NP Aerospace launches specialist women’s body armour

Image courtesy NP Aerospace 

Designed and manufactured in UK, this new product has been approached from the ground up to meet the distinct needs of women operating in high-risk environments. 

At the same time, NP Aerospace has announced the placement of an order for their new product by a currently undisclosed customer, for 2,000 sets in a range of women-specific sizes. The product will be on display at NP’s booth at DSEI UK 2025 next week, 9th-12th September.

Up until now, women across the defence and security environments, globally, have had to wear body armour that has been designed and validated for men. The resultant poor fit can compromise the protection offered and can be extremely uncomfortable for many women. For some time, NP Aerospace has been investing in an internal R&D project to assess the size and complexity of this challenge, to develop solutions to address the anatomical and operational needs of servicewomen and others in need of such protection. 

The outcome of this programme is an optimised curved hard armour plate, that comes in a range of sizes and delivers an increase in both protection and comfort. Development and testing have confirmed that placing a curved plate in a standard men’s sized and configured carrier is not sufficient. The ‘system’ requires an integrated solution with a curved hard armour plate and a women’s specific soft armour insert, all worn within a women’s specific carrier – developed with NP’s partner, Logistik Unicorp.

NP’s new product comes in a range of sizes with varying curvature and coverage. This ensures vital organs remain protected from all possible angles, irrespective of body shape. Being ‘comfortable’ also vastly increases effectiveness and endurance when worn for extended periods and in high stress scenarios.

James Kempston, CEO of NP Aerospace, commented:  "Feedback from women in combat and on security related duties has clearly identified a growing need for specially designed armour that enhances survivability, reduces injury and improves endurance. We’re delighted to be leading the way with our fully developed women’s body armour solution and pleased that we have also received the first order for 2000 sets.

“NP Aerospace is a trusted supplier of body armour products globally, so it’s important that we remain at the forefront of development, maximising the effectiveness and operability of our protection products, for every type of user. This new product is particularly important as the number of women serving within armed forces and wider security services is increasing on a global scale.”