A division of leading Indian company SM Group, SM Carapace supplies a complete range of body armour, armour plates and panels, and IED protection apparel to the defence and security sectors. By combining indepth research and development processes with state-of-the-art technology and production methods, SM Carapace supplies high-quality armour to armed forces and security services worldwide, and is currently an official supplier of body armour and armour plating for the Indian army.
SM Group, established in 1985, has extensive manufacturing facilities spread over 25 acres and has presence in diverse areas including:
- Personal, vehicle and aircraft armour
- Tank and artillery munitions
- Battlefield management system / C4I solutions (area partner: Systematic Software Engineering, UK)
- Software development
- Others include bio-degradable packaging, housing and infrastructure etc.
An ISO 9001:2000 certified Group having extensive in-house R&D facilities, it has been honoured with the National Award for “Indigenization of Defence Products” by the MoD, Govt. of India.
Some key aspects related to our armour division include:
- Capacities for manufacturing all kinds of soft armour and polyethylene inserts
- Licensed manufacturer by MoD, Govt. of India (upto 2,00,000 nos./year of body armour or equivalent for vehicles/aircrafts)
- Tested at HP White Labs, USA and TBRL, MoD, India etc.
- In process of setting up India’s first boron carbide manufacturing facility
Body armour and inserts
SM Carapace designs and manufactures state-of-the-art protection solutions for military and law enforcement personnel. Made using best-in-class ballistic materials such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Spectra from Honeywell, etc.), aramids (Kevlar, Goldflex etc.) and ceramics (alumina, boron carbide etc.), our range of bullet proof vests provides maximum safety along with minimum weight against most kinds of small arms fire, shrapnel and IED blasts.
Protection levels include:
- NIJ IIA up to NIJ IIIA as standard
- NIJ III/ III+ with polyethylene (CaraPRO) hard armour inserts
- NIJ III+/IV with ceramic composites (CaraSTOP)
SM Carapaces’ highly functional vests are designed for mobility and comfort, and are capable of providing all-round protection for the front, back, sides, neck, shoulder and groin.
Our range of body armour includes tactical police and military vests, lightweight commando vests, discreet VIP vests, and high-protection assault vests. SM Carapace armour offers waterproof and flame retardant options, and is available in most camouflage patterns.
Lightweight body-armour inserts
SM Carapace offers a wide range of hard-armour inserts for protection of frontline personnel. For weight-critical applications, we supply some of the world’s lightest armour panels which maximise mobility and comfort whilst providing enhanced protection of levels up to NIJ IV.
Polyethylene hard-armour inserts
Made using the high performance polyethylene Spectra Shield, SM Carapace armour offers protection up to NIJ Level III. Incorporating the latest technology and materials, PE plates offer protection from conventional small arms such as the AK47, as well as high velocity weapons such as the Dragunov rifle.
Composite hard-armour panels
Designed for providing protection against high velocity fire such as 7.62 AP rounds, SM Carapace’s composite hard-armour inserts are made using advanced technical ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide and boron carbide. Used in-conjunction with soft armour panels or in stand-alone mode, these offer enhanced protection levels up to NIJ III+/ NIJ IV.
Ballistic helmets
SM Carapace’s range of light weight, high performance and ergonomically designed ballistic helmets provide adequate protection against fragmentation and low-velocity bullets up to NIJ Level-IIIA. Compatible with the US Army’s PASGT specifications, these helmets offer wearing comfort even when used for extended periods of time and in adverse weather conditions.
Bomb Blankets
SM Carapace manufactures high performance bomb blanket kits comprising of a bomb suppression blanket and blast containment ring. The bomb blanket kits offer a functional and cost-effective solution for containing fragments and shrapnel from bombs, grenades and IEDs, and are thus particularly useful for de-mining and EOD operations.
Made using multi-layer ballistic materials, SM bomb blankets can be folded and packed in a shoulder bag. They can also provide limited protection against small arms fire, such as handgun rounds.
Vehicle armour
SM Carapace also offers unique, high performance and low weight vehicle armouring solutions as an alternative to conventional heavy materials. The materials used ensure excellent protection to weight ratio, thereby protecting vehicle occupants without compromising manoeuvrability.
Our composite solutions provide protection against multiple hits from most of the lethal threats such as 7.62mm AP rounds.
Helicopter / aircraft armour
SM Carapace offers unique protection solutions for fixed-wing fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, and combat search and rescue (SAR) helicopters made using alumina/SiC composites.
Add-on weight being critical, we also offer the world’s lightest available protection solutions made using boron carbide ceramics. Our integrated solutions offer exceptional ballistic protection against a range of threats including 7.62mm AP and 12.7mm AP rounds.
SM provides panelling to protect the most vital areas of an aircraft including the cockpit and cabin floor, the pilot and air crew seats and side walls and doors.