A question we commonly receive is, "Is Militech Armor good?" In this article we will discuss who Militech is and if their products hold up to their claims!
Who is Militech?
Militech is a Chinese-based armor manufacturer. Their parent company is Jiangxi Jianlei Protective Equipment Co. Jiangxi Jianlei also parents the company "Raptor Tactical", a level IIIA armor-focused business.
MIlitech was founded in 2004 and now has 20+ years of experience producing body armor. Militech has customers in over 60 countries worldwide, If there's a conflict somewhere, you can be sure you'll likely find their armor protecting people there.
From Militech
"What sets MILITECH® apart is our unwavering dedication to quality assurance. Our products undergo rigorous testing and evaluation by renowned ballistic laboratories, including OBL and NTS labs in the USA, BMT lab in Australia, Aitex in Spain, and many others. This stringent testing process ensures that every piece of body armor we produce meets or exceeds international safety standards, providing our customers with the confidence they need to face the most challenging situations.
At MILITECH®, we take pride in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, equipped with advanced technology and manned by skilled professionals who are passionate about their craft. This allows us to deliver not only top-tier body armor but also innovative solutions that cater to the ever-changing needs of our customers
In our pursuit of excellence, we invest heavily in research and development, constantly seeking to improve the materials, design, and manufacturing processes of our body armor solutions. Our dedication to innovation ensures that our products remain at the forefront of the industry, providing the best protection possible."
ISO Certification
Militech is ISO 9001:2015 Certified. Implementing ISO 9001 means your organization has put in place effective processes and trained staff to deliver flawless products or services time after time. This ISO means that the company must do the following:
- Organize processes
- Document processes and procedures to ensure quality management
- Determine the responsibilities of management
- Constantly improve the efficiency of processes
- Continually improve product lines and quality
- Proper management of resources, including human resources and an organization’s work environment
- Measurement, analysis, and improvement of the QMS through activities like internal audits and corrective and preventive action
Seven Principles of ISO 9001:2015:
Achieving ISO certification is something to be celebrated but maintaining and retaining ISO certifications is even more important. Failure to maintain quality standards set by the ISO will mean an immediate pull of the certificate.
Over the last several years of selling Militech products, we at Uprise Armory have never had any issues with quality control on ANY Militech products. I have seen them pull products off the assembly line, and discard them, due to cosmetic imperfections. Failure on Militech's production line can be as simple as a scratch in the paint job on a helmet! They care deeply about the quality of the final product.
NIJ Testing
The NIJ (National Institute of Justice) tests ballistic armor and sets the standard for the armor industry. The NIJ uses third-party labs to test ballistic products and produce lab results for both manufacturers and consumers. This way it helps everyone to know more about their body armor and how it performs!
Militech uses NIJ labs here in the USA to test their armor. They use accredited NIJ labs OBL and NTS. Additionally, they use BMT lab in Australia, Aitex in Spain, and a few others. On each of the Militech products we sell, we provide NIJ testing documentation, this is important to ensure the safety of your product!
NIJ Certification
In 2022 the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security banned China, Russia, and Venezuelan armor manufacturers from receiving NIJ certification. This was done to help ensure that US agencies would buy USA-made body armor, as they require NIJ certifications.
For this reason, Militech cannot hold NIJ certification, though if they could they would have no issues passing their qualifications, as they have numerous times in the past.
We offer NIJ-certified Hoplite 26605 level IV plates if this is a requirement for you!
Addressing the controversies
How can I trust Chinese body armor?
Unfortunately, here in the USA, we have been plagued with shady armor dealers that rebrand and pawn off the lowest quality Chinese body armor. These dealers have left a horrible impression of what Chinese armor has to offer and even discussing it on social media will end up in arguments and downvotes.
The truth is the Chinese are competent in making high-quality body armor, but you have to find the right suppliers. It doesn't take long to find both great and bad products from China, in any niche. It is the same here with both bad and good USA armor manufacturers.
This is why we do not rebrand armor at Uprise Armory. You, the customer, should know who the manufacturer is. In any case, we have found that Militech is by far the most competent Chinese armor manufacturer and we fully stand behind the quality of their armor. They're regularly tested by NIJ labs and ISO certified!
I was told I should only buy NIJ certified.
In the armor industry, this is generally good advice. The NIJ subjects certified companies to random testing and ensures that armor manufacturers are keeping up with quality control. Failure to keep a plate performing to its requirements results in a ban from the NIJ certification list. Additionally, if you are a government agency you SHOULD buy NIJ certified AND Berry Complaint!
However, the NIJ certification is not an "end-all, be-all" There are many plates on the NIJ certification list that I would not sell in good conscience. Bare steel plates that can mortally wound its users from fragmentation are NIJ certified. Plates that cannot stop M855 are certified, yet always listed as "capable of stopping 5.56," misleading its customers. Several companies list "NIJ certified" but are referencing a 10+ year old certification that is no longer active.
The NIJ testing has an extremely limited threat spectrum. It lacks solid testing for different threats outside of NIJ testing calibers. This is why the market of plates between level III and level IV is so confusing! Leave it to the government to mess that up!
This is why finding the right dealer and manufacturer is more important than blindly looking for NIJ certification. Militech's stringent ISO certification and years of experience more than make up for its inability to certify due to recent policy changes.
Why would I pick Militech when there are so many USA-made options?
While it's hard to compete against the many USA armor manufacturers making budget level IV armor, you will not find better deals on level III+ armor and Silicon Carbide products than from Militech. Let's take our edge-to-edge SiC level III++ plate, capable of stopping M855A1, and compare it to competitors.
Militech SiC III++ Medium SAPI - 4lbs per plate ~ $200/plate
HighCom 3S9M Medium SAPI- ±4lbs per plate ~ $589/plate
Hoplite 19513 - Medium SAPI - 5.2lbs per plate ~ $497/plate
Militech Level IV Black Label Medium SAPI - 6.55lbs per plate ~ $319 per plate
HighCom 4S16 Level IV Medium SAPI - 6.2lbs per plate ~ $429 per plate
Hoplite 26300 Level IV Medium SAPI - 5.75lbs per plate ~ $1260 per plate
Militech has a clear advantage with Silicon Carbide armor. Over 90% of SiC is made in China and it is arguably one of the best choices for armor manufacturing. It's a great balance of cost and weight savings. Learn more about SiC here.
Conclusion
Buying life-saving body armor requires a little bit of careful consideration. Purely looking for the lowest prices is a sure way to end up with inferior body armor or unhappy purchases. Even if it's USA-made! While Militech is not the cheapest Chinese armor manufacturer, its dedication to safety and quality is worth the extra cost. Militech fills the gap in budget, quality armor that is oftentimes missed in the armor community.