Lockheed Martin signs agreement with Ceradyne, for Tekshield advanced lightweight ceramic armor
Lockheed Martin has signed a nonexclusive licensing agreement with Ceradyne, Inc., for the development, manufacture and application of the Lockheed Martin-developed TekShield lightweight, opaque ceramic armor.
TekShield can protect Soldiers against coupled threat effects common in today's urban tactical environments, such as a bomb blasts followed by a swarm of projectiles or armor-piercing sniper fire. The system's unique ceramic design represents a new generation of protection that is affordable, lightweight and superior to legacy ceramic armor.
"TekShield has been tested against a variety of ballistic threats, from hand grenades to bomb blasts, and this level of vehicle protection has never been delivered in such a lightweight design," said Reggie Grant, director for Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Combining Lockheed Martin's systems integration experience with Ceradyne's knowledge of ceramics will more quickly deliver lightweight, affordable ceramic vehicle armor to the Warfighters who need it most."
"Lockheed Martin's initial development of TekShield has opened a new path for applying ceramic armor to tactical vehicles," said Marc King, president of Ceradyne Armor Systems. "TekShield combined with Ceradyne's expertise in lightweight ceramic armor applications and designs will create a new class of lightweight armor to better support the expeditionary requirements of our tactical vehicle fleet."
TekShield armor technology can easily scale to meet specific threats, from small caliber rifles and mid-range cannons to IEDs and other explosive devices. Unlike other armor products, TekShield can be developed for opaque, transparent and semi-reactive applications, depending on customer needs.
Source: Lockheed Martin
More from Land Warfare
-
Rheinmetall wins communications deal that could be worth up to €400 million
The systems have been purchased under a special fund which has already been tapped into for the purchase of 60 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters worth up to €8 billion (US$8.7 billion) and thousands of Rheinmetall Caracal airmobile special operations vehicles worth €1.9 billion.
-
The Philippines looks to Israel for military equipment amid South China Sea tensions
The southeast Asian country has been enhancing its military readiness by procuring advanced Israeli defence platforms and systems.
-
NSPA signs new helmet system framework deal and agreement for C-UAS systems
The Caiman helmet has been designed to be scalable for dynamic operations with mission-specific accessories and can incorporate electronics, communications headsets and other critical equipment.
-
US Missile Defense Agency’s budget could be cut by $2.6 billion over the next three years
The reduction would impact several acquisition and development programmes, creating capabilities gaps in US missile defence architecture.
-
Israel ramps up Arrow-4 development following Iranian attack
Israel’s Ministry of Defense has fast-tracked the development of the Arrow-4 ballistic missile interceptor in response to recent Iranian ballistic missile attacks.