Honeywell ballistic material for Foxhounds

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MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Second-generation Spectra Shield ballistic material from Honeywell of the United States will be used on Britain's Foxhound vehicles.

The vehicles, manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection Europe, are used by British troops in Afghanistan.

"Honeywell's state-of-the-art materials play an integral role in the survivability of the Foxhound vehicles," said Col. Nick Wills, assistant director equipment operations for Britain's army headquarters. "Spectra Shield's very low weight allows the Foxhound to be a very agile and survivable platform."

Honeywell said its Spectra Shield materials are more than 50 percent lighter than traditional vehicle armor materials, translating into lower vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, and underwent a year of blast and mobility testing before being chosen for use by the Ministry of Defense.

Honeywell's patented Spectra Shield products are manufactured by bonding parallel strands of fiber in place with an advanced resin system. The fiber is made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene using a patented gel-spinning process and has as much as 60 percent greater specific strength than aramid fiber, Honeywell said.