Bullet Deflecting Armor System for Ground Troops

Current standard military body armor and helmets are designed to stop fragments, not bullets. A soldier's survivability and effectiveness will be enhanced by a new light weight body armor and helmet system which deflects bullets rather than stopping them. By covering all the oblique areas the soldier presents to the enemy in his standard fighting positions, the armor system will significantly reduce his vulnerable silhouette area making it more difficult for the enemy to score a lethal hit. This Phase I project will develop and test flat plate samples of armor using light weight materials and several innovative designs and configurations. Foster-Miller will employ its expertise in materials, physics and ballistic protection to deliver a detailed armor system concept for the individual, complete with weight estimates, ballistic coverage, ballistic holes and bullet deflection paths. The concepts for flat plate testing will include surface modification of existing ballistic materials, the incorporation of slip planes designed to separate from the armor taking the projectile with it, with an overall construction of novel design. Based on the results of this testing, combinations of these concepts may be proposed for the final system. The Phase II program will develop an actual system which could be used by the military along with law enforcement personnel and private citizen use.