Pocomoke’s Hardwire LLC providing state-of-the-art armor to USMC, FBI
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Hardwire LLC is playing a key role in providing potentially life-saving armor to federal forces. The company isn’t your average manufacturer, but it says it has to be unique to protect those who do a job that only some can do.
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has awarded a contract to the company to manufacture lightweight body armor plates, valued at $29.3 million. Additionally, the FBI contracted Hardwire LLC for $22 million to provide ultra-low visibility body armor.
Making Armor for the Marines
Hardwire LLC CEO George Tunis says that pretty soon, most marines will be wearing their armor plates. “As they face new threats in battle, they can tone down their armor or build up their armor, depending on what their intel is telling them.”
During combat missions, Marines can carry up to 120 pounds of equipment. So, every ounce counts.
“Every time we take the weight off of a marine, there is usually new, mission-capable equipment going on that marine. [It could be] new night vision goggles, maybe better batteries, maybe two more clips of ammunition,” Tunis said. “If we can make [the armor] lighter and thinner, that makes our Marine Corps faster and more capable.”
FBI Armor Fueled by Innovation
Meanwhile, Hardwire LLC’s contract with the FBI will provide agents with concealable soft body armor.
Tunis said it’s a brand-new type of discreet, cool, and comfortable protection. He added that the plates inside the vests are capable of stopping most bullets that officers may encounter.
“This is for the guys that are undercover in the [United States Drug Enforcement Agency], the FBI guys that might be embedded in large crowds where they don’t want to be seen, but they want to wear their body armor,” Tunis explained. “You could even take [the vest] off without ever taking your shirt off, toss it into the bushes if you’ve been made.”
The bests tout the thinnest and lightest armor of its kind in the world, weighing only half a pound per square foot. And, the inside is soft to the touch for the wearer.
“Soft equals silent,” Tunis said. “When you talk to hunters around here, they tell you that they wear fleece into the woods, especially if they’re turkey hunting or deer hunting. It’s really for silence.”
Strong, but Simple
In testing the vests, real law enforcement officers were asked to wear them and report their feedback.
“We got comments back that said, ‘I forgot I was even wearing armor,’ and ‘It’s much cooler than anything I’ve ever worn.’ Those are the biggest things that officers want,” Tunis said. “Being able to keep those officers cool, calm, clandestine, and well protected at the same time—we’re just super proud.”
Before that official testing, Tunis says that his team put themselves in the armor wearer’s shoes to understand what works best.
“We wear it around here, we work in it, we try it on, we try to mess it up. What we learned is to just keep it simple,” Tunis said. “It is a whole team, every single person on the floor, all of our engineers, have that same sense of mission, same sense of awe, the same sense of responsibility.”
Shielding Those That Sacrifice
The armor systems meet strict performance and durability requirements set out by the USMC and FBI. Those include rigorous testing protocols to withstand high temperature, moisture, and ballistic threats.
“Seeing [the team here] advance as technology advances, our people are getting smarter. They’re becoming the future of clean, efficient manufacturing here on our home turf, Made in America,” said Tunis.
Tunis added that he’s glad Hardwire LLC can do its part in keeping men and women who risk so much safe.
“War is not a pretty business, and being a DEA agent is not a pretty business. We’re very fortunate to equip these exceptional human beings.”
To read more about how Hardwire LLC has outfitted local schools with state-of-the-art shields, click here.
