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Bullet-proof vest from locally sourced materials
27 Apr '10
2 min read
A local researcher of Thailand has created a soft bulletproof vest made totally from materials sourced in Thailand. It is believed as a measure for reducing costs of military equipments, as alike many other developing countries Thailand's military also spends millions on imported military equipments.
Violence caused by the southern insurgency since years, along with the political tensions in country raised concern about the safety of Thai solders. In spite of the unrestrained and prolonged violence, armed forces of Thailand are not facilitated with complete protection.
For instance, only 20 percent of the troops providing protection to the people in Bangkok during the past Red Shirt protests were protected with standardized bulletproof vests.
Prof Somprasong Parsapratet, with a view to change this, developed the first soft bullet-proof vest made totally from the materials found in Thailand. He took efforts for more than seven years to create this vest, for which he received financial assistance from Thai Textile Association.
Though this vest is not as strong as the standardized international brands and weighs around five kilograms, it is unique in terms of design. Also, the fibre used in the vest is not as strong as the international brands but a suitable structure of fabric can be used to improve its quality, stated Mr. Somprasong.
The strength level of the vest is 3A, which is the highest level for soft bullet-proof vests that can protect a solider from any handheld pistol. In order to ensure the safety of the solders wearing these vests, Mr. Somprasong personally undertakes various tests for each vest he supplies to the military.
Violence caused by the southern insurgency since years, along with the political tensions in country raised concern about the safety of Thai solders. In spite of the unrestrained and prolonged violence, armed forces of Thailand are not facilitated with complete protection.
For instance, only 20 percent of the troops providing protection to the people in Bangkok during the past Red Shirt protests were protected with standardized bulletproof vests.
Prof Somprasong Parsapratet, with a view to change this, developed the first soft bullet-proof vest made totally from the materials found in Thailand. He took efforts for more than seven years to create this vest, for which he received financial assistance from Thai Textile Association.
Though this vest is not as strong as the standardized international brands and weighs around five kilograms, it is unique in terms of design. Also, the fibre used in the vest is not as strong as the international brands but a suitable structure of fabric can be used to improve its quality, stated Mr. Somprasong.
The strength level of the vest is 3A, which is the highest level for soft bullet-proof vests that can protect a solider from any handheld pistol. In order to ensure the safety of the solders wearing these vests, Mr. Somprasong personally undertakes various tests for each vest he supplies to the military.
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