Ballistic glass is one of the most important technologies in the world. It’s no wonder it’s also referred to as transparent armor or armored glass. The advanced material has become a crucial element of military engineering as much as armored plate metal.
Military applications aside, ballistic glass also protects and brings piece of mind to regular people working in dangerous neighborhoods and even protects important political and religious people.
The science behind ballistic glass involves sheets of traditional glass interlaid with sheets of flexible, impact absorbing plastic material. Here are the 7 coolest applications for ballistic glass.
Pope Mobile
Image credit to Wikimedia Commons
Although in its latest incarnation, the Pope’s private transportation (aka the Pope Mobile) has lost its iconic ballistic glass covering, the vehicle is historically noted for its standing or sitting area which gives the Roman Catholic overseer the ability to wave and greet supporters with the kind of smile that can only come with three inches of bullet resistant glass.
The most recent model to feature ballistic glass was Pope Benedict XVI’s modified Mercedes Benz M-Class. The current Pope is not the first to favor an open-air Pope Mobile, but such a preference has been uncommon since the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981.
Whitehouse Windows
Image credit to Wikimedia Commons
The interior of the White House is where much of our executive action in the United States takes place. It is an important task for the exterior of the United States President’s home to be extremely secure. Take for instance, the windows.
There are 147 windows on the white house. Each window is a potential threat to any outside danger, so every one has to be fitted with the highest level of ballistic glass to ensure that a threat is not able to impact the security of United States executive officials.
This security was put to the test on November 11, 2011 when a shots were fired at the windows on the back porch. The windows came through and nobody was injured.
Knight XV by Conquest Vehicles
Image credit to Conquest Vehicles
A unique consumer-grade SUV, the Knight XV by Canadian manufacturer Conquest Vehicles offers an uncommonly high level of security. The Knight XV, which retails just below $650,000.00, features full armor, ballistic glass and a 6.8L V10 engine.
It’s hard to imagine anything on the road scaring you behind the wheel of this tank except maybe your fuel costs.
Cadillac One
Image credit to Wikimedia Commons
The first presidential automobile to have an official name is the Cadillac One, which was inducted into United States official service upon President Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20, 2009.
Built on the chassis of a Chevrolet Kodiak industrial truck, the vehicle sources multiple design elements from current Cadillac models. The glass is a high-level ballistic capable of resisting most forms of firepower.
Though not commercially available for purchase, the vehicle is assumed to have a price tag of around $1,000,000.00.
Grizzly APC
Image credit to Dominguez2
The Grizzly is an armored personnel carrier, or APC, produced by American defense contractor Academi (formerly Blackwater and XE). The vehicle, which weighs around fifteen tons, is designed for transporting military personnel and combat forces in urban areas.
Because of its function, the Grizzly is built to withstand firepower from .50 caliber automatic and semi-automatic weapons as well as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. The APC comes standard with ballistic glass in addition to its armored exterior.
HEMTT Wrecker
Image credit to Wikimedia Commons
The Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, HEMTT, for short is an eight-wheel drive military tactical vehicle designed by Oshkosh Corporation in Wisconsin. The truck’s stated purpose is to provide heavy transportation abilities for the US Army’s weapons and equipment.
All of that cargo has to stay safe somehow, and apart from the armored facade of the truck, it uses a high-level ballistics glass to ensure that the cargo and driver are kept safe on the battlefield.
Sand Cat
Image credit to Wikimedia Commons
Wrapping up our list is the Sand Cat. This super cool armored truck fills the gap between the smaller Humvee and larger tactical vehicles.
Manufactured by the Oshkosh company in Northeast Wisconsin, the Sand Cat seats eight and is built on a Ford F550 chassis.
In addition to a high-security layer of ballistics glass, the armored truck also features suspended seats to absorb impact and a special layer of underbelly armor to shield the vehicle from roadside explosive devices.
