SHIELD III+ Hard Armor Plate
- Rifle-rated protection at 3.5 lbs
- Tested against 5.56 NATO (M193 and M855 green tip) and 7.62x39
- Boron carbide construction
- Shooter's cut, 10 x 11 inches: fits standard 10 x 12 plate pockets
- Drops into the CARGO's height-adjustable hard plate compartment
- Sold individually
Built to Close
the 5.56 Gap
Standard Level III does not stop 5.56x45 M855 green tip or M193, a gap many buyers overlook. SHIELD III+ is tested against 7.62x51 M80 ball, 5.56 M855, and 5.56 M193. III+ is not an official NIJ designation: it means tested beyond Level III. We say so plainly.
One Plate,
Two Homes
A 10 x 11 inch plate with the top corners cut away, the same profile chest carriers are built around. It drops into a standard 10 x 12 plate pocket, and the CARGO was designed around it: the height-adjustable hard plate compartment takes the plate in seconds, zips shut, and gives the pack rifle-rated protection without sacrificing cargo space. No armor installed? The same bay works as a secondary 17-inch electronics compartment.
- Shooter's cut, 10 x 11 inches, 0.75 inch thick
- Angled top corners: carrier-ready as well as pack-ready
- Fits standard 10 x 12 plate pockets
- Height-adjustable compartment in the CARGO, separate from SHIELD IIIA
- Adds and removes as needed. SHIELD IIIA stays in permanently.
In the Bag
in Seconds
Open the compartment, seat the plate, set the height strap, zip it shut. One walkthrough covers all three SHIELD levels. Keep the step-by-step guides for reference.
We Publish
the Protocol
Our armor is tested to NIJ standards, and we publish exactly how each level is tested. You do not have to take our word for it. The Test It Yourself program pays you to check our work: put a plate on the line yourself, and if it fails you get a full refund. If it passes on video, $500 store credit.
6 rounds, diamond pattern, roughly 2 inches apart.
Range footage: 5.56 M855 against a SHIELD III+ plate. A short demonstration, not a full protocol run.
Build the
Full Stack
Hard plates work on their own, and they work best over the base layer. SHIELD IIIA covers the CARGO's entire back surface and stays in permanently. The hard plate adds and removes as the day demands.
Layer 01 · Base
SHIELD IIIA Soft Armor
The full-coverage panel that shields the CARGO's entire backside. Stays in every day. The foundation of the system.
View SHIELD IIIA
Layer 02 · Maximum Tier
SHIELD IV Hard Plate
Step up to the maximum tier: tested to NIJ Level IV standards against .30-06 M2 AP, at 5.2 lbs.
View SHIELD IV
SHIELD III+ Hard Armor Plate
- Protection class
- Hard plate, tested to III+ standards. III+ is not an official NIJ designation: it means tested beyond Level III.
- Tested threats
- 5.56x45 M193, 5.56x45 M855 green tip, 7.62x39, 7.62x51 M80 ball
- Construction
- Boron carbide
- Weight
- 3.5 lbs
- Dimensions
- 10 x 11 inches (25.4 x 28 cm), 0.75 inch (1.9 cm) thick
- Cut
- Shooter's cut, angled top corners
- Fits
- Standard 10 x 12 plate pockets, including the CARGO's height-adjustable hard plate compartment
- Sold
- Individually
Dimension drawings are in the product gallery above. Full testing protocol: Test It Yourself.
