MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., January 4, 2017—Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Safariland, a recognized leader in the armor market, has selected Honeywell’s Spectra Shield® and Gold Shield® ballistic composite materials to create some of the industry’s thinnest, lightest and most comfortable vests, including new vests designed specifically for female law enforcement officers.
Traditional vest models are designed only for male or neutral body shapes. Honeywell’s premium Spectra Shield 5000 series provides optimal material to produce concealable, lightweight ballistic protection for all body types with the Safariland Armor SX vest family.
According to data from a 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Justice, there are nearly 100,000 sworn female officers nationwide in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
“Honeywell is committed to developing the most innovative technology and materials to protect more than 1.1 million law enforcement agents across the U.S.,” said Tim Swinger, global business director for armor at Honeywell Packaging and Composites. “With the Spectra Shield 5000 series, Safariland can now create a complete line of male and female vests that delivers comfort and military-grade protection to every member of a police force.”
Safariland supplies protective equipment to law enforcement personnel in the U.S. and around the world. The Safariland Armor SX vest family is designed to provide superior comfort and concealability, as well as protection against a range of soft armor ballistic threat levels (from Level II to IIIA), for all wearers.
“Officers face an unprecedented variety of threats and risks on a daily basis, and because of that, the protection they wear must provide a number of features that meet the highest requirements,” said Scott O’Brien, President of The Safariland Group. “We chose Honeywell’s Spectra Shield 5000 series because it offers the best combination of light weight, fit and protection, while remaining flexible.”
Spectra Shield 5000 is the latest version of Spectra Shield, which is a patented Honeywell technology and is designed to optimize the ballistic characteristics of Spectra fibers. Spectra Shield and Gold Shield products have been widely adopted and proven for the most advanced armor applications globally, from bullet-resistant vests, breast plates and helmets to combat vehicles and military aircraft—all of which require lightweight solutions and superior performance.
Honeywell maintains an active Spectra fiber and ballistic materials research program focused on continuous improvement and development of high-performance materials. For more information, visit www.honeywell-spectra.com.
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.
