Vehicle Armour Testing

PBL has the on site capabilities to test Military and Civilian armour coupons, engineered targets and development panels against small and medium calibre ballistic threats.

Facilities:

PBL’s indoor small arms ballistic test facility is rated up to STANAG 4569 level 4 (14.5x114mm) and 20mm FSP. The large target chamber can accommodate engineered over a meter in size and up to 1000kgs in weight, as well as offering protected instrumentation space for high speed cameras and other sensitive/fragile equipment.

PBL can conduct ballistic testing of the full range of calibres, including Fragment Simulating Projectiles (FSP) such as those required for within STANAG 4569 AEP-55, vol 1 ed2

With a multiple screen chronograph to measure and record projectile velocities, as well as velocity decay PBL is able to quicky check that projectiles are delivered at the correct velocity and evidence that correct, stable flight has been achieved prior to impact. This is particularly important when addressing vehicle standards which often require steel cored projectiles, known for their difficulty in shooting effectively such as the 7.62x54r API B32.

Services Offered:

Hard armour test services include:

• V50, V0, VProof
• Main Area, Structurally Weak Area, Weld Heat Effected Zone test
• Weld Strength
• Engineered Coupon
• Qualification, Certification & R&D
• Environmental Low/High/Humidity Temperature Exposure
• Thermal Shock
• Impact
• Corrosion

NB not all of the above tests are conducted at PBL Shrivenham. Test location & details discussed on a sample-by-sample basis

Typical products tested:

Flat panels coupons & armour assemblies, vehicle doors and closures, Optronics housings, Periscopes, Architectural cladding, secure walls, composite armour etc Debris protection panels

Ballistic Capability:

Calibre: <5.56mm > 20mm high velocity. > 75mm Medium Velocity, ~200mm Low velocity / Shock

Velocity: 100ms-1 to in excess of 2000ms-1 (subject to projectile type)

Shock: In excess of 20,000G, Full & Half-Sine

Impact: Falling weight drop towers.

Typical test standards:

AEP-55 Vol1(ed2) / STANAG 4569: Procedures for Evaluating the Protection Level of Logistic and Light Armoured Vehicles.

MIL-STD-662F: V50 Test for ballistic armour

EN 1063/1522/1523: Security Glazing – Testing and Classification of resistance to ballistic attack / Windows, Doors, Shutters & Blinds Bullet Resistance

VSAG-12, PAS 300, VPAM BRV: Ballistic and Blast Testing for Civilian Armoured Vehicles (CAV).

NIJ 0108.01: Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials