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About Us On July 23, 2008, the National Institue of Justice (NIJ) released details of the upcoming Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor Standard 0101.06 to the law enforcement community.  A complete copy of the new standard is provided below as well as downloadable synopsis of the expected changes by Dr. Michael Riley of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  GH Armor Systems is committed to offering products with the highest level of protection and performance that will conform to the new standard.  More information will be provided as it is made available by the NIJ.  For now, it is important to know:

  • GH products certified to the current NIJ 05 Interim Standard are and will continue to be availabe until a new Certified Product List (CPL) is published by the NIJ.  Agencies will not be able to order NIJ 06 certified products until the latter portion of this calender year, at minimum.

  • New NIJ 06 compliant and certified products will be availabe from GH by the end of this year assuming no delay in the NIJ lab certification process.

  • GH will provide a full line of NIJ 06 certified product to meet the needs of law enforcement.


Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor: NIJ Standard-0101.06 - PDF File

Revisions to the NIJ Ballistic Resistant Body Armor Test Standard (M. Riley, NIST) - PDF File


The following Q&A is meant to answer the most commone questions regarding the new NIJ 06 Standard.  More information will be added as available.  Please contact GH Armor Systems at (866) 920-5940 with additional questions or concerns.

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Answer:		 Will your current NIJ Interim 05 compliant armor meet the new standard?
With the exception of our GH Titan series, it is unlikely that any of our current NIJ Interim 05 compliant armor will meet the new standard. As a matter of fact, it is likely that very few of the currently certified armor packages in the industry will meet the NIJ Standard 0101.06.


Do you have any models compliant under the NIJ 0101.06 Standard?
No. Currently there are no test laboratories certified to test to the new standard.


When will the test labs be ready to certify to the new standard?
Although there is no absolute answer, it is expected to occur between September 2008 and January 2009.


When will we be able to purchase armor that is compliant to the NIJ 0101.06 Standard?
Our understanding is that the NIJ is going to wait until there is a body of certifications available before publishing a Certified Products List (CPL).  Until the CPL is published and available on the NIJ's web site, you will not be able to purchase armor even if it has successfully passed the NIJ 06 Standard.


What are GH Armor's plans as it relates to certification to NIJ Standard 0101.06?
GH Armor Systems, along with our parent company Pacific Safety Products Inc., has allocated the resources necessary to certify a comprehensive product offering to the new standard. We are currently working on three series of armor in NIJ threat Level's IIA, II and IIIA in both Male and Female configurations.


How long can we continue to purchase interim 05 compliant armor and utilize our BVP funding?
At least until the NIJ 06 CPL is posted. When previous standards were introduced, both standards ran parallel for a period of time. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.


How different are the vests going to be under the NIJ 06 compared to the Interim 05?  
Due to the changes in the standard, what is currently a Level IIIA under NIJ Interim 05 will be similar to a Level II under NIJ 06. The Level II under Interim 05 will be similar to a Level IIA under NIJ 06. If you are currently purchasing a IIIA under Interim 05, then a IIIA under NIJ 06 will more likely be thicker, heavier and less flexible than what you are currently wearing.


Will Armor under NIJ 06 cost more than Interim 05?
Yes. We will be offering approximately three series of armor under NIJ 06. Each series will provide agencies a choice between comfort, price and performance. Agencies will have a choice based upon their individual budget requirements. A more stringent standard means that more ballistic material will be required to pass certification. Additionally, certification costs are increasing significantly. More ballistic material and higher certification costs will definitely result in a higher cost to agencies.


Currently, you do not offer a Level IIA vest. Why will you be offering a IIA under NIJ standard 0101.06?
The test velocities under NIJ Standard 0101.06 for a Level IIA will be similar to a Level II under the Interim 05 standard. We expect that there will be a number of agencies that select a Level IIA vest under the NIJ 06 Standard. Many agencies have expressed concern as to wear ability under the NIJ 06 standard. The IIA threat level provides another level of comfort.


Will the NIJ be retesting used armor under the NIJ Standard 0101.06?
According to the NIJ, they will not be formally testing used armor as a part of the NIJ Standard 0101.06. Instead, a certain number of new panels within each certification will be environmentally conditioned. They will be subjected to heat, humidity, moisture and a tumbler in an attempt to replicate use during the warranty period. After the panels are conditioned, they will be shot in accordance to the conditioned armor testing protocol and must pass before the vest will be certified for purchase.


We see that armor submitted for certification must meet size templates for both Male and Female Armor.
How does that translate to the end product? Will Male and Female vests be the same construction?
Under NIJ Standard 0101.06, manufactures are required to test to the smallest Male and Female template and the largest Male and Female template that meet the sizes they plan to offer to their customers.  The larger the panel, the better it performs. The smallest female template is approximately 12" X 12". That size vest will definitely be heavier per square foot than, for example, a Male Extra-Large.