Armour protection goes centre stage

Wednesday, 18 June, 2008

Many exhibits at Eurosatory feature measures to protect vehicle crews and other personnel that could be subject to random terrorist attacks. Indeed, the focus of vehicle protection has shifted from the battlefield to urban environments where the enemy can be rarely identified. On Stand J220m in the US Pavilion, ArmorWorks is promoting its life-saving technology to protect personnel, aircraft, vehicles, and vessels.
Ceramic composite technology is common to each of these applications because it has proved to result in the lightest, most reliable armour systems. The result of some 10 years of research, design and battle testing, ArmorWorks’ systems can be tailored to overcome specific threats. These may include armour piercing sniper fire, artillery, landmines and IED blasts. But the company’s development of the Shock-Ride blast attenuating seating systems displayed here is a mark of a growing importance to increase survivability of those caught in the blast of a mine, IED or suicide bomb. Widely tested and approved, the ShockRide seats attenuate initial blast and slam-down, while special models have been developed to afford protection to drivers, commanders, and turret gunners.