Description
Level 3+ body armor
THUNDER
Enabled by revolutionary new materials, and built from the ground-up to be the gold standard Level 3+ / RF2 plate, the Thunder plate is by far the lightest armor plate in its category. If you need to balance rapid mobility with comprehensive protection, it is the only choice.
The patent-pending Thunder is the culmination of several years of research into advanced silicate strike-face materials for ultra-lightweight Level 3+ body armor plates. This ultimately resulted in the invention of Amorphoid, a game-changer for lightweight body armor which is fully on display here. At just 3.45 pounds, the Thunder will reliably stop steel-cored threats like the M855/SS109 — this is nearly 20% lighter than its nearest competitor, and comparable to many plates made entirely of UHMWPE composites that offer substantially inferior performance.
Simply put: The Thunder is an ultralight armor plate that offers comprehensive protection from all common rifle threats. It’s simply the best lightweight body armor you can buy — and, in rendering traditional ceramic armor plates obsolete in its protective category, it represents a revolution in armor plate technologies.
The Thunder armor plate is uniquely well suited for: Those looking to strike the perfect balance between protection and mobility.
Rated for:
• 7.62x39mm MSC
• 5.56x45mm M193
• 5.56x45mm M855/SS109
• 7.62x51mm M80 Ball
• 7.62x54mmR LPS
And similar and lesser threats.
5.56 x 45-mm, 62-grain M855
7.62 x 51-mm, 149-grain M80 FMJ
Thunder vs The Competition
Ballistic rating: RF2 (“III+”)
High-end competitor 1
$600
Weight: 4.1 pounds
Size: 10×12″
Thickness: 1.1″
Ballistic rating: RF2 (“III+”)
High-end competitor 2
$690
Weight: 4.1 pounds
Size: 9.5×12.5″
Thickness: 1″
Ballistic rating: RF2
Thunder
$550
Weight: 3.45 pounds (-16%)
Size: 10×12″
Thickness: 1.15″
The Thunder features:
• Weight: 3.45 pounds.
• Size: 10×12″
• Thickness: 1.1”
• Construction: Amorphoid-UHMWPE composite.
• Curvature: Multi-curved to military SAPI specifications.
• A full-sized strike face with full edge-to-edge Amorphoid coverage.
• Patent pending.
• An unprecedented combination of low density and comprehensive protection. Built with advanced Amorphoid technology – a next-gen toughened silicate armor material.
• Ballistic rating: RF2
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Q: What is the size of the Thunder plate?
A: The Thunder plate measures 10×12″ and features a SAPI-style multicurve geometry. It should fit into most standard plate carriers that accept 10×12″ or SAPI M plates.
Q: Are plates priced per-unit or per-plate?
A: All pricing is per-plate. Some people just want one.
Q: What is the shelf-life of this plate?
A: The Thunder plate has a warranty period of five years. It should, however, last considerably longer than that if it is stored at room temperature, not exposed to extremes of heat or cold, and handled with care. Re-inspection is appropriate five years from purchase.
Q: What is the purpose of the Thunder plate? What niche does it fill?
A: The most common rifle threats in the domestic US — and internationally — are .223, 5.56x45mm M193, 5.56x45mm M855/SS109, 7.62x39mm Type PS, 7.62x51mm M80, and 7.62x54mmR LPS. And variants thereof.
Prior to the introduction of the Thunder, there were two overall types of armor plate: (1) Lightweight polyethylene plates like the Storm Foundation, which won’t stop M855 — and might have trouble with other steel-cored threats. (2) Ceramic-faced Level III+/IV plates, which will stop steel-cored threats, but at a substantial weight penalty.
The Thunder offers the best of both worlds: Protection from steel-core rounds at a weight comparable to many plates made entirely of polyethylene.
The USMC, in 2019, procured a “lightweight” or “LITE” armor plate — a “low-intensity threat environment” plate — that was built to stop all of those aforementioned threats, with a particular focus on M855 and 7.62x54mmR LPS, at the lightest possible weight. This, as it turned out, was roughly 4.25 pounds with its soft armor backer.
The Thunder is a considerably improved plate built along the same lines. At 3.45 pounds, a nearly 20% weight reduction, it stops all of those threats and more.
As such, the Thunder armor plate is an ideal plate for military use in low-intensity threat environments. It is also an ideal plate for domestic use — e.g. by Police and security personnel, and by citizens looking to protect themselves and their families from a broad spectrum of rifle threats, without weighing themselves down.
