Appliqué armour for fighting vehicles is both expensive and adds weight to the platform. Super Bainite Steel is a low-cost ultra-high hardness steel that provides an alternative to current protective armour plate. During live fire trials it has demonstrated performance matching that of current high hardness armour steels and some ceramic armours.
Super Bainite Steel (SBS) is a highperformance steel with a ballistic performance at least twice that of conventional Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA). It is both ultra-hard (600 Brinell) and highly effective against small arms fire.

A sample of perforated Super Bainite Steel
SBS has advantages over existing high hardness steels as it has lower manufacturing costs and can be more readily formed into shapes other than flat plate.
Benefits
. | Ballistics performance meets the same European and NATO standards as Armox® 600 and MARS® 300 |
. | Half the weight for the same level of protection compared with RHA |
. | Low-cost alternative due to its low chrome and nickel composition |
. | Readily machinable in pearlite state or final form using conventional tooling |
. | Simple manufacturing process |
Applications
- Armoured vehicle/compound protection
- Wear-resistant steel components
- Security barriers
Properties
Project number
P1502
Patent status
Patents have been granted in USA, Austria, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Sweden. Patent pending in India.
Commercial rights
Sole Rights / Non-exclusive
Source
Dstl
Regions
Worldwide
Available to license
Yes
Download the SBS datasheet
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