By: Subbu Venkatachalam, Head of Defence & Aerospace, Carborundum Universal Limited
For a soldier on the frontline, the single, most critical determinant of survival is the bulletproof jacket. It not only protects the soldier from injury in close quarters combat, but also from both penetration and impact from different types of ballistics and blasts.
Until a decade ago, Indian soldiers and paramilitary personnel routinely operated with steel-armoured bulletproof jackets weighing between 10 kg and 17 kg. This ‘weight penalty’ to enable greater protection significantly hindered agility and endurance during prolonged offensives.
Defence manufacturers faced a considerable challenge. The only material available then to design armour was steel. It added bulk to the bulletproof jacket, resulting in a very heavy armour. The major downside of steel armour was soldier fatigue. Additionally, there were risks of secondary injury from shrapnel due to fragmentation of the armour, injury resulting from inadequate absorption of the massive energy generated during projectile hits, and changes in material integrity due to changing temperature and environmental conditions. This severely compromised both soldier protection and survivability, while impeding performance and mission success.
In the case of combat vehicles, greater weight meant lower tactical and operational mobility. While protection may have been guaranteed, it resulted in an incapability to manoeuvre across varied terrains, slower troop deployment, and lower fuel efficiency.
Modernisation and innovation in materials
The Indian Army’s modernisation campaign brought the concept of armour lightweighting into focus. This included armour for military personnel as well as armoured and other combat vehicles. The question now was how our soldiers could benefit from robust protection without the added weight burden. The only answer here was an innovation in materials and in the way the bulletproof jacket was customised and designed.
Advanced or engineered ceramics came with all the advantages. They were 30-50% lighter than steel, with hardness, in some cases, close to that of a diamond, high fracture toughness, and effective dissipation of impact energy ensuring minimal risk of injury to the soldier. Technical ceramics are also highly resistant to corrosion, moisture, and temperature variations, maintaining their integrity even in the most extreme conditions. Most importantly, armour designed with advanced ceramics has been successfully tested and validated as per global benchmarks such as National Institute of Justice (NIJ) protection standards for body armour and STANAG 4569 guidelines for combat vehicles.
The expanding role of materials science
It is being increasingly recognised that innovation is possible only through new material discovery or engineering the right material combinations. For instance, advanced ceramics like Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide or Boron Carbide, designed as the ‘strike face’ for bulletproof jackets, can ably blunt and neutralise projectiles on impact. When combined with Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) as the backing layer, this absorbs the energy from impact while also catching any fragments of ballistics and the shattered ceramic to prevent penetration. This ensures superior multi-hit capabilities at much lower weight parameters.
The ‘ABHED’ bulletproof jacket developed by the DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE), a collaboration between DRDO and IIT Delhi, is a great example of lightweighting in personal armour.
Coming to private players, materials science engineering leaders such as CUMI have been able to develop several premium-grade variants of ceramics for use in bulletproof jackets. Manufactured from Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide (RBSiC), Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) to high purity Alumina, the ceramic tiles can be designed in customised shapes for a more comfortable, ergonomic fit and advanced protection. Being extremely lightweight, they ensure soldier agility during periods of intense combat and in tough terrains. Reinforced with appropriate backing material, they can take multiple hits, even stopping and efficiently neutralising AK-47 bullets and other armour piercing projectiles.
Ceramic composites have emerged as the top choice to armour vehicles. They competently address the triple challenges of weight optimisation, superior protection, and on-field performance. In fact, in certain cases, the higher the protection level (STANAG 4569 Level III), the weight savings can be as high as 50% with ceramic composites. Patented ceramic composite panels, developed by CUMI and benchmarked as per STANAG 4569 standards, can precisely match the vehicle profile to ensure complete protection.
Strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem
Indigenous production for defence found its footing with the ‘Make in India’, Atmarnirbhar Bharat and ‘Innovate in India’ imperatives, enabled by the Positive Indigenisation Lists. This, along with the 60% indigenous content threshold, is having a two-fold effect. It is helping accelerate India’s defence manufacturing capabilities and significantly expanding the ecosystem to become even more robust.
This begins right from developing a strong supply chain within the country for mission-critical materials, processing them in state-of-the-art facilities, R&D, component manufacturing, forward integration, testing and validation at par with global standards, along with nurturing a talent pool specialised in broad-based and new, niche skills.
Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreements will also see the light of day with a strong manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. This is possible only when the supply of materials and components is delinked from global uncertainties. Fully backward integrated operations will ensure India can not only capably fulfil our defence modernisation requirements, but also become a competent, strategic global defence production hub.
While manufacturing and secure materials supply is one side of the wheel, the other side is collaboration, research, and partnerships to develop exclusively for India. Currently, several prototypes are in the development phase, with some recent announcements like the Vikram VT-21 Advanced Armoured Platform. They require a unique understanding of the design and requirements as per Indian conditions. This is possible only when innovations are developed in India, through close collaborations between industry partners, startups, and academia. The WhAP 8×8, India’s first indigenously designed amphibious infantry combat vehicle, is a stellar example of the joint efforts of government agencies, industry leaders, and MSMEs.
Redefining the weight vs. protection dynamic
In strategic sectors like defence, where soldier protection and mission outcomes are equally important, manufacturers have to employ materials that offer the best of both worlds. This will ensure our soldiers are receiving best-in-class, global-standard protection and also strongly define India’s ambitions to manufacture from India for the world.