July 17, 2019

Ballistic Plate Manufactured by WELCRON / Photo Courtesy of WELCRON

WELCRON, a company specializing in industrial textiles, announced on the 17th that it had signed a KRW 9.8 billion (approximately USD 8 million) contract with South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to supply Level IV ballistic plates.

This contract represents WELCRON's largest defense order since its acquisition of Smart Composite, a defense company, the previous year. It also marks the company's second contract with DAPA, following the delivery of approximately 23,000 military ballistic plates in the previous year.

Under the new contract, WELCRON will supply approximately 38,000 ballistic plates, with deliveries scheduled for completion by June 30, 2020.

Ballistic plates are designed to be inserted into body armor to enhance ballistic protection. Manufactured using advanced bonding technology that combines ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with ceramic materials, these plates protect the wearer against bullets and fragments.

The ballistic plates supplied by WELCRON to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces meet the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Level IV standard. This protection level is designed to withstand .30 caliber armor-piercing M2 (AP M2) ammunition. In addition to preventing projectile penetration, the plates demonstrate backface deformation performance that exceeds the required standards by a substantial margin.

WELCRON entered the defense market in 2011 with the development of advanced body armor. In 2014, the company developed and supplied stab-resistant buoyancy vests to the Korea Coast Guard.

Since 2016, WELCRON has supplied ballistic and stab-resistant vests for counterterrorism operations and general police use to the Korean National Police Agency. In 2018, the company secured a contract with DAPA to supply ballistic plates for personal protection.

In December of the previous year, WELCRON also delivered ballistic plates for body armor and vehicle armor materials to three Southeast Asian countries, further expanding its presence in international defense markets.

A WELCRON representative stated, "The successful delivery of military ballistic plates last year demonstrated our technological capabilities and laid the foundation for securing this new contract."

The representative added, "With this contract representing our largest order since the acquisition of Smart Composite, we plan to expand our business beyond personal ballistic protection plates into armor solutions for military vehicles and naval vessels, targeting both domestic and international markets."

[Media Coverage]

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➡ Originally published in Korean by The Seoul Econimic Daily News on July 17, 2019