wants.

BOBY ARMOR TESTING

Lightweight soft body armor has been in use by law enforcement officers for more than 25 years. The lives of over 2,700 officers have been saved as a result of body armor (National institute of justice [NIJ],)

As a service to the law enforcement community as well as the body armor manufacturers, NIJs body armor compliance testing program , test body armor using independent testing laboratories to determine compliance with the requirements of the NIJ Standard-0101-03. The models that comply with the requirements of the NIJ standard are added to is police body armor consumer product list (CPL), which is a list that is widely distributed to law enforcement agencies as a tool to procure their body armor.(USDJ, , pg 25)

Body Armor V50 TESTING

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V50 ballistic testing is a statistical test and was developed by the U.S. Military to evaluate hard armor of homogenous construction used to protect vehicles. Many body armor manufacturers use a modified form of the V50 testing as a tool to develop and assess new body armor designs. V50 testing as used by body armor manufacturers experimentally identifies a velocity at which a specific projectile has a 50% chance of penetrating the body armor being tested. With this type of testing, the armor is mounted on a clay backing material, and specified bullets are fired into it to determine the velocities at which the bullets do or do not penetrate the body armor. A number of bullets are fired at various velocities to obtain groups of five no penetrating bullets and five penetrating bullets, with a velocity range of no more than 38m/s (125 ft/s) (USDJ, pg 26) between the lowest velocity no penetrating bullet and the highest velocity penetrating bullet.

V50 ballistic limit testing allows the manufacturers of body armor to evaluate the various designs against each other to be able adapt their design for a particular type of body armor. The trend is that manufacturers publish V50 test results and they also put the testing information on the labels of some of their body armor. V50 testing as a statistical tool is both useful and informative in evaluating some characteristics of body armor. This testing is not only valuable in designing the body armor, but is also useful in the evaluation of the body armor degradation over time. It does not however evaluate the amount of protection the body armor affords the officer against blunt trauma, and is not a standard for V50 ballistic testing by all body armor manufacturers (USDJ, pages 26-27)

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BODY ARMOR CLASSIFICATION

The NIJ Standard-0101.03 has six regular body armor classifications, and a seventh type that is more of a special order classification. The seven classifications are listed below.

TYPE I (.22LR .38 Special) this armor protects against .22.long rifle high velocity bullets. Type I body armor is light. This is the minimum level of protection that every officer should have, and the body armor should be worn at all times while the officer is on duty. Type I body Armor was the armor issued during the NIJ testing project in the 1970s. Most police agencies today use armor with higher threat levels due to the increasing threats (USDJ, pg 18).

TYPE II-A (Lower Velocity .357 Magnum: 9mm). This armor protects against .357 Magnum jacketed soft point bullets. It also protects against threats like .45 Auto, .38Special +P, and some other factory loads in caliber .357 Magnum and 9mm as well as all TYPE I threats. Type II-A body armor is well suited for the full time use for police officers, looking for protection from lower velocity .357 Magnum and 9MM rounds. (USDJ, pg 19)

TYPE II (Higher velocity .357 Magnum 9MM). This body armor protects against .357 Magnum jacketed soft point bullets. It also protects against most other factory loads in caliber .357 Magnum and 9MM, along with TYPE I and TYPE II-A threats. TYPE II armor is bulky and heavier than both TYPE I and TYPE II-A. This type of armor is worn full time by officers looking for protection against higher velocity .357 Magnum and 9MM rounds (USDJ, pg 19)

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TYPE III-A (.44 Magnum Submachine Gun 9MM) this body armor protects against .44Magnum, lead semi-wad cutter bullets. This threat level will also provide protection against most handgun threats, along with protecting anything that the threat levels TYPE I, TYPE II-A and TYPY II protect against. TYPE III-A is the highest threat level available for concealable body armor. This type can be regularly worn for daily police patrols. If youre located in a hot or humid climate, you may want to purchase a lighter vest, but you will be giving up the higher threat level for a minimum amount of comfort (USDJ, pg 19)

TYPE III High Power Rifle). This body armor in hard or semi rigid and protects against 7.62 full metal jacket bullets (U.S. Military M-80), as well as 223 Remington FMJ, 30 carbine FMJ and 12 gauge rifled slug rounds. It also protects against anything covered in threat levels TYPE I through TYPE III-A. This style body armor is designed for tactical use (USDJ, pg 19)

TYPE IV (Armor Piercing Rifle).This protects against .30-06 caliber armor piercing bullets (U.S. Military APM2). This will also protect against anything that is protected by threat levels TYPY I through TYPE III. It may provide single shot protection, because the ceramic tends to breaks up when it is struck more than one time. This style is for Tactical use when the threat level is very high. (USDJ, pg 19 20)

SPECIAL TYPE is when the customer ordering the body armor, wants it for protection for something other than what is covered in the other threat levels, its custom body armor. (USDJ, pg 20)

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BALLISTIC BODY ARMOR RESISTANCE CHART

The National Institute of Justice has established a voluntary national standard for police body armor. This standard has been changed several times over the years, to incorporate the ongoing changes in the ballistic technology and the increased threats to police officers. (National Institute of Justice [NIJ], 1973, pg 1)

LEGEND FOR BELOW LISTED CHART

RN ROUND NOSE SWC SEMI WAD CUTTER FMJ FULL METAL JACKET JSP JACKETED SOFT POINT

HP HALLOW POINT GC GAS CHECK AP ARMOR PIERCING SJHP SEMI JACKETED HALLOW POINT

Body Armor CALIBER PROJECTILE WEIGHT GRAINS VELOCITY FEET PER SECOND 38 SPECIAL 38 SPEC +P 22 LRHV 9MM .357 MAG. .357 MAG. .22LRHV RN LEAD SWC LEAD LEAD FMJ JSP JSP COPPER PLATED LEAD 9MM .357 MAG. .357 MAG 12 GAUGE .14 MAG .44MAG 9MM LAPUA 9MM NORMA 9MM GECO 9MM FMJ 123 116 1200 1250 366 381 FMJ 116 1150 351 FMJ JSP SJHP 00 BUCKSHOT LEAD SJSP FMC 124 158 125 9 PEL 210 240 123 1175 1395 1450 1350 1300 1180 1200 358 425 440 410 397 360 366 158 158 40 124 158 158 40 850 950 1050 1090 1250 1300 1450 VELOCITY METERS PER SECOND 260 290 320 335 381 395 440

14 N.I.J. LEVEL

I I I II-A II-A II-A II-A

II II II II II II III-A

III-A

III-A III-A

Body Armor CANADIAN 9MM ISRAEL 9MM CAVIN .44 MAG 9MM 9MM SMG 7.62MM NATO 5.56MM NATO 5.56MM NATO 30.6 USM APM-2 ARMOR PIERCING 166 2850 868 USM BALL M193 55 3050 925 USM BALL M855 62 3050 925 FMJ LEAD SWC GC FMJ SILVER TIP HP USM BALL M80 124 240 124 115 150 1400 1400 1400 1400 2750 425 425 425 425 838 LEAD SWC GC 240 1400 425

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III-A

III-A III-A III-A III-A III

III

III

IV

(NIJ, 1973, NIJ 0101.03 STD)

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MATERIALS USED IN BODY ARMOR

Many manufacturers have been involved in the development of body armor. Dupont has been involved in developing products for the protection of law enforcement officers for over 25 years.

Dupont developed whats known as Kevlar a brand fiber, which was developed in 1965, and was the first type of material that was used in concealable body armor. Kevlar is a manmade fiber, with a combination of properties that allow for high strength and low weight, high chemical resistance, and also high cut resistance. Kevlar is also flame resistant will not melt soften or flow, and it is not affected even when submerged in water. (USDJ,, pg-15)

Kevlar 29 was a product that was introduced by Dupont in the 1970s, and was the first generation of bullet resistant fibers that Dupont used to produce concealable body armor that was practical for law enforcement use for the first time.

The second generation of Kevlar material which offered increased ballistic protection against ammunition rounds like 9mmFMJ was called Kevlar 129 and was introduced in 1988.

In 1995 Dupont added Kevlar correctional which was able to provide puncture resistant technology to both police and correctional personnel. In 1996 Dupont introduced another product called Protera, which is a high performance fabric that is lighter, more flexible and provides

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better ballistic protection. The vest is lighter and more flexible because of the molecular structure of the fiber. Its strength and ability to absorb energy have been increased by developing a new spinning process. (USDJ, , pg-15)

Spectra a product that is manufactured by Allied Signal is an ultra high strength polyethylene fiber the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene is dissolved in a solvent and then spun through a series of small openings called spinnerets. The solution is then made solid by cooling, and the cooled fiber has a gel like look. This spectra fiber is then used to make what they call Spectra Shield. This product has two unidirectional layers of the fiber that cross each other at 0 and 90 degree angles that are held in place by a flexible resin. The resin and fiber layers are then sealed between two thin sheets of polyethylene film. Allied Signal says that the resulting no woven fabric is very strong and light weight with excellent ballistic protection. Spectra Shield is made in several styles, and in both hard armor and concealable armor styles. (USDJ, , pg-15)

Allied Signal also manufacturers a product called Gold Shield. This product is made by using aramid fibers instead of the Spectra fibers. Gold Shield is made in three types Gold Shield LCR and Gold Flex and all of them are used in the concealable body armor. Allied Signal also manufacturers Gold Shield PCR. This product is used to make hard armor plates and helmets.(USDJ, , pg-15)

A product called TWARON was developed by Akzo Nobel. This product uses more than a 1000 single filaments spun finely. The filaments act like a sponge by absorbing the impact

Body Armor of the bullet. Because they use more filaments the impact from the bullet gets dispersed faster.

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Akzo Nobel says that TWARON reduces the weight of the body armor, which makes their vest more comfortable for the officers wearing them. (USDJ, , pg-15)

DYNEEMA is also a fiber used in the production of body armor. DYNEEMA has a very high strength to weight ratio, and is light enough to float on water. A 1mm diameter rope of Dyneema can hold up to a 240 kg load, and it also has a high energy absorption rate. This fiber was developed in the Netherlands (USDJ, pg-16)

ZYLON currently a very controversial product, and is used by several of the body armor manufacturers. ZYLON is manufactured in Japan by Toyobo, and has only been sold for commercial use in body armor since 1998. Zylon is used in over 100 models of bullet resistant vest. (L, May22, 2003, pg-1)

Zylon is a synthetic fiber that has a high tensile strength and thermal stability, and is flame resistant compared to organic fibers. Zylon is used in body armor as well as protective gloves, flame retardant suits, high tension rope and aerospace components.(Armor Holdings co. [AH], 2003, pg-1)

The controversial thing with ZYLON is that the U. S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has ordered a Department of Justice investigation into Second Chance vest manufactured with Zylon. Ashcroft was asked that Second Chance armor be studied specifically, and that their vest should be recalled, and the purchasers be reimbursed. This investigation was asked for by two

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United States Senators who stated that 8,344 vest manufactured by Second Chance Body Armor Co. contained Zylon and that these vest were purchased under a Justice Department matching grant program which cost the government, officers and Police agencies over 7.3 million dollars. This request came after the company had tested 200 hundred vests and found that the Zylon fabric deteriorates and wears out faster than expected. The test conducted by Second Chance Co. came after a series of warnings to them by the manufacturer of Zylon. Second Chance has stopped selling the vest, and has a credit discount upgrade policy that was put in place to protect the police officers using the Zylon body armor, as well as ensure the survival of Second Chance body Armor Company.

This investigation into Second Chance Body Armor was started because of an injury suffered by a Pennsylvania police officer who was shot and critically wounded, when a .40 caliber bullet passed through his Second Chance Zylon vest. This officer had a vest manufactured in December 2002 that was issued to the officer in January 2003. The injury to the officer occurred in June 2003. The vests have a 5 year recommended life span according to Second Chance the company that manufactured the vest. (Echlin, 2003, pages 1 & 2)

A Second officer wearing Second Chance Zylon vest was killed when his vest failed to stop a 9mm round that his vest was rated to stop. The vest he was wearing was only seven months old at the time of his death. (Sommers, 2004)

The new and latest addition to body armor materials is a totally new product being tested by the U. S. Army called liquid body armor. Liquid armor for Kevlar vest is one of the newest

Body Armor technologies currently being developed by the U. S. Army research laboratory at Aberdeen Maryland. This is a light flexible type of armor that allows soldiers to be more mobile, and doesnt interfere with the soldier running or aiming his or her weapon. The main component of this product is shear thickening fluid. STF is a product made up of hard particles that are

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suspended in a liquid. The liquid is polyethylene glycol, is a non toxic, and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Hard nano particles of silica are the other components of STF. This combination of flowable and hard components results in a material with unusual properties. STF is very deformable and flow like a liquid during normal handling, but once the bullet hits the vest it transforms into a very rigid material, which prevents the bullet from penetrating the officers body. To make this liquid armor, all the Kevlar is soaked in STF and the Kevlar fabric holds the STF in place and also helps to stop the bullet. The saturated fabric can be soaked, draped, and sewn just like any other fabric. The object of this is to create a new material that is light weight and low cost that has more flexibility with less thickness and can stop ammunitions that are in use today. The military will benefit from this new product, as well as police and correction officers. Liquid armor is much more stab resistant than regular Kevlar armor, which will be very important to prison guards. (Johnson, pg-1)

SURVEY OF POLICE OFFICERS REGARDING BODY ARMOR

In the process of conducting research to write this paper, I had the opportunity to interview officers, both patrol and command officers from 40 different police agencies in Michigan regards to body armor that they wear.

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I asked them what brand of body armor they use and the threat level they currently have. I also asked them if their agency mandates what body armor they wear. I was surprised to learn that 49% of the officers surveyed stated that they wear Second Chance body armor with 35% of them using II-A threat level and 51% not knowing what threat level they have. The results also showed that 49% of the officers surveyed indicated that their agency specifies the brand and the threat level that they wear.

The officers were asked if their agency has a written body armor policy that they use, and if the policy requires them to wear only the body armor that is in the policy. The survey said that 86% of the departments have a written policy in effect regarding the brand and threat level they must wear. 98% issue the officers the body armor that is required and 75% of those surveyed say that they must wear a vest while working in uniform.

The biggest complaint that I heard from officers while conducting the survey, was that even with all of the progress over the years in the new light weight materials being used in body armor, the officers still believe that the vest are to hot.

In the 20 plus years that I have been a police officer working in uniform, I still wear the body armor religiously when I have that uniform on. I believe that the slight amount of discomfort from the vest being to hot, far out weighs the discomfort of being shot while not wearing a vest. It only makes sense that we purchase and wear body armor regularly since the technology to help protect the police officers is available to any officers that want to wear them.

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(Thompson 2004)

Body Armor References Armor Holdings co. (2003, September19, 2003). Faqs about Zylon materials in body armor. Retrieved June 16, 2004, www.americanbodyarmor.com Echlin, B. (2003, November 19, 2003). Central Lake Vest Maker in the Crosshairs. Retrieved June 29, 2004, www.record-eagle.com Johnson, T. (2004, April26, 2004). Liquid Body Armor. Retrieved July 1, 2004, http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/armyweapons/a/liquidarmor.htm Legionxxiv.org/loricapage (May 22 2003). . Retrieved 7/13/04, http://www.legionxxiv.org Masakazu, S. (March 18, 2004). Letter to valued Customers. Retrieved June 16, 2004, www.toyoba.cojpe/seihen

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National Inststute of Justice (1973). Ballistic Body Armor Resistance Chart. Retrieved June 16, 2004, www.bodysafe.com National institute of justice (, March 11, 2004). Status report to the Attorney General on body armor Safety initiative Testing and activities. , , 1-3. Office of Technology Assessment (August 1992). Police Body Armor Testing and Standards. , OTA-ISC-534, 2. Sommers, K. (2004, February 2004). Zylon Based Vest Failed For 2 Officers. The F.O.P. JOURNAL, (fEBRUARY 2004), . Thompson, M. (2004, August 2004). . Detroit Free Press, , . U.S Department of Justice Selection and application guide to police body armor (October 1998). U.S.Dept.of Justice (, October 1998). . Selection and Application Guide to Police Body Armor, , 3-6. Retrieved June 23,2004,