How Dyneema® UD drives lightweight vehicle protection

The days of steel-based armor solutions for military vehicles are over. Modern warfare calls for high-performance, lightweight vehicle armor systems that reduce the load on the vehicle while still offering ultimate protection for military service personnel and their equipment against all threat levels.

In turn, these demands call for Dyneema® UD, a composite unidirectional laminate material that offers excellent energy absorption and enhanced protection in a lightweight solution. In fact, Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, is 15 times stronger than steel on a weight-per-weight basis and has been proven to provide unprecedented protection against high-velocity threats.

In vehicle armor applications, for instance, Dyneema® UD enables enhanced ballistic stopping power at a lower weight – resulting in better protection for armed service personnel and less mechanical stress on their vehicle. Dyneema®-based armor systems can even meet certain threats, like multi-hit situations at high temperatures, at half the weight of steel vehicle panels. Sometimes, of course, steel and/or ceramics still provide important protection against AP bullets, but even in such cases, integrating Dyneema® UD into the armor can deliver significant weight reductions.

There’s much more to come: our development pipeline will widen the range of options for our armor manufacturing partners, helping them design high-performing, lightweight ballistic armor solutions for military vehicles. Thanks to these enhancements, armed forces personnel can benefit from more favorable weight tradeoffs and drive more agile vehicles – all with the peace of mind that only comes from the proven performance and protection of Dyneema®.

After all, over the years, thousands of vehicles have been armored with Dyneema®. And, as we’ve heard from military institutes and global organizations alike, Dyneema® UD armor concepts have protected countless lives in the face of aggressive threats in demanding environments.

But we aren’t stopping now. As new ballistic threats emerge, we’re determined to use our expertise and resources to help our partners stay ahead. Because, with our innovative portfolio, regional experts, and technical resources, we help protect those who put their lives on the line, on front lines around the world.

Dyneema®’s unmatched performance has been demonstrated through tests using 20 mm fragment-simulating projectiles. Moreover, during tests on soft armor vests, Dyneema® maintains its robust levels of performance and protection even after conditioning above 90°C. Finally, we’ve studied the influence of aging on ballistic-resistant articles, even completing the original certification testing on 17-year-old vest parts.

We also test Dyneema® products against standards used as basic requirements for armored vehicles, including STANAG 4569, EN1522/23, NIJ 0108.0, and VPAM BRV.