Welcron Signs 19.1 Billion KRW Bulletproof Plate Supply Contract with Defense Acquisition Program Administration

Smart Composite Achieves Record-Breaking Orders After Acquiring Defense Company

Welcron announced on the 3rd that it has signed a supply contract worth 19.1 billion KRW with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for bulletproof plates (Level IV). Photo by Welcron

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Welcron, a company specializing in industrial textiles, announced on the 3rd that it has signed a supply contract worth 19.1 billion KRW with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for bulletproof plates (Level IV).

This contract represents the largest order amount achieved by Welcron since acquiring the defense company Smart Composite in 2018. This is the third contract to supply military bulletproof plates to DAPA since 2018. Approximately 68,000 bulletproof plates will be delivered under this contract, with a delivery deadline of May 31 next year.

Bulletproof plates are products inserted into bulletproof vests and are a core technology that protects the body from bullets and fragments. They are manufactured using advanced bonding techniques combining ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and ceramic materials. The bulletproof plates supplied by Welcron meet the Level IV standard of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ Level IV bulletproof performance can protect against M2 armor-piercing rounds for 30 caliber rifles flying at a speed of 878 meters per second from a distance of 15 meters. The plates do not allow penetration upon impact, and the backface deformation caused by the impact is regulated to be below 44mm, meeting the required standards.

Since entering the defense market in 2011 with the development of new bulletproof vests, Welcron developed new stab-resistant vests in 2014 and supplied them to the Korea Coast Guard. In 2016, it supplied bulletproof and stab-resistant clothing for anti-terrorism operations and general police use to the National Police Agency, and in 2018, it signed a supply contract for personal protection bulletproof plates with DAPA.

A Welcron official stated, “The technology recognized through the successful delivery of military bulletproof plates last year became the foundation for this order,” adding, “We plan to expand our business areas not only to personal protection bulletproof plates but also to vehicle and ship applications both domestically and internationally.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.