A coated fiber comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) having a tenacity of at least 3.85 GPa (40.5 g/dtex; 45 g/denier) and a tensile modulus of at least 120 GPa (1400 g/denier), said fiber being produced by a process comprising the steps of: a) feeding a slurry that comprises an UHMW PE polymer and a spinning solvent to an extruder to produce a liquid mixture, the UHMW PE polymer having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135 °C of at least 30 dl/g; or feeding the UHMW PE polymer and spinning solvent into an extruder and forming both a slurry and a liquid mixture inside the extruder; b) passing the liquid mixture through a heated vessel to form a homogeneous solution comprising the UHMW PE polymer and the spinning solvent; c) providing the solution from the heated vessel to a spinneret to form a solution fiber; d) drawing the solution fiber that issues from the spinneret at a draw ratio of from 1.1:1 to 30:1 to form a drawn solution fiber; e) cooling the drawn solution fiber to a temperature below the gel point of the UHMW PE polymer to form a gel fiber; f) drawing the gel fiber in one or more stages at a first draw ratio DR1 of from 1.1:1 to 30:1; g) drawing the gel fiber at a second draw ratio DR2 of from 1.5:1 to 3.5:1; h) removing spinning solvent from the gel fiber in a solvent removal device to form a dry fiber; i) drawing the dry fiber at a third draw ratio DR3 in at least one stage to form a partially oriented fiber, the partially oriented fiber having an intrinsic viscosity of greater than 19 dl/g; j) transferring the partially oriented fiber to a post drawing operation; k) drawing the partially oriented fiber at a post drawing temperature in the post drawing operation to a fourth draw ratio DR4 of from 1.8:1 to 15:1 to form a highly oriented fiber product having a tenacity of at least 3.85 GPa, said highly oriented fiber product having an intrinsic viscosity that is the same as the intrinsic viscosity of the partially oriented fiber; and l) coating the fiber with a polymeric binder material. a) feeding a slurry that comprises an UHMW PE polymer and a spinning solvent to an extruder to produce a liquid mixture, the UHMW PE polymer having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135 °C of at least 30 dl/g; or feeding the UHMW PE polymer and spinning solvent into an extruder and forming both a slurry and a liquid mixture inside the extruder; b) passing the liquid mixture through a heated vessel to form a homogeneous solution comprising the UHMW PE polymer and the spinning solvent; c) providing the solution from the heated vessel to a spinneret to form a solution fiber; d) drawing the solution fiber that issues from the spinneret at a draw ratio of from 1.1:1 to 30:1 to form a drawn solution fiber; e) cooling the drawn solution fiber to a temperature below the gel point of the UHMW PE polymer to form a gel fiber; f) drawing the gel fiber in one or more stages at a first draw ratio DR1 of from 1.1:1 to 30:1; g) drawing the gel fiber at a second draw ratio DR2 of from 1.5:1 to 3.5:1; h) removing spinning solvent from the gel fiber in a solvent removal device to form a dry fiber; i) drawing the dry fiber at a third draw ratio DR3 in at least one stage to form a partially oriented fiber, the partially oriented fiber having an intrinsic viscosity of greater than 19 dl/g; j) transferring the partially oriented fiber to a post drawing operation; k) drawing the partially oriented fiber at a post drawing temperature in the post drawing operation to a fourth draw ratio DR4 of from 1.8:1 to 15:1 to form a highly oriented fiber product having a tenacity of at least 3.85 GPa, said highly oriented fiber product having an intrinsic viscosity that is the same as the intrinsic viscosity of the partially oriented fiber; and l) coating the fiber with a polymeric binder material.