Bullet Proofing Technology (BPT), specialising in lightweight composite armour solutions, has launched its new Featherlight hard armour plate at the Milipol international exhibition in Paris this week, representing what it says is a significant leap forward in personal protection.
The Featherlight plate is engineered to enhance officer mobility and comfort, weighing in at 0.5 kg. “Despite its minimal weight, the plate provides robust protection against common threats, meeting the NIJ Level IIIa standard for handgun rounds, including 9 mm and .44 Magnum. Crucially, the plate also offers certified protection against the challenging Tokarev round, a projectile known for its difficulty to defeat with standard armour systems,” BPT said on 18 November.
“The Featherlight plate is a direct response to the operational demands of modern security and police forces,” said Leon van der Westhuizen, COO of BPT. “We have engineered a solution that practically eliminates weight as a barrier to wearing hard armour, ensuring that personnel are protected against complex threats like the Tokarev round without compromising agility or endurance. This is a game-changer for daily patrol and high-risk operations.”
Photo: BPT
Adding a core emphasis on the user experience, Benny Jiyane, CEO of BPT, commented: “The core advantage of the Featherlight plate is its suitability for semi-permanent wear in low-to-medium risk environments. It was specifically developed for everyday policing tasks, VIP protection details, undercover operations, and private security. Its extremely low profile and weight allow it to be discreetly incorporated into normal plate carriers or specialized T-shirt style vests, which we displayed at Milipol. Our goal was simple: to make the user almost unaware of the system due to its low weight and flexibility, greatly improving compliance and comfort for long-duration wear.”
The new armour solution features an ergonomic multi-curve design for a “superior” anatomical fit and is produced in a larger-than-standard 300 x 300 mm size, maximizing coverage without adding bulk.
“The composite technology utilised in the Featherlight plate sets a new standard for lightweight, multi-threat personal ballistic protection,” BPT said.
Earlier this year, BPT unveiled its Ultralight range of body armour so light that it can even float. The Ultralight range, showcased for the first time at the Securex exhibition in Johannesburg, features 1 kg plates that are a fraction of the weight of plates 30 years ago (3 kg) for Level III protection. At a weight of less than 1 kg for a 250 x 300 mm multi-curve plate, BPT said its Ultralight plates are so light and comfortable that they can be worn for extended periods. The plates exceed the requirements of NIJ 0101 Level III, by also providing protection against common threats such as the 5.56×45 mm Ball (R4) and 7.62×39 mm Ball (Mild Steel Core) (AK-47) threats.
These Ultralight plates are manufactured from UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) fibres, which have largely succeeded Kevlar. UHMWPE plates are so light that they have neutral buoyancy and can actually float on water.
Photo: BPT
BPT said the new generation of armour plate is being promoted to the South African Police Service (SAPS), amongst others, as it is half the weight of their current plates, but only costs 50% more.
BPT offers a range of armour solutions to meet different requirements and costs, from premium super and ultra-light solutions to heavier but cheaper steel plates. In addition to body armour, the company offers ballistic shields, which can protect against handguns and assault rifles.
Since establishment in 1997, BPT has supplied more than 1.3 million body armour plates and over 2 000 armoured vehicle kits to customers around the world. The company’s main focus is on body armour plates and military vehicle armour, supplying armour to several of South Africa’s leading armoured vehicle manufacturers; BPT completes 300-500 vehicle armour sets a year, and 70-150 000 body armour panels annually.
The other 5% of BPT’s turnover comes from specials, including bullet traps, shields, aircraft, ship and building armour. Materials used include ceramics, Aramid fibre, armour steel, special polymers and UHMWPE fibres.
BPT is accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) to certify ballistic testing on body armour (SANS 1658:2007 and STANAG 2920), vehicle armour (EN 1523) and military vehicle armour (STANAG 4569). This is a first for South Africa and BPT is currently the only South African company accredited to do any of this testing in their specially equipped ballistic testing facility, the company said.
