Bhabha Kavach to block 7.62 mm AK-47 bullets for paramilitary forces

Each Bharat Kavach has four hard armour plates, which protect the wearer from the front, back, and either side

When the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the ministry of home affairs demanded bulletproof jackets that offer greater protection than those used by the Army, the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) turned to the agency that makes the country’s nuclear warheads — Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

The OFB also brought in defence public sector undertaking Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI). The bulletproof jacket they developed together, named Bhabha Kavach in recognition of BARC’s contribution, has recently cleared firing trials at Gujarat Forensic Science University. 

The challenge was to develop a jacket that weighed less than 9.5 kg and could stop steel-jacketed, 7.62-mm NATO-standard