AST Security Equipment - Aircraft, Ship, Vehicle and Personnel Ballistic Protection

AST Security Equipment was founded in 1985 and is now a system house for ballistic protection solutions, specialising in:

• The conception, development and manufacturing of ballistic protection equipment and systems
• The integration of protection systems into various airframes, ship structures or land vehicles and objects
• The consideration of suitable crew protection and subsequent maintenance and configuration management – all in close cooperation with user organisations

AST Security Equipment's current focus is on defence, helicopter, ship and civilian aircraft armouring for the global market.

VEHICLE BALLISTIC PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS PROJECTS

AST has completed many successful ballistic protection projects. Those in Germany include the conception, development and production of:

• Armoured protection system of the CH 53 GS German Air Force helicopter
• Armoured protection system of the UH-1D German Air Force helicopter
• Armoured protection system of the BO 105 German Air Force helicopter
• Armoured protection system of German Navy helicopters MK 88 and MK 41
• Design study of armoured protection system for NH 90 and EC 135 ECD helicopters
• Development of armoured protection system integrated into the cockpit-cabin wall for various civilian aircraft (subcontract with AIRBUS System)
• Armouring of instrumentation bays for military trucks and chained vehicles (Rheinmetall since 2005)
• Armoured protection system for mega-yachts with helicopter landing pads built by Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems AG, and Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
• Armoured protection system for work and support barges built by Yacht-Werft Meyer, Bremen

Ballistic protection projects in the Netherlands include:

• Armoured protection system for the MK 88 Navy helicopter
• Armoured protection system for the BO 105 helicopter

Ballistic protection projects in South Africa include the armoured protection system for corvettes, supplied by Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems, Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, and HDW, Kiel.

Turkish ballistic protection projects include armoured protection for rocket launch silos, and the doors on frigates supplied by Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems, and Blohm & Voss, Hamburg.

Ballistic protection projects in Malaysia include:

• Development of complete armour for frigates supplied by Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems, and Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
• Supply of a prototype solution for local manufacturers

REGISTERED NATO BALLISTIC PROTECTION SOLUTION SUPPLIER

AST has been a registered NATO supplier since 1993 (cage code C5175), with more than 480 articles (for the protection of helicopters and persons), carrying NATO Stock Numbers (NSN).

The QM-system is certified to AQAP130, and is currently being upgraded to AQAP 2000 / ISO 9100 requirements by the German DoD and the German Lloyd Cert. (GLC).

AIRCRAFT, VESSEL AND LAND VEHICLE BALLISTIC PROTECTION

AST's engineering activities cover the mechanical parts for system integration, the subsystems of ballistic protection solutions (opaque or transparent plates and windows), and the mechanical integration of protection solutions into the structures of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, ground-support vehicles, navy vessels, mega-yachts, land vehicles and ground objects, considering the respective structural dynamic requirements.

From a technology point of view, all materials with ballistic protection characteristics have their manufacturing and shaping technologies, as well as adhesion technologies for hybrid plate production, examined. Metals, alloys, ceramics, fabrics (woven or non-crimp) of natural or chemical fibres and moulded or single crystal inorganic and organic compounds are combined into opaque or transparent, flexible or hard plates.

INTEGRATED VEHICLE BALLISTIC PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS

AST specialises in the integration of ballistic protective systems into vehicle structures, by considering the structural dynamics interface between the vehicle cell and the ballistic protection system installed.

This is a necessity with respect to overall system safety and lifecycle reliability. Our patented permanent elastic attachment elements for helicopters and ships are key in this direction.

AST is located in Sittensen, Germany in the triangle of Hamburg, Bremen and Hannover.