MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. The Obereg armor vest produced by the Tula-based Oktava enterprise (part of RT-Capital Holding Company within the state tech corporation Rostec) outshined Chinese and US rivals by its strength during tests, Rostec said on its Telegram channel on Monday.
A bullet fired from a distance of 15 meters failed to pierce the Obereg armor vest designed to withstand 7.62x54mm B-32 armor-piercing rounds, the testing results showed.
Meanwhile, a Chinese-made armor vest failed to withstand a shot and was pierced through. A US-made armor vest did not reach the tests after it was pierced by a 7.62x39mm round, Rostec said.
In April, Oktava announced the launch of the production of Obereg body armor. The Obereg’s breast armor offers the Br5 bullet resistant protection and consists of ceramic plates absorbing the bullet’s kinetic energy and also of high-molecular plastic. The vest’s lateral sections have the Br1 armor protection class and can be replaced by the Br3 class upon the customer’s desire.
The Obereg weighs 11.7 kg and its weight is evenly spread for the carrier’s moderate load. All of its sections, including lateral parts, are outfitted with splinter protection made of aramid material. The armor vest is furnished with additional protection for the shoulders, the neck and the groin.
New Obereg version to be almost 2 kg lighter
The Oktava enterprise is developing a new version of the Obereg armor vest that will be almost 2 kg lighter than the baseline body armor and offer the same level of protection, Oktava CEO Pavel Pavlenko said.
"The vest’s second version with a slightly modified configuration and other plates of the same Br5 protection class is currently at the final stage of its development. It will weigh about 10 kg or slightly less. This will surely be perceived positively by our fighters as every extra kilogram, especially in the second or third hour, has a strong impact on the spinal column and the entire body," the chief executive said.
The Obereg’s lighter version will offer the same level of protection, he stressed.