New Design to Reduce Weight of Handheld Shields.

• Position: News Briefs

Honeywell has partnered with a designer of body armor and tactical protective gear to develop a new design for its Spectra Shield ballistic protective material which can reduce the weight of handheld shields by up to 20 percent.

Jacksonville, Florida-based Safariland is using the Spectra Shield material to more thoroughly integrate the lens cap made from ballistic glass onto the shield's frame, according to the company. The lens cap is typically installed and then bolted in, but the new streamlined design can help eliminate points of weakness coming from drill holes and seam lines.

The company debuted the new Protech Tactical X series of lightweight shields at the annual SHOT Show in January, according to a press release.

"When we challenged ourselves to develop a lighter ballistic shield... we knew we had to use Honeywell Spectra Shield because it was the most optimal material to help us meet our goals," said Todd Mackler, Safariland vice president for armor. Traditional ballistic handheld shields can weigh more than 20 pounds.

Honeywell has provided ultralight ballistic composite materials for body armor and other forms of tactical protection since the late 1980s, and is continuously collaborating with...