UK MoD Orders Innovative Anti-RPG Armor Kits

[Darth Vader]

AmSafe Bridport Limited has won a contract for the UK MoD’s requirement for Improved Rocket Propelled Grenade protection for its military vehicles. AmSafe’s Tarian® Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Armour System has been selected for the requirement. The Contract Award follows an international competition for the MoD’s requirement where Tarian was one of three solutions down-selected for a programme of rigorous testing and trials, including live firing and vehicle field trials.
The contract includes the supply of several hundred Tarian RPG Armour System kits for a number of vehicle types that are currently in service in Afghanistan. The contract is valued at £10.6m ($17m) and will be completed by the end of 2013.
Tarian is a revolutionary, lightweight and flexible RPG Armour System which protects military vehicles against rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacks. Compared with traditional bar armour RPG protection, Tarian provides improved protection performance and, being significantly lighter, enables vehicles to operate more efficiently.
Tarian has been deployed and proven on vehicles in Afghanistan since May 2009, and as QuickShield bar armour repair kits, fitted to vehicles to replace damaged bar armour, since April 2011.
Tarian technology has been developed in response to a requirement from the military for a lightweight, higher performance and more robust alternative to traditional, heavy, metal bar armour RPG protection systems. The core element of the Tarian RPG defeat mechanism is an extremely strong textile net manufactured from high-tenacity fibres. Tarian nets are attached to vehicles using innovative flexible mounts that enable the system to withstand harsh vehicle operating conditions without sustaining damage.
Neal McKeever, Sales & Marketing Director at AmSafe Bridport Ltd, said:
“AmSafe Bridport is delighted to have won this significant contract for the UK MoD. This contract win demonstrates that Tarian is the RPG protection technology of choice to meet armed forces requirements for effective RPG protection that is light weight, operationally effective and affordable.”
Background Information
Tarian has been developed as a lightweight modular system designed to replace the traditional bar or slat armour at a weight savings of up to 98 per cent. Those vehicles that cannot accommodate the added weight of traditional RPG armour, such as the Foxhound, can now be outfitted and protected with Tarian.
The Tarian technology was originally introduced into active military service in May 2009 and has been rigorously tested – in the UK by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory – an MOD agency – and in the US by its Department of Defense counterpart – DARPA – to include over 800 live firing shots. This testing has verified both a high level of performance and a multi-hit capability inherent in the Tarian technology.