Vehicle armor is of fundamental importance for special vehicles, especially those in military service. It must effectively protect the vehicle occupants and cargo from enemy fire or other attacks. This results in the term special protection vehicles.
Some manufacturers offer vehicle armoring ex works for the private or state sector. However, as with special vehicle construction for the military, the majority of conversions are carried out by specialized third-party suppliers such as Norrenbrock Technik. These retrofit the special protection vehicles with armor and accessories, either partially or completely. In the case of particularly heavy vehicles, in addition to the vehicle armor as ballistic protection, a large number of other modifications are usually carried out due to the higher weight. Depending on the extent of the conversion and the model, this includes brakes, suspension, suspension or the vehicle frame or chassis.
Vehicle armor in military vehicles and special protection vehicles consists of materials such as armored steel, armored glass and Kevlar. The emergence of stronger materials with less thickness makes it possible to integrate stronger armor into vehicles in a more inconspicuous way.
Classes of vehicle armor
Vehicle armor is divided into classes. For special protection vehicles, these are standardized categories that define the degree of protection of the vehicles against various threats. These vehicle armors and their classes are usually defined by international standards such as the VPAM (Association of Testing Laboratories for Anti-Attack Materials and Structures) and other standards.
VPAM-BRV (Bullet Resistant Vehicles) standard
- The VPAM-BRV (Bullet Resistant Vehicles) standard includes various protection classes based on the vehicle's resistance to different calibers and types of ammunition. The most important classes are
- BRV class VR1 to VR9: from small arms with 9mm to armor-piercing NATO ammunition
DIN EN 1063 standard
- This standard relates specifically to the protection of glass in vehicles and is also divided into different classes for vehicle armoring
STANAG 4569
- This standard is used by NATO and covers the protection levels for military vehicles, in particular with regard to ballistic protection and protection against mines:
- Level 1 to level 5: from splinters and handguns to 25mm cannons and the like
The differences and applications of the vehicle armoring and classes include different protection levels, the materials required for them and the corresponding areas of application.
Norrenbrock Technik is a company in special vehicle construction and the construction of special protection vehicles with vehicle armor, which has competent expertise in the planning and design as well as the construction and production of armored vehicles. You can find out more about this from us.
