NIJ 0123.00 - Новий балістичний стандарт США.
The U.S. National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has published a new standard — NIJ 0123.00, which defines ballistic protection levels and test threats faced by U.S. law enforcement agencies. This document represents an important step in the standardization of ballistic protection used by law enforcement, including bulletproof vests, helmets, and other equipment designed to protect against modern threats.
A Unified System for Various Protective Equipment
Previously, NIJ standards related to ballistic resistance for bulletproof vests, helmets, and other protective equipment were developed separately, and the threats they addressed varied across different versions of the documents. This led to confusion among law enforcement officers who wore body armor, as well as among equipment manufacturers, since protection criteria evolved over time and threats changed.
The new NIJ 0123.00 standard unifies ballistic protection levels and test threats for the entire range of equipment used by U.S. law enforcement for the first time. This will improve the integration of standards, allow NIJ to respond more quickly to emerging threats, and reduce the administrative burden of updating individual performance standards.
Modularity of the Standard and Its Benefits
One of the key advantages of the new standard is its modularity. By separating ballistic protection levels and test threats from specific equipment performance requirements, NIJ can adapt the standard to new threats without needing to update all standards for each type of equipment individually. For example, the standard for body armor, NIJ 0101.07, is the first to reference NIJ 0123.00, and in the future, similar references will be included in standards for helmets and shields.
Updating Threats for Modern Realities
NIJ 0123.00 takes into account new threats faced by U.S. law enforcement. For instance, new types of ammunition, including 5.56 mm M193, 5.56 mm M855, and 7.62x39 mm with a mild steel core, have been added to the list of previous threats, such as 7.62x51 mm M80. Since this type of round can vary significantly, NIJ is working on developing surrogate test rounds to ensure consistency in testing. However, until this process is complete, factory rounds will be used for tests under the current standard.
Transparent Audit and Ammunition Control
The new standard includes audit procedures for ammunition used in testing. This involves assessing physical characteristics of the rounds, such as bullet mass, core mass, and core hardness. Appendix A of the standard describes the NIJ ammunition audit process, which helps determine the suitability of ammunition for testing. This approach ensures that the selected rounds for tests are the most appropriate for evaluating protective equipment.
Conclusion
NIJ 0123.00 is the first step toward creating a universal system for testing ballistic protection for U.S. law enforcement. The unification of protection levels and test threats will increase the efficiency of standardization and make the development and testing processes easier for manufacturers. Thanks to the modularity of the standard, NIJ can quickly adapt to new threats, providing maximum protection for U.S. law enforcement personnel.
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