Armor Testing & Threat Validation
Real Testing. Clear Standards. No Gimmicks.
At TAC 11, we sometimes do things differently and we believe our customers deserve to know exactly how our armor is tested.
What We Do
All of our armor is tested at NIJ-certified ballistic laboratories. These are the same labs used for official compliance testing, whether full NIJ Compliance testing or mission focused.
For Mission Focused/abbreviated testing we concentrate on the two most important performance standards when conducting abbreviated tests:
- Penetration resistance
- Backface deformation (BFD)
We follow the NIJ 0101.06 and 0101.07 testing standards, but in some cases, we use an abbreviated version of the full protocol.
Why It’s Abbreviated
- Our primary users include special operations and LE tactical units, who prioritize performance over paperwork.
- Full NIJ compliance isn't always necessary for mission-specific gear.
- We eliminate redundant testing steps that don’t add real-world value—without compromising ballistic integrity.
- These tests still use the exact same velocities, projectiles, and clay protocols as full NIJ compliance tests.
Examples of Abbreviation
- Drop Testing for Polyethylene Plates: UHMWPE armor is highly impact-resistant. Standard NIJ drop tests show no effect on ballistic performance, so we often omit this step for polyethylene-based plates.
- FIT Test Oversight and On-Site Audits: Full NIJ compliance includes travel and time costs for third-party inspectors to visit our facility and audit our records. Since we already maintain strict internal controls such as tracking serial numbers, material lots, production records, and end-user assignments—this added expense doesn’t improve the product. For mission-specific and non-compliant armor, we skip this administrative layer.
Why We’re Telling You
No other armor company typically explain this (even when they most often do abbreviated testing). We do—because you deserve to know.
- We don’t claim “compliant” unless it’s officially compliant.
- We test to the real-world ballistic standards that matter most.
- Our lab reports and data back up our claims.
Bottom line: Our customers know the mission. We build for performance and test with integrity. That’s the difference between marketing and mission.