THE NEW NIJ 0101.07 BODY ARMOR STANDARD EXPLAINED

As Law Enforcement (LE), Military (Mil) and Emergency Services (ES) professionals, a critical part of your every day service gear is your personal body armor. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the certification body responsible for North American standards in Ballistic Body Armor, has released their latest standards to meet the growing variety of armor products and ammunition threats being faced. The purpose of this info sheet is to orient LE, Mil and ES professionals to the changes in body armor standards.

What is the NIJ 0101.07 Body Armor Standard?

NIJ 0101.07 is a revision of the 2008 NIJ Standard 0101.06, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor. NIJ Standard 0101.07 establishes updated performance criteria and testing procedures for assessing the ballistic resistance of body armor. The revised standard is designed to update the protective standards, safeguarding against both handgun and rifle ammunition threats.

Why was a revision needed? In response to the evolving ballistic threats, marked by the introduction of new ammunition, specifically armored piercing projectiles (ie green tip), a revision was long overdue. NIJ Standard 0101.07 ensures that body armor remains effective against contemporary threats and includes a new category being developed by the industry as “special threat” plates. Recognizing the diverse needs of users, particularly female officers facing challenges with ill-fitting body armor, NIJ Standard 0101.07 also takes steps to address those concerns.

NIJ HG1 Soft Armor:

Level II armor, which is now renamed as NIJ HG1 meets the same level the same level of ballistic protection as the previous level II standard. It is tested to defeat the 9mm FMJ RN and .357 Magnum projectiles.

NIJ HG2 Soft Armor:

The NIJ HG2 is the new designation for level IIIa soft body armor. Bulletproof panels rated for level IIIa were previously tested with .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose rounds, however, for the new HG2 level, armor panels will be tested with faster 9mm FMJ Round Nose rounds. HG2 will stop most pistol rounds up to .44 magnum.

In the previous, NIJ Standard 0101.06, rifle threat levels were named level III and level IV, level III being able to stop up to 7.62×51 full metal jackets, and level IV being able to stop 30.06 AP (Armor-piercing) rounds. These NIJ standard levels have been renamed to RF1 and RF3, respectively.

NIJ RF1 Body Armor Plates:

RF1 level armor will be tested by a variety of rounds, which are 7.62x51mm M80 Ball NATO FMJ steel jacketed spire point boat tail rounds, 7.62x39mm surrogate test 120.5 grain rounds, and variations of 5.56mm BT 55 grain rounds.

NIJ RF3 Body Armor Plates:

RF3 level armor will be tested using 30.06 M2 Armor Piercing (AP) FMJ spire point AP 165.7 grain rounds. It will have the same bullet-stopping capabilities as Level IV body armor.

NIJ RF2 Body Armor Plates:

To fill the gap between these two standards, RF2 level armor will also be introduced. The key to piercing armor is speed, and a fast traveling, steel core, m855 5.56 round can defeat some level III body armor. Therefore, the RF2 level is designed to stop these rounds as well and is tested using 5.56mm M855 green tip rounds, along with AK rounds (7.62×39) and FMJ 308s.

In addition to these new armor levels the 07 standard also includes, enhanced testing, and female fit requirements. 

Enhanced Testing Conditions:

In response to the technological improvements for testing, NIJ Standard 0101.07 incorporates more robust conditioning protocols. Now, body armor is tested under realistic conditions, including temperature extremes, humidity variations, and UV exposure. The testing labs maintain stricter environmental controls, ensuring accuracy and reliability. Advanced projectile launch systems guarantee precise and error-free testing data.

Expanded Protection Levels:

Addressing the emergence of high-powered rifle ammunition, NIJ Standard 0101.07 introduces new protection levels. These body armor levels offer improved ballistic performance, factoring a wider range of threats and empowering users to make more informed decisions based on their specific needs and threat environment.

See the detailed table for details and comparisons to the 06 standards.

Enhanced Female Fit:

Recognizing the inadequacy of traditional designs for female officers, NIJ Standard 0101.07 incorporates specific testing requirements for female-specific body armor designs. This ensures optimal comfort, fit, and protection, enhancing mobility and overall performance for female officers.

At Arctos we currently sell Level III+, Special threat and level !V plates manufactured by MMD Armor (Milburn Mountain Defense). This chart details the current ammunition stopping abilities of those plates. MMD plates will be re-certified in the coming months for RF1, RF2 and RF3 NIJ levels.

Contact us if you have questions about these new standards or for advice on the best armor for your needs.