NEW DELHI (PTI): A unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully developed the lightest bulletproof jacket in the country for protection against the highest threat level 6, an official statement said on Tuesday.

This jacket is based on a new design approach where novel material along with new processes have been used, the statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said.

"DRDO's Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur has successfully developed the lightest bulletproof jacket in the country for protection against 7.62 x 54 R API (level 6 of BIS 17051) ammunition. Recently, this bulletproof jacket was successfully tested at TBRL, Chandigarh as per BIS 17051-2018," it said.

The front hard armour panel (HAP) of this jacket "defeats multiple hits (six shots) of 7.62x54 R API (sniper rounds) in both ICW (in-conjunction with) and standalone design", the statement said.

The ergonomically designed front HAP is made of a monolithic ceramic plate with polymer backing which enhances wearability and comfort during an operation.

"The areal density of ICW hard armour panel (HAP) and standalone HAP is less than 40 kg/m2 and 43 kg/m2 respectively," the statement said.

The Department of Defence R&D secretary and DRDO chairman has congratulated DMSRDE for the successful development of this bulletproof jacket.