Opaque Armor
Pak Armoring only utilize certified ballistic steel for every armored vehicle manufactured. The pre-certified ballistic grade steel is tested by an accredited ballistic laboratory, independent of the manufacturer, to the protection levels as required by Pak Armoring using the standards set out in the Ballistics Standards section.
All opaque armor components are pre-fabricated utilizing laser and plasma cutting technology and stored pending the assembly process. This facilitates fast production times as all components are “off the shelf”. The opaque armoring system was designed to use the smallest number of panels possible. This system reduces the number of welds and joints and provides “plat panels”, wherever possible. This adds to the rigidity and overhaul strength of the packages. Following this philosophy, the rear tailgate/doors are left as standard. Immediately behind these doors fits a ballistic steel door with a ballistic glass window, surrounded with steel overlaps. This system adds considerable to the rigidity of the ballistic cage and provides yet further protection against bullet penetration and blast IED attack.
Special ballistic steel is use exclusively, including the floor area and foot-welts, in the Vehicle which adds further to the protection levels provided against blast and IED attacks. This exceeds B6 levels of protection in floor and roof areas by provided 90° angle attack (B6 is 45°) Considerable care in the original design was made to ensure complete ballistic protection (no holes) for the front bulkhead area, where mechanical and electric components access the passenger area from the engine bay.
Substantial overlaps in ballistic steel around all door and window apertures provide extensive and improved protection from weapons attack targeted at these areas, catching bullets that might otherwise penetrate the passenger compartment. These overlaps extend to the bottoms of the doors, which are particularly vulnerable areas.
The opaque armor system is fixed with a continuous welding system with overlaps to all welded areas for added protection inside the monocoque. The system is bonded to the chassis to maintain the structure in a fixed and rigid position inside the passenger compartment. The panels are coated with an anti-corrosive material and wherever the system touches the original body, rubberized anti-corrosive sealants are used to isolate any contamination and dampen the contact between to two structures.