What Is NIJ Certified Body Armor?
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NIJ Levels are ballistic ratings established for body armor plates by The National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The
NIJ sets the standards and testing protocols for body armor ratings and levels, which dictate the caliber and threat level that body armor plates can withstand. Specifically, they test and certify body armor to ensure that a bullet does not puncture the plate and that the wearer is protected against blunt trauma. These NIJ body armor ratings range from level I to level IV. The NIJ certification is the only certification nationally recognized for commercial use by law enforcement and the U.S. military.
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Manufacturers must have their body armor plates tested through an NIJ-approved facility, where body armor is put through ballistics and endurance testing, including submerging armor in water as well as stressful conditions testing.
NIJ-certified body armor will include a certification mark that lets the buyer know the body armor is legitimate and has been tested to protect against the threat level it has been assigned. If the body armor is NIJ certified, the certification will be placed on the exterior of the body armor plate. Some manufacturers cut costs and quality by not getting their body armor tested or certified by the NIJ. Some manufacturers may include verbiage with their body armor that states the armor complies with NIJ standards or is NIJ-rated, but this is not the same as being NIJ-certified.
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Is TitanXP's Products NIJ Certified?
Yes. Please search ‘TitanXP LLC’ on NIJ Compliant List. (Please wait until the web contents get fully loaded.)
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NIJ Compliant list: https://cjtec.org/compliance-testing-program/compliant-product-lists/
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NIJ-0101.06 Standards
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The NIJ ballistic resistance standard classifies body armor by levels of ballistic performance. For any performance level, NIJ’s test protocol requires that the bullet does not perforate the vest and that the vest protects against blunt trauma.
NIJ LEVEL IIIA (.44 Magnum; Submachine Gun 9mm):
This armor protects against .44 Magnum, Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets with nominal masses of 15.55 g (240 gr.) impacting at a velocity of 426 m/s (1,400 ft/s) or less and against 9mm full-metal jacketed bullets with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr.) impacting at a velocity of 426 m/s (1,400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against most handgun threats as well as Level I, IIA, and II threats. Level IIIA body armor provides the highest level of protection currently available from concealable body armor and is generally suitable for routine wear in many situations. However, departments located in hot, humid climates may need to evaluate the use of Level IIIA armor carefully.
NIJ LEVEL III (High-powered rifle):
This armor, normally of hard or semirigid construction, protects against 7.62mm full-metal jacketed bullets (US military designation M80) with nominal masses of 9.7 g (150 gr.) impacting at a velocity of 838 m/s (2,750 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against threats such as 223 Remington (5.56mm FMJ), 30 Carbine FMJ, and 12-gauge rifled slug, as well as Level I through IIIA threats. Level III body armor is clearly intended only for tactical situations when the threat warrants such protection, such as barricade confrontations involving sporting rifles.
NIJ LEVEL IV (Armor-piercing rifle):
This armor protects against .30–06 caliber armor-piercing bullets (US military designation APM2) with nominal masses of 10.8 g (166 gr.) impacting at a velocity of 868 m/s (2,850 ft/s) or less. It also provides at least single-hit protection against Level I through III threats.
Level IV body armor provides the highest level of protection currently available. Because this armor is intended to resist “armor piercing” bullets, it often uses ceramic materials. Such materials are brittle in nature and may provide only single-shot protection since the ceramic tends to break up when struck. As with Level III armor, Level IV armor is clearly intended only for tactical situations when the threat warrants such protection.
More information on ballistic-resistant body armor classifications and testing protocols can be found at NIJ STANDARD–0101.06.
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What is Conditioned Body Armor?
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Conditioned armor is meant to emulate the environmental conditions that the wearer of the armor will be exposed to in the field. For example, if you’re wearing Level IIIA armor in the south, temperatures can reach well above 120℉. In places, such as Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, the humidity in the summer averages 80%. These extreme temperature conditions can have a negative impact on the practicality of the armor. The NIJ exposes every armor they test to these conditions to ensure they can hold up in extreme environments.
Once the armor is put through the temperature and humidity conditioning tests, it’s put through a mechanical damage test. This test is called the tumbler test, which consists of the armor being placed in a drum machine and tumbled around inside like a clothes dryer. The point of this test is to emulate the wear and tear of the armor by throwing it around in a controlled environment. All Armor is tested before conditioning and after conditioning to get a complete analysis of the armor’s capabilities.
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What is In Conjunction With armor (ICW)?
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According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), ICW armor is the combination of 2 separate flexible armor plates or a flexible plate with an armor insert. ICW armor is generally designed to offer protection against higher caliber bullets or added stab-resistant capabilities. For an ICW armor system to pass the strict NIJ standards for Level III, they must be tested together. If the flexible armor is designed to be stab-resistant, the label must specify which level of stab resistance (levels 1,2,3) it’s approved for.
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What is Level III+?
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NIJ has level III body armor and does not certify level III+ armor plates. Plates with a level 3+ have been independently tested to exceed the threat level rating of level 3 body armor.
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Comparison of Steel, Ceramic, and PE bulletproof products
