Engineering:6B5 "Ulej"

Short description: Sovet ballistic vest family

6B5 "Ulej" (Russian: 6Б5 "Улей", lit. 'beehive') is a bulletproof vest system created for the Soviet Armed Forces. Being an improvement in terms of protection over the previously issued 6B3 armor, 6B5 Ulej was in fact an entire system of ballistic vests for different branches of troops. It was created by NII Stali.

History

6B5 ballistic vest system was made as a replacement of 6B3 armor, being created by NII Stali entreprise already in 1985. In 1986 the 6B5 ballistic vest was accepted into service by the order of Minister of Defence.^[1]^[2] It was not just a bulletproof vest, but a whole family of 19 modifications. They differed in the number of armor plates, where they were installed, and the materials used. In total, three plate materials were proposed for the body armor: ceramic, titanium and steel.^[3] Despite the fact that there were 19 modifications of 6B5, only 9 were accepted into service.^[1]^[4] Production ended in 1998.^[5]

6B5 vest saw use in Soviet-Afghan War, Transnistria War, Nagorno-Karabakh War, Georgian Civil War, South Ossetia War, War in Abkhazia and First and Second Chechen wars.^[1]

Technical details

6B5 ballistic vests have the same textile base and differ in types and number of ballistic plate elements. Plates can be from one of several materials: titanium, steel, cermaics.^[5]^[1]

The composition of the armor is very similar to that of 6B3. The vest is composed of frontal and spinal sections, each having sets of plates inside of the aramid pockets. Both front and back are further protected by aramid (TSVM DZh-1) fabric liner (30 layers of fabric). These sections connect through fasteners on the shoulders and velcro fasteners on the sides. This vest is also notable for having neck protection and shoulder rests for rifle or backpack slings.^[1]^[5]

The fabric cover of the vest also four pockets for AK mags on the front, two slots for hand grenades on the front, and a big pouch on the back for other storage.^[5]

Different modifications of the vest could be separated into three main categories: Light variants for artillery crews, logistics personnel, etc. (flak vests), assault variants for short-term special combat missions, and general purpose vests for the mainline combat personnel of the Armed forces.^[5]

6B5-11 - Light variant. Fabric only variant without plates. Weighs 3 kg.^[5]
6B5-12 - Light variant. 1.25 mm ADU-605-80 (АДУ-605-80) titanium plates on the front and back. Weighs 5 kg.^[5]
6B5-13 - Assault variant. 6.5 mm ADU-605T-83 (АДУ-605Т-83) titanium plates on the front and back. Weighs 11 kg.^[5]
6B5-14 - Assault variant. 3.8 mm ADU 14.05 (АДУ 14.05) steel plates on the front and back. Weighs 11 kg.^[5]
6B5-15 - Assault variant. 13 mm ADU 14.20.00.000 (АДУ 14.20.00.000) boron carbide ceramic plates on the front and back. Weighs 11.5 kg.^[5]
6B5-16 - General purpose variant. 6.5 mm titanium plates on the front and 1.25 mm titanium plates on back. Weighs 7 kg.^[5]
6B5-17 - General purpose variant. 3.8 mm steel plates on the front and 1.25 mm titanium plates on back. Weighs 7 kg.^[5]
6B5-18 - General purpose variant. 13 mm boron carbide ceramic plates on the front and 1.25 mm titanium plates on back. Weighs 7 kg.^[5]
6B5-19 - General purpose variant. 6.5 mm titanium plates on the front with no plates on back. Weighs 6 kg.^[5]