TenCate Cratus hard body armor: Protection, endurance and mobility during operations

The TenCate Cratus hard body armor plates are a collection of plates developed and manufactured to exceed current and future requirements for ballistic protection in accordance with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) guidelines.

The portfolio includes several specially developed solutions relevant for the US government and armed forces such as the Neutrally Buoyant Ballistic Plate (NBBP), the Maritime Buoyant Plate (MBP), and the Soldier Protection System Vital Torso Protection Generation (GEN II) Enhanced Small Arms Protection Inserts (ESAPI) program. 

TenCate Cratus™ plates can be tailored to fit customers’ particular requirements regarding protection, shape, weight, color and cost. TenCate Cratus™ features a full range of hard body armor plates designed for personal protection against both lead core and armor-piercing ammunition, in accordance with international standards.

TenCate Cratus™ includes both ceramic and fiber hard body armor plates, featuring lightweight composite upgrades that cover a broad spectrum of operational requirements.

The plates are designed and developed to increase the degree of protection available from ballistic vests and plate carriers. TenCate Cratus™ is made with the latest state-of-the-art materials in different combined technologies, including high-molecular polyethylene, aramid fibers and ceramics, as well as combinations of these. 

TenCate Advanced Armor plates meet the strict NIJ requirements, in addition to meeting or exceeding current and future requirements in terms of protection level, weight, thickness, multi-hit capability, and buoyancy. 

The advances in plate performance is the result of TenCate Advanced Armor's extensive experience in material application, anti-ballistics, and qualification of new raw materials. The result is that end users receive lighter, more comfortable, hard body armor plates enabling the users to operate more freely, with less limitations on movement from the plates. This means increased survivability for the user without any degradations to the anti-ballistic functionality of the protective equipment.

The hard body armor plates feature a high multi-hit capability, ensuring the user an outstanding degree of safety if hit by multiple projectiles or fragments. This multi-hit protection complies with – or exceeds – NIJ level III and level IV standards, making this personal protection solution significantly better than any others currently available. These levels of protection also provide the armor plates with resistance to shocks and impact, which means that the user does not need to worry about damaging the inserts during operations.

Combining high protection and low weight, TenCate Cratus™ provides great endurance and mobility during operations. These products cover the full range of ballistic protection, making sure customers can get their exact needs met, including special requirements in terms of finish and shape.