The Development of a Functionally Graded Lightweight Cermet Protective Body Armor

There is no currently available armor that will defeat the most lethal leaded steel-core 7.62 ball ammunition at 5.0 lbs/ft(2) or less. In order to ensure the survivability and provicde maximized mobility of the soldier as well as law enforcement, a protective body armor at less than 5lbs/ft(2) is imperative. The team of MER-Simula has heretofore demonstrated that ceramic-metal combination (cermets) have the ability to provide protecton at 5.0lbs/ft(2) or less from all threats of 7.62mm ammunition. This program will develop a functionally graded ceramic-metal combination cermet with and without a Spectra Shield backing that can provide protection at less than 5 lbs/ft(2). Through an iterative fabricate-test-fabricate program, the optimum ceramic-metal functionally graded cermet composite material will be demonstrated for the economic application to protective body armor.