Ballistic shield: Difference between revisions
Expand |
Image changes. |
||
| (40 intermediate revisions by 23 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Police and military anti-projectile shields}} |
|||
{{For|information on hypervelocity ballistic shielding|Hypervelocity ballistic shield}} |
|||
[[File:Sudden Crisis 2013 130806-M-KA277-032.jpg|thumb|[[United States Marine Corps Military Police]] [[SWAT|Special Reaction Team]] officers carrying ballistic shields during a [[training exercise]]]] |
|||
{{More footnotes|date=December 2010}} |
|||
A '''ballistic shield''', also called a '''tactical shield''' or '''bulletproof shield''', is a protection device deployed by [[police]], [[paramilitary|paramilitaries]], and [[military|armed forces]] that are designed to stop or deflect bullets and other projectiles fired at their carrier. Ballistic shields also protect from less serious threats such as thrown items. Ballistic shields are similar to [[Riot shield|riot shields]], but offer greater protection and are typically used by special units or in situations where riot shields would not offer adequate protection.<ref name=light/> |
|||
[[File:USMC-110302-M-0913T-088.jpg|thumb|A ballistic shield with a clear armored viewing port and spotlights]] |
|||
'''Ballistic shields''' are shields designed to stop or deflect bullets fired at their carrier. |
|||
==Overview== |
|||
Although modern ballistic shields are specifically designed to protect against handgun, long gun, and shotgun projectile threats, many will additionally protect against most types of stabbing or cutting-type weaponry, and hand-thrown or mechanically launched projectiles such as rocks and [[arrows]]. Reputable ballistic shield manufacturers design and produce ballistic shields to be in compliance with specific government ballistic protection levels, including those promulgated by the United States National Institute of Justice (NIJ) ballistic materials test protocol NIJ-Std-0108.01,<ref>[https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/099859.pdf Stewart, James K., Director, US Department of Justice, Technology Assessment Programs, September 1985]</ref> which destructively tests free-standing armor configurations with projectile threats appropriate to design capabilities. |
|||
[[File:Spanish Civil Guard teaches urban tactics to Mauritanian Group d’Action Rapide at Flintlock 20 (50110968351).jpg|thumb|An [[Armed Forces of Mauritania]] soldier with a ballistic shield being covered by a [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Spanish Guardia Civil]]]] |
|||
Shields small enough to be carried by a single person may be termed "personal shields", and may be carried in police cars in the United States as standard equipment. Whether or not a shield is used will depend on both policy and the individual situation. It may be the policy of a police force to use shields only in defensive situations, such as establishing a perimeter and waiting for reinforcements, while others may permit their usage in offensive situations, such as high risk [[Traffic stop|traffic stops]] or approaching a suspect deemed to be dangerous.<ref name=one/> |
|||
Recommended features of ballistic shields for police include a carrying system that allows it to be held long-term without fatigue, and the ability to both reload a handgun while holding the shield and also fire it accurately with one hand. The carriage of a ballistic shield in one hand will limit both the types of firearms that can be used with the other hand as well as certain methods of shooting.<ref name=one>{{cite web |url=https://www.policeone.com/police-products/personal-shields/articles/2016145-How-to-buy-personal-shields/ |title=How to buy personal shields |last=Armellino |first=Rick |date=March 9, 2010 |work=PoliceOne |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140619082630/http://www.policeone.com/police-products/personal-shields/articles/2016145-How-to-buy-personal-shields/ |archivedate=2014-06-19 |url-status=live |access-date=2018-05-06 }}</ref> |
|||
Mission compatibility is an important consideration when determining which shield design is most appropriate to provide protection against the anticipated threat(s). Also of importance is whether the shield will be used for defensive and observational purposes, such as tactical clearing operations by a [[SWAT]] team, or patrol operations requiring an armed response to neutralize an active shooter. In the article titled "How to Buy Personal Shields",<ref>Armellino, Rick. (08 March 2010). "How to Buy Personal Shields". [http://www.policeone.com/police-products/personal-shields/articles/2016145-How-to-buy-personal-shields/ PoliceOne.]</ref> the author questions shield use purpose, "Will policy authorize shield use during offensive duties and/or multiple dangerous patrol duties such as vehicle stops, building searches, and approaching possibly armed individuals? Or will policy dictate purely defensive shield usage such as perimeter establishment, observation, and slow clearing operations?" |
|||
==Composition== |
|||
Ballistic shields |
Ballistic shields are similar to [[body armor]] plates in their construction, and are typically made out of [[fibre-reinforced plastic]] composites derived from [[ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene]] or [[aramid]]. <ref>{{cite book |last1=Ganor |first1=Jake |title=Body Armor and Light Ballistic Armor Materials and Systems |date=2021 |publisher=Adept Press |isbn=979-8985020212 |edition=1}}</ref> They may, like [[ceramic armor]], incorporate a ceramic layer on their outer surface to enable them to defeat steel-core [[armor-piercing bullet]]s. They may have features such as [[bulletproof glass]] windows, ambidextrous handles, and spotlights for use at night, and may be either hand-held or mounted on wheeled frames. They vary in size, with some being designed to protect only the upper torso and others designed to protect the whole body.<ref name=light>{{cite book |last=Bhatnagar |first=Ashok |date=2016 |title=Lightweight Ballistic Composites: Military and Law-Enforcement Applications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZPBCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA214 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |page=214 |isbn=978-0081004258 }}</ref> Unlike a [[Bulletproof vest|ballistic vest]], projectiles successfully stopped by a ballistic shield will not transfer trauma or pain to the bearer, as they are designed to not be in direct contact with the body.<ref name=one/> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
*[[ |
*[[SWAT-Bot]] |
||
*[[Mobile personnel shield]] |
*[[Mobile personnel shield]] |
||
| Line 21: | Line 23: | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballistic Shield}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballistic Shield}} |
||
[[Category:Law enforcement equipment]] |
[[Category:Law enforcement equipment]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Paramilitary equipment]] |
||
[[Category:Shields]] |
[[Category:Shields]] |
||
Latest revision as of 01:05, 3 March 2023
A ballistic shield, also called a tactical shield or bulletproof shield, is a protection device deployed by police, paramilitaries, and armed forces that are designed to stop or deflect bullets and other projectiles fired at their carrier. Ballistic shields also protect from less serious threats such as thrown items. Ballistic shields are similar to riot shields, but offer greater protection and are typically used by special units or in situations where riot shields would not offer adequate protection.[1]
Overview[edit]
Shields small enough to be carried by a single person may be termed "personal shields", and may be carried in police cars in the United States as standard equipment. Whether or not a shield is used will depend on both policy and the individual situation. It may be the policy of a police force to use shields only in defensive situations, such as establishing a perimeter and waiting for reinforcements, while others may permit their usage in offensive situations, such as high risk traffic stops or approaching a suspect deemed to be dangerous.[2]
Recommended features of ballistic shields for police include a carrying system that allows it to be held long-term without fatigue, and the ability to both reload a handgun while holding the shield and also fire it accurately with one hand. The carriage of a ballistic shield in one hand will limit both the types of firearms that can be used with the other hand as well as certain methods of shooting.[2]
Composition[edit]
Ballistic shields are similar to body armor plates in their construction, and are typically made out of fibre-reinforced plastic composites derived from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene or aramid. [3] They may, like ceramic armor, incorporate a ceramic layer on their outer surface to enable them to defeat steel-core armor-piercing bullets. They may have features such as bulletproof glass windows, ambidextrous handles, and spotlights for use at night, and may be either hand-held or mounted on wheeled frames. They vary in size, with some being designed to protect only the upper torso and others designed to protect the whole body.[1] Unlike a ballistic vest, projectiles successfully stopped by a ballistic shield will not transfer trauma or pain to the bearer, as they are designed to not be in direct contact with the body.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Bhatnagar, Ashok (2016). Lightweight Ballistic Composites: Military and Law-Enforcement Applications. Woodhead Publishing. p. 214. ISBN 978-0081004258.
- ^ a b c Armellino, Rick (March 9, 2010). "How to buy personal shields". PoliceOne. Archived from the original on 2014-06-19. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ^ Ganor, Jake (2021). Body Armor and Light Ballistic Armor Materials and Systems (1 ed.). Adept Press. ISBN 979-8985020212.
