3M subsidiary Ceradyne has secured a contract from the Defense Logistics Agency to supply body armour plates for the US Armed Forces.

Valued at $92.7m, the contract will see the company provide 177,000 lightweight enhanced small arms protective inserts (ESAPI).

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The ESAPI are inserted into tactical vests to provide soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines with torso protection against small-arms fire.

"We never forget that the primary purpose of every body-armour plate is to save the life of the military member who wears it."

3M defence advanced ceramics platform business manager Cheryl Ingstad said: "We continue to make it our mission to leverage innovation in advanced materials science and the manufacturing process to deliver highly engineered body armour that meets the exacting quality standards of the US Department of Defense.

"We never forget that the primary purpose of every body-armour plate is to save the life of the military member who wears it."

The plates have been designed to meet stringent performance requirements outlined by the US Department of Defense.

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Production and deliveries under the contract will begin later this year.

To date, Ceradyne has provided more than two million body-armour inserts and 100,000 enhanced combat helmets (ECH) to the US Armed Forces.

In February, 3M Deutschland collaborated with Schuberth to develop improved ballistic head protection systems for military and law enforcement applications.