Ballistic protection standards

NIJ, VPAM, and HOSDB standards play an important role in the certification of ballistic protection equipment. Each of these standards has distinct specifications.

In this blog post you will find information about these standards in a condensed form, and in the coming days we will focus more specifically on each standard.

NIJ (National Institute of Justice) Standard

Developed in the United States, the NIJ standard is widely used by law enforcement and the military. It has several levels of protection, ranging from Type IIA (protection against small handguns) to Type IV (protection against To be certified, ballistic protection must pass tests, including penetration tests, rear deformation tests (maximum 44 mm), and resistance to extreme temperature and humidity conditions .

VPAM Standard

Originating in Europe, the VPAM (Vereinigung der Prüfstellen für angriffshemmende Materialien und Konstruktionen) standard is distinguished by its 14 levels of protection. Levels 1 to 5 are generally intended for soft protection (protection of handguns), while levels 6 to 14 concern rigid protection (protection of long weapons). The VPAM standard specifically tests the resistance of materials to three distinct impacts, by checking not the average dent, but by measuring the volume of the cavity created by the shot. This standard also takes into account more regional and European-specific threats, such as certain Swiss or German munitions.

HOSDB Standard

The HOSDB standard is a British certification, tailored to the needs of UK police forces, with a focus on rear deformation and energy transmission. It is divided into several levels of protection (HG1 to SG3), each designed to stop certain munitions and attenuate the energy transmitted to reduce the risk of internal injuries. The tests also include requirements for resistance to repeated impacts and multi-hits.

Conclusion of ballistic standards

Each of these standards meets distinct needs: NIJ is widespread throughout the world, while VPAM is particularly used in Europe for more diversified threats. The HOSDB standard, on the other hand, is focused on protection in urban environments. Together, these standards guarantee ballistic protections a certification that makes it easier to classify the levels of protection, but also, an assurance to the user, that their said protections work.