U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol to Equip Agents in Vests Made with New DuPont™ Kevlar® Innovation
Vests with Kevlar® Comfort XLT are 25 Percent Lighter with Same Ballistic Performance
WILMINGTON, Del., February 02, 2005 — DuPont today announced that the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol has signed a multi-year agreement to outfit its agents with protective vests containing new DuPont™ Kevlar® Comfort XLT™ technology.
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As the mobile uniformed law enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the CBP Border Patrol is responsible for policing 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders and 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, the CBP Border Patrol has stressed an even greater priority in seeking and deploying specialized technologies to assist its agents, including the latest advances in personal body armor.
"As the single, unified border agency of the United States, the CBP Border Patrol mission is vitally important to the protection of America and the American people," said Woody Lee, national director of the CBP Border Patrol's national body armor program. "It is essential for us to work with companies which display longstanding commitments to reliability and quality."
"The latest Kevlar® advancement is another example where DuPont is putting science to work to solve real life problems," said Bill Harvey, vice president and general manager, DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems. "For CBP Border Patrol agents, many of whom spend all day on their feet working in extreme weather conditions, Kevlar® Comfort XLT™ will provide the protection they need without sacrificing the freedom of movement required to do their jobs effectively. This technology is a good example of the R&D pipeline from the DuPont Safety & Protection platform where we are developing new products to help keep people safe and protected."
"At U.S. Armor, we are fully committed to a single mission: producing the finest armor products available in the world today," said Stephen Armellino, president of U.S. Armor. "After integrating Kevlar® Comfort XLT™ into our vest design and exposing it to rigorous testing procedures, we found the vest demonstrated excellent multi-hit capability and trauma performance. We are particularly happy with the weight and comfort of the vest relative to the high level of performance."
Developed by DuPont in 1965, Kevlar® is an organic fiber in the aromatic polyamid (aramid) family that combines high strength with light weight, and comfort with protection. Kevlar® is five times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis, providing reliable performance and solid strength. This unique combination of attributes also helps protect members of the military and law enforcement from harm that can come in many forms – including bullets, shrapnel and knives. Kevlar® has saved the lives of nearly 3,000 law enforcement officials as a protectant.
The DuPont Safety & Protection platform is focused on finding solutions to protect people, property, operations and the environment. The platform seeks to leverage and expand over 200 years of DuPont experience as one of the safest companies in the world with recognized excellence in science and technology and in-depth knowledge of key markets.
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.
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02/02/05
Editor's note: High-resolution photo of this technology can be downloaded at: http://www1.dupont.com/dupontglobal/corp/images/US/en_US/news/releases/media/nr_photo_kevlarvest_boarder.tif.
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