The PowerArmor panel system provides ballistic protection and is lighter and more portable than systems currently available. It is made with a strong unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite based on DSM Dyneema’s high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE).
IDG says this is the first time that solar panels have been given such a high level of ballistic protection, and replaces the aluminum normally used for portable solar panels, which provides no such protection. Panels made in Dyneema are also said to weigh around 20% less than aluminum panels of the same thickness.
The system is reportedly capable of providing energy and protection ranging from fragmentation to high-power rifle ammunition.
Inhospitable places
"As defense forces continue to carry more and more electronic systems into dangerous, inhospitable and isolated places, the need to keep portable electronic devices operable at all times in hostile environments is essential," said Göran Johnson, CEO at IDG Europe.
