The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Kennametal Manufacturing UK Ltd are jointly funding a $3.1 million Center of Excellence for Ceramic Armor facility in Newport, South Wales.
The center will be the largest in Europe and will help to sustain 50 local jobs. It will develop full size ceramic armor components for personnel and vehicle protection, large enough for full scale impact tests.
Specialized manufacturing facilities mean that ideas generated in the development center can be produced on site in Newport, the government said in a statement.
Dstl is already working with Tata Steel in Port Talbot to develop advanced steel armor and the Newport development will see South Wales become the U.K.’s center of advanced military armor technology.
Improved U.K.-based development and production will also help reduce the reliance on imports of ceramic armor and make it more readily available during the development of any future vehicles or body armor.
Speaking at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London, the Minister for Defense Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said: “This contract is a good example of the Ministry of Defense using its science and technology budget to develop innovation in the U.K. defense sector.
Peter Brown of Dstl said: “This joint investment is the culmination of four years’ work. The ability to make ceramic samples large enough for full scale impact tests and the very significant reduction in time taken to produce a sample mean that we can investigate a much wider range of innovative formulations faster and more cheaply than before.”