MARK HANNANT
It's chest the job! Female police offers in the UK will be donning made-to-measure protective vests in just over two months' time. The world's first protective vest specifically designed for women was unveiled at the show.
Developed by Meggitt Aerospace and bra manufacturer Triumph, the vest gives protection against bullet and knife attack.
Current
Female members of the security services currently have to make do with vests designed for their male colleagues. They find them uncomfortable and restrictive and tend quickly to stop wearing them.
To make the new vests, individual measurements will be taken and translated into pre-formed cup sections at Triumph's German plant. Shipped to Meggit Aerospace's Dudley, UK, factory they will then be matched to the rest of the garment.
Made from fabric made of Twaron fibre, the vests are designed to dissipate body heat to keep them comfortable in hot conditions.
Delivery
Meggitt has already produced 100 test vests. Deliveries to the launch customers, the UK's Herefordshire and Cambridge constabularies, will begin at the end of August.
Meggitt has been producing protective vests for police forces throughout the UK, Germany and New Zealand and for the UK MoD since 1970.
"Now that front-line servicewomen can expect the same degree of protection as their male colleagues, we anticipate immense interest from existing customers as well as from those who have yet to benefit from the technology," says Meggitt Armour Systems marketing manager Ian Dunbavand.
Source: Flight Daily News
