CERTIFICATION: MIL-SPEC vs. NIJ Body Armor

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certified body armor relates to ballistic threats faced in domestic situations, including:

• Federal, State and Local Agencies
• DoD CONUS: Army, Navy, USAF, and USMC

Mil-spec certified body armor refers to proprietary and classified in-theater military threats, including:

• DoD OCONUS: Army, Navy, USAF, USMC, and SOCOM
• Hard armor, such as SAPI, ESAPI, ESBI, or SPEAR rifle plates. These are certified in conjunction with soft armor packages

BODY ARMOR RATINGS, TYPES, & THREAT LEVEL

Certification: NIJ Body Armor

Armor Type: Soft

Body Armor Ratings: Level IIA, Level II, and Level IIIA

Threat Level: Shrapnel and lower velocity projectile ballistic protection, such as handguns or submachine gun ammunition

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Certification: NIJ Body Armor

Armor Type: Hard

Body Armor Ratings: Level III and Level IV

Threat Level: Rifle protection—Level III is certified for a single hit while Level IV combination plates protect against multiple hits

Elements of Body Armor Protection

STEEL PLATES

• Thin, heavy exceptionally durable and typically constructed of MARS armored plate.
• Recommended for concealment applications Available up to NIJ Level.

POLYETHYLENE PLATES

• Thick, light.
• High impact resistance and moderately durable compared to steel plates.
• Recommended for maritime applications: Neutral or positive buoyancy
• Poor performance against steel core rifle ammunition (standard U.S. issue 5.56mm M855)

CERAMIC PLATES

• Weight and thickness vary greatly (highly configurable to specific needs)
• Lower durability compared to steel or polyethylene Recommended for most situations: Industry standard and only material rated to stop NIJ Level IV threats
• Available in NIJ level III and IV

Threat Level Protection Based on Body Armor Ratings