NIJ Level Comparison of Body Armor

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asked Nov 26, 2022 in 3D Segmentation by freeamfva (39,060 points)

The U.S. National Institute of Justice (NIJ) created the standards to measure protection levels. NIJ also works very closely with the UK Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) to develop globally accepted body armor standards.To get more news about bulletproof level 4, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

As such, body armor that has satisfied a certain NIJ standards level will have satisfied CAST standards for that level, as well. The NIJ also works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop their standards.
Ballistic threat levels are explained in terms of the size and speed of bullets that the body armor at that level can stop. Before you purchase body armor, you need to fully understand the level of threat you are facing based on NIJ standards. The same standards are used to ensure military personnel and law enforcement officers are wearing body armor that offers optimal protection while in an operation.
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Ballistic threats are arguably the most faced threat by people in the modern world, so many people seek to protect themselves against them. NIJ has a very comprehensive body armor ballistic protection level rating system ranging from level IIA to level IV. As you can likely guess, higher levels mean more body armor thickness, weight and protection.

Basically, more layers of ballistic fiber are added to the body armor to make it more protective with each rise in level. This addition is a delicate process, though, as body armor weight is a very crucial factor. Nobody wants to be wearing ridiculously heavy body armor, especially military personnel. It would hinder maneuverability and speed. For them, one kilogram could be the difference between life and death.

NIJ level IIA is the most basic body armor protection level, tested using a 9mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) bullet traveling at a speed of 1,225 feet per second (ft/s) new, 1,165 ft/s conditioned. It's further tested by firing a .40 Smith & Wesson (S&W) FMJ bullet traveling at 1,155 ft/s at new armor, 1,065 ft/s for conditioned armor. Body armor is certified as level IIA compliant if it can stop these bullets, which, going by the speed, are obviously fired from small and lightweight handguns.

As expected, the NIJ has very careful and specific guidelines that must be followed when testing out the body armor in the lab. A lot goes into this testing — it's a pretty important process, after all.

When testing armor levels IIA through IIIA, for instance, the compliance test group consists of 28 complete armors, each one being tested with two threats. With flexible armor in the form of tactical or concealable jackets or vests, 14 complete armors per test threat make up the compliance test group. If special testing needs to be performed with additional threats, the compliance test group will need another 14 complete armors for each additional threat.

Keep in mind that body armor standardization is not just about preventing penetration. A bulletproof vest could stop the bullets mentioned above but still fail level IIA certification if it cannot reduce the blunt trauma caused by the bullets. In fact, level IIA could stop the bullets used in testing level II body armor from penetrating, but the blunt trauma would still be dangerously high.

Level IIA body armor is very lightweight and usually under 10 pounds, making it easy to conceal and comfortable to wear. It consists of a few thin layers of aramid fibers or any other ballistic fibers. Level IIA body armor is commonly used by civilians and law enforcement officers who are seeking protection against low-impact bullet fire.

Bulletproof vests in level IIA have a maximum thickness of 4mm. If any of the bullet fire mentioned above hits you while wearing effective level IIA body armor, the worst you could suffer is a bit of blunt trauma, which is unlikely to cause an injury.

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