Let’s deal with a question that occupies many of our clients – the levels of protection of an armored vehicle. This is an important issue, because when you plan to have your life protected, you need to be sure that the protection you get is adequate. The adequacy of vehicle armor is measured in linear connection to the weapons and damage that it is capable to withstand.
To draw a simple parallel, it is similar to choosing hunting gear. There is a rifle for ducks, and a rifle for bears. You don’t want to mix them up. Taking a duck rifle to a bear hunt will make the bear angry and even more dangerous. Taking a bear rifle to a duck hunt will result in many duck feathers and pieces lying around, with not much duck left to take home.
When choosing a vehicle armor grade, you apply the same principle, only the other way around. The question to ask is, therefore, what kind of damage do I need to be protected from? Is a handgun shootout the only danger I may be facing, or is there a need to be protected from assault rifles as well? Should I be protected from explosives?
To connect those dots, an International Ballistic Armor Standard, also known as the Central European Norm has been established. It allows you to choose an armor grade based on the level and type of damage that the vehicle can withstand. To make a long story short, here is a chart that will give you a good idea of the correlation between the armor grade and the damage protection levels.
|
Armor Grade |
Weapon and Caliber |
Round Weight m/s Shots Type |
|
B1 – B3 |
Handgun 9×19 mm Handgun .357 Magnum |
8.0g 358 5 Lead Core Copper Jacket 10.2g 430 5 Jacketed Soft Point |
|
B4 |
Handgun .044 Magnum SMG 9×19 mm |
15.6g 440 5 Lead Wad Cutter 8.0g 427 5 Lead Core Copper Jacket |
|
B5 |
Handgun 7.62×25 mm AR AK-47 7.62×39 mm Rifle .30-06 mm M16 SMG 5.56×45 mm |
5.5g 488 5 Lead Core Steel Jacket 9.7g 732 5 Steel Core Copper Jacket 11.7g 774 5 Jacketed Soft Point 3.6g 991 5 Lead Core Copper Jacket |
|
B6 |
Rifle 5.56×45 mm |
3.6g 838 5 Lead Core Steel Jacket |
|
B7 |
HV Rifle .30-06 mm |
10.8 869 3 Armor Piercing |
Here, we need to add that B1 – B5 are meant to address threats on a moderate level, such as can be encountered in criminal urban environments. The higher armor standards of B6 and B7 are meant to take Commercial and Military grade level threats, respectively. Those armor grades will also withstand hand-grenade and even grenade-launcher explosive damage.
Don’t go for “Best”, find what is Suitable
This is an important point that needs to be made as well. Going for more, sometimes achieves less. The grade of armor you choose should correspond to the level and type of danger you are expecting to face.
For example, buying a heavy off road armored SUV is a good idea when you are expecting to encounter military-level threats in possible off-road pursuit environments. That’s when you will want to consider the Toyota Tundra, a beast of a vehicle, able to take a lot of damage, and navigate rough terrain with ease.
In an urban environment, however, where maneuverability is very important, and a large car can get you stuck, the sedan class armored vehicles are your better option. A good example of this is the powerful Audi A8, with its high performance all-wheel drive and other great features that make it perfect for a city.
We hope this gives you the answers you were seeking. If you have any questions left, feel free to contact us and we will be glad to address them. Exec Armor is here for you.