India has taken a significant stride towards enhancing the safety of its defence personnel with the introduction of ‘Bhabha Kavach’, the country’s lightest and cheapest bullet proof jacket. This product was showcased at the International Police Expo 2019, organized by Nexgen Exhibitions at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Constructed with just 6.6 kg of material, the Bhabha Kavach is considerably lighter than traditional jackets that weigh approximately 17 kg.
Development and Production
The innovative Bhabha Kavach was developed domestically by Defence organizations including Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), with the transfer of carbon-nanomaterial technology from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). MIDHANI is a public sector undertaking that specialises in manufacturing metals and metal alloys. Situated in Hyderabad, Telangana, this facility has played a key role in the production of Bhabha Kavach. On the other hand, OFB operates under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence and is headquartered in Kolkata. This industrial organization has also contributed significantly to the creation of this unique bullet proof jacket.
Manufacturing Process
Bhabha Kavach is constructed from layers of high-density, high-tenacity polyethylene. These layers are fused together under extreme temperatures to form a thick, hard armour plate. This plate is then coated with BARC’s innovative carbon nanomaterial. The jacket utilises a variety of robust materials such as hard boron carbide ceramics, carbon nano-tubes, and a composite polymer composed of two or more types of polymers.
About Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
Designated as India’s foremost nuclear research facility, BARC is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a multi-disciplinary research centre well-equipped with advanced research and development infrastructure. BARC’s core mandate is to support the peaceful use of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation.
| Product Name | Weight | Manufacturers | Material Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhabha Kavach | 6.6 kg | MIDHANI, OFB with technology from BARC | High-density, high-tenacity polyethylene, Carbon nanomaterial, hard boron carbide ceramics, carbon nano-tubes, composite polymer |
Need for Advanced Security Solutions
In light of several terrorist attacks such as Uri and Pulwama, there is an urgent demand for developing an advanced, efficient, and cost-effective security system capable of combating the rapidly evolving threats of the 21st century. Central Armed Police Forces including Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibet Border Police, and Sashastra Seema Bal, which secure India’s border regions, face heightened security risks. Therefore, Bhabha Kavach has been designed to improve the defence forces’ protection against bullets fired from an AK-47 rifle (7.62mm hard steel core), Indian Small Arms System bullet (5.56mm INSAS), and self-loading rifle bullet (7.65mm SLR).
