Pittsburgh-based MSA, a manufacturer of safety equipment, has announced its new TRP3A Templar™
Ballistic Package body armor is among the first to meet the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s)
new performance standards that were established in July 2008. TRP3A Templar protects law
enforcement personnel against modern-day ballistic threats including .357 SIG and 44 Magnum rounds.
NIJ’s new standard features heightened testing requirements for all levels of ballistic
protection. To meet the standard, ballistic protection products must tolerate extended wear as well
as more rounds of gunshots, withstand higher-velocity projectiles; and meet more stringent
limitations for blunt-force indentation than were mandated in the previous standard. Body armor
packages are divided into five classes according to the levels of ballistic protection: Levels IIA,
II and IIIA ballistic packages are soft, concealable body armor, with IIIA offering the highest
protection level; and Levels III and IV packages are hard, tactical body armor often used in SWAT
operations.
MSA’s TRP3A Templar body armor is classified as a level IIIA protection package. It features
the company’s patent-pending design and Paraclete® ComforTech Reinforcements, which reduce armor
weight and offer more flexibility compared to other ballistic vests.
MSA plans to soon have a full NIJ-compliant product line featuring a variety of ballistic
protection materials including DuPont™ Kevlar®, Teijin Twaron®, Honeywell Gold Flex® and DSM
Dyneema®.
June 23, 2009