Description
LIGHTWEIGHT LEVEL IV BODY ARMOR PLATE
ARCHON
Archon is the modern military-threat workhorse.
Built around advanced intermediate-caliber AP threats that increasingly define modern conflict, Archon combines full ceramic coverage, standalone M2 AP protection, and a broad special-threat envelope in a 5.2 lb plate.
Archon is a 5.2 lb, 10×12″ multi-curve Level IV / Level 4 ceramic body armor plate combining a Quatroid™ ceramic strike face with an advanced UHMWPE backer. Designed as a standalone rifle plate, it provides full edge-to-edge ceramic coverage and independently documented protection against .30-06 M2 AP, together with an expanded special-threat envelope for modern AP ammunition.
Developed in response to European military requirements, Archon addresses a specific problem: modern warfighters increasingly face advanced armor-piercing intermediate-caliber ammunition, while conventional Level IV plates are generally built around an older threat model.
The new Gen 2 Archon replaces its previous SiC-TiB₂ strike face with Quatroid™, Adept’s low-density B-C-Si-Ti quaternary multiphase armor ceramic. The change reduces carried mass without increasing plate thickness or narrowing Archon’s intended protection envelope. The previous Archon specification was 5.75 lb. The new plate weighs just 5.2 lb: 0.55 lb less per plate, 1.1 lb less per pair, and approximately 9.6% less plate mass.
It retains full ceramic coverage, standalone construction, integrated protective padding, multi-curve geometry, and approximately 1-inch overall thickness. And the plate’s lower weight was achieved without compromising demonstrated M2 AP performance.
NIJ Certification is forthcoming.
The mission remains unchanged: maximize protection per pound against the advanced rifle threats that matter in modern conflict.
INDEPENDENTLY TESTED
Archon Ballistic Resistance Tests: .30-06 M2 AP
Energetic Test Labs
Phoenix, Arizona
June 2026
Report ETL-TR-ADA-26-161-0101
● Threat: .30-06 M2 AP
● Plate weight: 5.136 lb
● Plate thickness: 1.047″
● Impact velocity: 2,927 ft/s
● NIJ RF3 reference velocity: 2,880 ft/s
● Result: Partial penetration (PP); no complete penetration
● Measured backface deformation: 32.81 mm
Report ETL-TR-ADA-26-161-0102
● Threat: .30-06 M2 AP
● Plate weight: 5.148 lb
● Plate thickness: 1.049″
● Impact velocity: 2,919 ft/s
● NIJ RF3 reference velocity: 2,880 ft/s
● Result: Partial penetration (PP); no complete penetration
● Measured backface deformation: 28.11 mm
Both current-generation test articles weighed less than the advertised 5.2 lb specification, and both stopped M2 AP at velocities exceeding the 2,880 ft/s RF3 reference velocity.
Archon has been independently tested against the .30-06 M2 AP threat used as the NIJ RF3 reference threat. It is not presently listed as an NIJ Compliance Testing Program model, though certification to NIJ 0101.07 is currently ongoing.
THE CERAMIC
An advanced plate begins with an advanced strike face.
Armor ceramics have traditionally presented a straightforward tradeoff.
Boron carbide provides exceptional weight efficiency, but at very high cost. Silicon carbide-based ceramics are substantially more economical and perform exceptionally well against a wide range of threats, but their greater density generally imposes a higher strike-face mass penalty.
Quatroid™ was developed to bridge that gap.
Quatroid™ is a low-density multiphase ceramic engineered specifically for ballistic applications.
Its density approaches the weight class of boron carbide while providing a practical alternative to conventional SiC-based strike faces.
Quatroid is not simply a midpoint between B₄C and SiC. X-ray diffraction identifies B₄C, SiC, and TiB₂ as its principal crystalline phases, while fracture-surface microscopy shows a pronounced bimodal grain architecture spanning submicron and micron scales.
In separate internal equal-thickness material tests, Quatroid outperformed both the B₄C and SiC reference ceramics tested. The result indicates that its ballistic response cannot be predicted from density or constituent identity alone. Its phase balance and microstructure appear to change the way the ceramic fractures under impact.
The benefit to the wearer is visible in the finished system: A full-coverage, standalone Archon reduced from 5.75 lb to 5.2 lb.
And in independent testing, current-generation plates weighing approximately 5.14 lb stopped M2 AP at more than 2,918 ft/s.
WHY ARCHON EXISTS
Level IV defines a reference threat. It does not define the entire modern threat environment.
The .30-06 M2 AP threat remains an important benchmark for rifle armor.
But contemporary military threat environments increasingly include high-performance intermediate-caliber AP ammunition, including tungsten-cored projectiles that can defeat rifle armor not specifically designed around those threats.
Archon was developed around both problems.
It provides standalone protection against the traditional M2 AP reference threat while extending its protection envelope toward advanced 5.56 mm and 5.45 mm AP ammunition.
Archon is not intended to be the heaviest plate capable of stopping every conceivable rifle projectile.
It is deliberately optimized around modern intermediate-caliber AP threats rather than accepting the additional mass required for assured protection against the heaviest 7.62 mm tungsten penetrators.
That focused design philosophy allows Archon to provide an unusually broad protection envelope at just 5.2 pounds.
The result is a plate designed to maximize protection per pound carried.
PERFORMANCE:
Built around the threats that matter in modern conflict.
The current-generation Archon has been independently tested against the defining Level IV / RF3 reference threat and is designed around a substantially broader rifle-threat envelope.
.30-06 M2 AP
Demonstrated protection against the NIJ RF3 reference AP threat.
5.56×45 mm M995
Advanced tungsten-cored 5.56 mm AP at over 3,400 ft/s.
ADVANCED 5.45 mm AP
5.45×39 mm 7N24, 7N39, and similar advanced AP threats.
ADDITIONAL RIFLE-THREAT COVERAGE
Archon’s specified protection envelope also includes a broad range of conventional and enhanced rifle threats, including: 5.56×45 mm M855A1, 7.62×51 mm M80A1, 7.62×54 mmR B-32 API, and other conventional rifle threats within its protection envelope.
Most importantly, Archon is optimized around one of the central armor problems of current and future conflict: INTERMEDIATE-CALIBER TUNGSTEN-CORED PROJECTILES.
For dedicated protection against heavy 7.62 mm tungsten-cored threats such as M993 and 7.62×51 mm Swiss P AP, choose Colossus.
WHY ARCHON INSTEAD OF THE ALTERNATIVES?
Against conventional Level IV / Level 4 armor
Conventional Level IV armor is fundamentally built around the .30-06 M2 AP reference threat.
Stopping M2 AP does not, by itself, establish protection against advanced intermediate-caliber tungsten-cored ammunition.
Archon is designed around a broader threat environment.
It combines independently documented M2 AP performance with advanced special-threat capability in a 5.2 lb standalone plate with full ceramic coverage.
For buyers whose threat assessment extends beyond the traditional Level IV reference threat, that broader protection envelope is the reason Archon exists.
Against Emperor
Emperor is lighter. Archon offers broader special-threat coverage at a substantially lower price.
At 4.55 lb, Emperor is Adept’s ultralight Level IV flagship and the correct choice when minimizing carried mass is the overriding requirement.
Archon weighs 0.65 lb more per plate — 1.3 lb more per pair — but offers broader special-threat protection and costs approximately $900 less per plate.
For many professional and institutional buyers, Archon is the strongest overall value.
Emperor exists for the buyer whose requirement is written in pounds.
Archon exists for the buyer whose requirement is the best possible combination of weight, price, and ballistic performance.
Against Colossus
Colossus provides the greater maximum threat envelope. Archon provides substantially lower carried mass.
Colossus is designed for heavy 7.62 mm tungsten-cored AP threats such as M993 and Swiss P AP and represents the maximum-duty end of Adept’s rifle-armor lineup.
That capability requires additional mass.
At 6.5 lb, Colossus weighs 1.3 lb more per plate — 2.6 lb more per pair — than Archon.
When heavy 7.62 mm tungsten penetrators are part of the requirement, choose Colossus.
When the requirement centers on Level IV / Level 4 protection and advanced intermediate-caliber AP threats, Archon delivers substantially lower carried weight.
The distinction is simple:
Emperor: Minimum Level IV weight.
Archon: Maximum protection-per-pound for the modern intermediate-caliber AP environment.
Colossus: Maximum rifle-threat protection.
WHO IS ARCHON FOR?
Archon is the default high-end plate for buyers whose threat assessment extends beyond conventional Level IV armor.
It is built for military personnel, law-enforcement tactical teams, security professionals, institutional buyers, and private users who need protection against modern AP ammunition without the additional mass required for the heaviest 7.62 mm tungsten threats.
Choose Archon when advanced special-threat protection matters, but neither absolute minimum plate weight nor maximum possible rifle-threat coverage justifies the compromises required at either extreme.
At 5.2 lb and $588, it occupies the center of the premium rifle-armor trade space:
Full ceramic coverage. Standalone construction. Independently documented M2 AP performance. Advanced AP protection.
For most professional and institutional users facing a modern military threat environment, Archon is the strongest overall balance of protection, weight, coverage, and price in the Adept lineup.
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight
5.2 lb per plate; 10.4 lb per pair
2.36 kg per plate; 4.72 kg per pair.
Complete plate weight.
Dimensions
10×12″, SAPI-style multi-curve
Comfortable, anatomically contoured geometry for improved fit and load distribution during extended wear.
Plate carrier compatibility
Designed for plate carriers that accept 10×12″ multi-curve hard armor plates. Verify the carrier manufacturer’s plate-pocket dimensions before ordering.
Thickness
Approximately 1.05″
The two independently tested current-generation plates measured 1.047″ and 1.049″.
Strike face
Quatroid™
B-C-Si-Ti quaternary multiphase armor ceramic.
Principal crystalline phases: B₄C, SiC, and TiB₂. Minor crystalline phase: TiC
Backer
Advanced UHMWPE composite
High-performance UHMWPE composite consolidated under high pressure for high strength and stiffness at minimum weight.
Ceramic coverage
Full ceramic coverage across the plate footprint
No reduced ceramic strike face. No hidden lightweight foam border.
Protection where the plate covers.
Configuration
Standalone
No soft-armor backing required to provide the plate’s stated protection.
Integrated protection and padding
Ivoryguard™ thermoplastic foam
A resilient strike-face layer provides practical drop and impact protection, while the body-side layer provides cushioning, comfort, and an integrated trauma layer without requiring a separate trauma pad.
Ballistic performance
Two current-generation plates independently stopped .30-06 M2 AP above the 2,880 ft/s RF3 reference velocity.
5.136 lb plate: 2,927 ft/s / 32.81 mm BFD [Test Report]
5.148 lb plate: 2,919 ft/s / 28.11 mm BFD [Test Report]
Protection designation
Level IV / RF3 reference-threat protection plus advanced AP special-threat coverage
Archon is Adept-designated RF3+ to distinguish its broader special-threat envelope from
baseline RF3 protection.
RF3+ is an Adept protection designation, not a separate NIJ protection level.
WHERE ARCHON SITS IN THE ADEPT LINEUP
Archon is the modern military-threat workhorse.
It sits between Adept's ultralight Emperor and maximum-duty Colossus: broader special-threat protection than the ultralight plate, substantially less carried mass than the maximum-threat plate, and a price intended to make advanced protection practical for professional and institutional use.
$179
• 0.54 lb per panel
• 13 mm / 0.51″
• IIIA-class handgun, standalone; 17-gr FSP V50 1,385 ft/s
• Trauma pad · standalone insert · maritime · staging · bag · vehicle
$1,480
• 4.55 lb
• 1.01″
• Level IV / RF3; 22.83 mm M2 AP BFD
• Ultralight flagship built for minimum carried mass
