Patent ID: 8397619

Claim:
An armor panel, comprising: an inner armor member including a plurality of plies made of a material which is free of any metal or ceramics, said armor member being capable of withstanding a maximal bending load F1 applied thereto along a mid-line of the armor member oriented perpendicular thereto, said armor member having a predetermined ballistic capability B1; and an external covering layer at least partially encapsulating said armor member, said external covering layer being formed of a fiber reinforced resin, the external covering layer being bonded to said armor member and having a thickness not exceeding 10% of that of said armor member and is not capable of withstanding the load F1 on its own; whereby said armor panel is capable of withstanding a bending load F2>2F1 applied thereto along the mid-line of the armor panel while having an overall ballistic capability B2, which is at least no less than B1.