Fiber made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber has been employed as a ballistic material in a amphibious armored personnel vehicle produced in Turkey. The fiber is used in the form of a tape made from Dyneema UHMWPE supplied by DSM Dyneema (Urmond, The Netherlands).

The lightweight, cost-effective Dyneema BT10 ballistic tape has been specified by FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Åž., a leading producer of armored vehicles based in Turkey. The company recently was awarded a major contract from an Asian government to manufacture 8x8 PARS amphibious armored personnel vehicles featuring spall liners made with BT10.

Spall liners protect vehicle occupants from high-velocity fragments that are created when, for example, explosive shells send shock waves through the vehicle's metal armor. In developing the armored vehicles, FNSS says it put special emphasis on mobility, protection, and payload. FNSS will use Dyneema BT10 tape for spall liners in 257 PARS (Turkish for Anatolian leopard) vehicles. The amphibious vehicle will be supplied in 12 variants during 2013-2018.

Spall liners made with BT10 can reportedly make a tremendous difference in life-threatening situations. Dyneema ballistic tape provides an innovative materials solution to the conflicting demands of mobility and personnel protection at an affordable cost. Weight reduction helps vehicles to remain agile and keep operational and maintenance costs low. The tape as a spall liner delivers a combination of high-end properties, including proven ballistic performance against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosively formed penetrators (EFPs). Thanks to the PE material properties, The Dyneema ballistic tape technology is also safe and easy to handle and process, such as cutting, drilling and mounting.

"DSM Dyneema sees tremendous growth potential for BT10 in the defense market because of its ability to meet multiple customer needs while providing exceptional ballistic performance for life protection," says Christian Widdershoven, global vice president at DSM Dyneema. "It allows designers and manufacturers to balance the requirements for better ballistic performance with agility under increased vehicle payloads, all at a competitive cost level. We are extremely pleased that FNSS was able to leverage the benefits of Dyneema BT10 tape to win this important contract."

FNSS has an extensive product line consisting of a universal family of tracked and wheeled armored combat vehicles and combat utility vehicles. It already supplies the armed forces of Turkey and allied nations.

Dyneema tape materials are woven and laminated sheets made from UHMWPE tape. Part of a growing range of lightweight and ultra-high armor protection material solutions from DSM Dyneema, BT10 has been tested and certified according to international standards.