In the early 1970s, DuPont’s Kevlar ballistic fabric was invented.
During the mid-1970s, Kevlar was incorporated into a National Institute of Justice evaluation program to provide lightweight body armors for law enforcement officers. Kevlar armor was found to ensure a 95% probability of survival after being hit with a .38 caliber bullet at a velocity of 800 ft/second. The probability of requiring surgery after being hit by a projectile was found to be 10% or less.
In 1975 Richard Armellino, the founder of American Body Armor, marketed an all-Kevlar vest called the K-15, consisting of 15 layers of Kevlar that also included a 5″× 8″ ballistic steel plat positioned over the heart.
In 1976, Richard Davis, founder of Second Chance Body Armor, designed the company’s first all-Kevlar vest, the Model Y. The lightweight, able vest industry was launched and a new form of daily protection for the modern police officer was quickly adapted. By the mid-to-late 1980s, an estimated 1/3 to 1/2 of police patrol officers wore able vests daily.
Once again, high-performance fibers proved that they are very effective when it comes to saving lives!
