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Russian leaders’ limousines may be reinforced with nanostructured ceramic armor

Russia has held trials in 2015 to test new ceramic armor created by NEVZ-Ceramics for the Kurganets, Bumerang and Armata combat platforms

NOVOSIBIRSK, July 21. /TASS/. Nanostructured ceramic armor made by a Novosibirsk enterprise in East Siberia may be used to produce limousines for Russia’s top officials, according to reports revealed on Tuesday during Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to the region.

The premier visited the factory NEVZ-Ceramics operated by Russia’s hi-tech state corporation Rusnano where he was showed nano-ceramics used as the armor for elite special force units.

"Ceramics can also be used for protecting state officials’ cars," NEVZ-Ceramics CEO Oleg Medvedko told the premier.

The premier suggested the enterprise should use the innovations in the Cortege project envisaging the production of domestic limousines for top officials.

"You should participate in this," Medvedev said.

The premier turned to Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Sergey Tsyba and said: "Consider this for the Cortege project."

The Cortege project envisages the manufacture of domestic limousines for the country’s top officials. It stipulates developing a range of cars on a modular platform, including a minivan, a sedan and an off-road vehicle while a domestic limousine will be the main model under the project.

The Ulyanovsk auto plant (UAZ) will manufacture off-road vehicles. The project is expected to reach the stage of serial production by 2018.

Russia has held trials in 2015 to test new ceramic armor created by NEVZ-Ceramics for the Kurganets, Bumerang and Armata combat platforms. The combat hardware demonstrated at the Moscow Parade on May 9, 2015 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two was already reinforced with the factory’s new ceramic armor.

Nanostructured ceramics are also used to protect the Army’s personnel and transport vehicles. The Russian premier was demonstrated armor plates featuring less weight and increased protection.

"A bullet disintegrates when it hits the armor while the armor remains almost without any deformation," NEVZ-Ceramics Head Medvedko said.

NEVZ-Ceramics is a Russian company established in 2011 by Rusnano and NEVZ-Soyuz. The company manufactures products made of nanostructured ceramics and used in various sectors of industry such as machine-building, radio-electronics, the defense, chemical and petrochemical industry, and also in nuclear power engineering and healthcare.