Balancing Protection and Life Cycle Sustainability

A privately-owned, Virginia-based company, capable of producing a wide range of armor solutions at very competitive prices, Advanced Armor Research Group, LLC (AARG) is an American manufacturing company focused on the supply of lightweight, passive armor systems engineered and tailored for private security, law enforcement, and military requirements.

By Michael J. Arlen, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development, Advanced Armor Research Group

From Armor & Mobility, Fall 2021

AARG’s engineered armor system technology delivers superior multi-hit and threat defeat against a wide range of threats from NIJ Level III small arms to cannon level KE threats, up to STANAG 4569 level VI. Ongoing internal research and development efforts focus on emerging technologies for armor weight reduction, improved performance, and life cycle cost reduction through material selection and process innovation. Using a variety of hard-face materials and composites, the company strives to achieve balance between cost, weight, and performance in achievement of the most aggressive anti-ballistic objectives.

Multi-Layered Design Functionality

AARG engineered armor systems use a functionally graded design approach incorporating advanced strike face technologies, maximizing penetrator defeat to achieve the multi-hit objective for any required threat. We utilize a range of advanced ceramics to meet our client’s objectives and have mastered the armor system fabrication processes. In addition, AARG has mastered the chemical reactions necessary to create an exclusive cermet-based Shield product. Shield demonstrated significant multi-hit capability and superior anti-ballistic damage tolerance when compared to ceramics. In addition, our engineered armor systems utilize a variety of composites in conjunction with various ceramic strike face materials, and we are continually testing and developing new composite technologies to improve our armor system performance.

AARG’s next-generation armor systems utilize proprietary high-temperature resin systems in combination with S2 Glass, as part of the system to create structural armor, that meets or exceeds all environmental requirements. Armor solutions using these composite systems have been tested at accredited testing laboratories and have successfully demonstrated anti-ballistic performance in the temperature range of -40F to 165F. In addition, we have developed new processing methods using these resin systems to produce nearly void-free composite backing substrates. These improvements and void reduction improve the composite mechanical properties (toughness, modulus), leading to increased anti-ballistic performance compared to similar armor types. Our manufacturing process ensures the quality control necessary for these next-generation armor systems to deliver consistent performance throughout the entire life cycle. Additionally, the AARG fabrication process reduces manufacturing waste, making this process much more environmentally-friendly compared to many traditional processes.

Facilities Upgrade to Sustain Cutting Edge Production

AARG is currently completing a state-of-the-art, 35,000 square foot armor production facility to bring the aforementioned structural armor systems to market in 2022. Our team continues to be at the forefront of research and development by incorporating emergent technologies into superior armor systems for military, tactical, law enforcement vehicles, and structures around the world. Our in-house engineering staff will work closely with you to define your anti-ballistic and life cycle requirements to deliver the perfect balance of price, weight, and performance to meet you application requirements.

If you are seeking an armor supplier with the knowledge and resources to produce advanced armor solutions in an efficient, repeatable, and cost-effective manner – visit www.aargusa.com to see what we can do for you.