ballistic vests were manufactured using glass fiber as a base material, combined with high-strength aluminum alloys such as aluminum oxide
China had just been liberated and faced significant external military pressure. Additionally, there were many firearms and ammunition hidden and circulating in society. Consequently, ballistic vests were manufactured using glass fiber as a base material, combined with high-strength aluminum alloys such as aluminum oxide. It is reported that these vests were capable of withstanding attacks from handguns and grenade fragments.
By the 1980s, the United States had already started developing personal ballistic protection equipment based on ceramic composite materials. Ceramic composite materials were a star material at that time, allowing the realization of high protection with low weight. Whether for personnel or vehicles, the use of ceramic composite materials meant advanced armor. For example, the British Challenger main battle tank and the American Abrams main battle tank extensively used ceramic armor. Germany even imported a batch of Chobham ceramic armor from the UK to equip Leopard tanks. The ceramic composite materials developed by the United States at that time mainly included silicon carbide ceramics, and they successfully developed the world's earliest bulletproof insert plate, capable of withstanding direct rifle bullet impacts.
However, China had not yet achieved a breakthrough in ceramic composite ballistic materials at that time. In the 1980s, China developed ballistic vests using aluminum alloy and nylon materials. Although the performance was not on par with ceramic composite materials, it met the practical needs of the Chinese military on the battlefield at that time. During the conflicts in the 1980s, Chinese soldiers often wore aluminum alloy ballistic vests on the front lines, establishing a technological and protective advantage over enemy forces and effectively reducing casualties.