50 years ago, bulletproof armor was getting light enough to wear
Excerpt from the June 21, 1969 issue of Science News
Bulletproof armor has become much lighter and offers better protection than it did 50 years ago.
khorkins/Shutterstock
Lighter bulletproof vest —
A new, lighter bulletproof armor … composed of boron carbide fibers … [is] capable of stopping a .30-caliber bullet…. The armor weighs about six pounds per square foot, compared to previous boron carbide armor of seven pounds per square foot…. Until now boron carbide armor has been used mainly to protect vital helicopter parts, but the lighter weight means it could be worn by ground troops. —