Anyone choosing a bulletproof vest for their protection needs to understand what the optimal weight is. To understand this issue, let’s first decide that we will be talking about the weight of the bulletproof vest, not including ammunition and pouches attached to it. Additional equipment includes a huge number of options for various attachments, which will be different for each soldier and can vary from a few kilograms to several dozen.
Another important aspect is the level of protection. It is always a compromise between class, protection area, and weight. You can assemble a set with the appropriate coverage area but lose mobility due to the high weight, or, vice versa, assemble a lighter set but have more areas of the body vulnerable to shrapnel.
Duration of wearing a bulletproof vest
When assembling your set, you can also take into account general recommendations for bulletproof vests.
According to the rules for wearing body armor, the duration should be limited:
- with a weight of 7-9 kg – up to 9 hours
- with a weight of 12-16 kg – up to 2 hours
Considering that in real life you have to carry much more weight, you should, if possible, give your spine a rest from overtime loads.
That is why experienced military personnel look for ways to lighten the weight of their equipment or at least find a bulletproof vest with a suspension system that allows part of the weight to be transferred to the belt, reducing the load on the shoulders and spine.
Weight of a plate carrier
The simplest basic protective element is a plate carrier. It provides approximately 14 cm² of effective protection in size M. It is a cover weighing from 0.5 to 1.5 kg, into which a ceramic or metal armor plate is inserted. If we are talking about standard 25×30 cm armor plates, the weight of metal ones will vary from 3 to 4 kg, which will provide DSTU protection class 4. If you choose Stand Alone ceramic plates (armor plates that can be used without additional ballistic lining), they will weigh between 2.3 and 4 kg, but will provide protection class 6 according to DSTU 8782:2018.
There are also plate carriers that allow you to add soft or hard ballistic protection to the cummerbunds. Usually, two such packages weigh up to 1 kg.
Thus, on average, a plate carrier equipped with two plates can weigh from 5 to 10.5 kg.
Weight of a DSTU Class 1 bulletproof vest
A DSTU Class 1 bulletproof vest consists of a ballistic package and a cover. Its main purpose is to protect against fragments and 9 x 18 mm (Makarov) and 9 x 19 (Luger) pistol bullets. If we are talking about the Plastoon XM bulletproof vest in kit 1 configuration with protection for the torso, neck, intestines, and groin (without plates) in size L, it weighs 4.5 kg and has an effective protection area of 45 dm2, while in size M it weighs 3.5 kg and has an effective protection area of 34.5 dm2.
If we are talking about civilian body armor, such as Civil Protection, it can have a protection area of up to 50 dm2 and weigh up to 5.5 kg.
Thus, such a bulletproof vest will have twice or three times the effective protection area compared to a plate carrier, and in most cases, the weight will be within 3-5.5 kg.
Weight of a DSTU Class 2 bulletproof vest
A DSTU Class 2 bulletproof vest can weigh up to 9 kg. This class of bulletproof vest is designed to protect against shrapnel and 7.62 x 25 mm (TT) pistol bullets. To obtain a Class 2 bulletproof vest, Class 2 ballistic packages can be used. In the first case, the Plastoon XM bulletproof vest in size L will weigh 5.4 kg.
Weight of a DSTU Class 3 bulletproof vest
A DSTU Class 3 bulletproof vest with Class 1 ballistic packages can weigh between 5.5 and 7.5 kg. A bulletproof vest of this protection class must protect against fragments and bullets 5.45 x 39 mm (7N6) and 7.62 x 39 mm (57-N-231). To obtain a Class 3 bulletproof vest, pressed polyethylene plates weighing 1.1–1.3 kg each are usually used.
Weight of a DSTU Class 4 bulletproof vest
The minimum weight of a Class 4 bulletproof vest in a standard configuration with metal armor plates will be between 9.5 and 11.5 kg. If ceramic armor plates are used in the configuration, then, accordingly, with the weight of a Class 4 ceramic plate being 1.6 kg, such a bulletproof vest can weigh approximately 6.7 kg. According to the standard, a Class 4 body armor should protect against fragments and bullets of 5.45 x 39 mm (7N10) and 7.62 x 54 mm (57-N-232s). Usually, metal armor plates are used to make Class 4 body armor, and ceramic plates of this class are used much less often.
Bulletproof plate, DSTU class 4 (25×30 cm)
Weight of a DSTU class 5 bulletproof vest
A DSTU Class 5 bulletproof vest must protect against fragments and 7.62 x 39 mm (57-BZ-231) and 7.62 x 54 mm (57-N-232s) bullets. To assemble a bulletproof vest of this class, either reinforced metal armor plates or ceramics are used, and the weight of such armor plates will be from 2 to 4.5 kg, so a bulletproof vest of this class can weigh from 7.4 kg to 12.5 kg.
Weight of a DSTU Class 6 bulletproof vest
A DSTU Class 6 bulletproof vest must protect against fragments and 7.62 x 54 mm (7B3-323) bullets. Only ceramic plates can provide this level of protection. A medium-sized bulletproof vest of this class will weigh between 8 and 11 kg. As we can see, ceramic plates provide the highest level of protection and weigh less than metal armor plates, but their cost significantly exceeds that of metal plates.
Ceramic armor plate, class 6 DSTU, size M (25×30 cm)
Weight of modular bulletproof vest
Modular bulletproof vests offer the highest level of protection against fragments. When fully equipped, the effective protection area can reach 105 cm2, and the weight can range from 8 to 9.7 kg, depending on the size.
However, for greater mobility, a partial set can be used. For example, Plastoon XM in kit 4 configuration (body armor, neck protection module, intestinal protection module, groin protection module) will have 68 dm2 of effective protection at a weight of 6.3 kg, which is a very good ratio of protection area to weight. If you equip such a body armor with ceramic plates, its weight can vary within 10 kg, which is the optimal ratio of protection area to body armor weight.
Plastoon XM kit 4 modular bulletproof vest, pixel
What else is important to know
The most common average sizes of armor plates and bulletproof vests were used for the calculation. If we consider the XL size, it can have significantly higher effective protection area indicators and, of course, significantly greater weight.
The weight of the ballistic panels is calculated for UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene). If aramid fibers such as Kevlar are used in the body armor, the weight of such panels will be 20–30% higher.
The weight of ballistic packages is calculated for HMPE (high-molecular-weight polyethylene), but if aramid fibers such as Kevlar are used in the bulletproof vest, the weight of such packages will be 20-30% higher.
Expensive boron carbide ceramic plates, priced from $700, are lighter than ceramic plates based on aluminum oxide or silicon carbide. Therefore, these plates can be used to reduce the overall weight of military equipment.
