Case Study
Armoured Vehicle Hull Plate
Supplying certified armour plate and profiled parts to schedule for armoured vehicle manufacture.
Read case studyAs defence engineering evolves toward lighter, stronger and more survivable platforms, the demand for certified, high-integrity steel has never been more critical. We have spent over 20 years supplying global defence contractors, naval shipbuilders and ballistic protection engineers with fully traceable steel plate.
Tell us what you need — our defence specialists will respond fast.
Typical response within 1 working hourBrown McFarlane & the defence sector
Our stockholding and precision processing capabilities ensure your project receives military-grade steel that meets both structural and ballistic requirements, backed by full material traceability and documentation.
Supplying certified armour plate and profiled parts to schedule for armoured vehicle manufacture.
Read case studyWhy composite designs — armour plate in stressed zones, high-yield for load-bearing — reduce risk.
Download whitepaperGrades, hardness, certification and processing questions answered by our technical team.
Read the guideDefence applications demand steel grades that balance hardness, weight and weldability. The most common categories fall into three groups.
Armour plate provides ballistic and blast protection — we supply the Millux Protection range (380, 400, 450 and 500, where higher numbers indicate greater hardness). High-yield steel is used for load-bearing structures where weight reduction is essential: our S690QL and S890QL ultra-high-yield steels are specified for launch systems, bridge layers and landmine clearance vehicles. Structural grades such as EN 10025 S355 J2+N provide reliable foundation strength for non-ballistic defence infrastructure.
Because few platforms use one grade alone, the practical answer is a composite design — armour plate for small, highly stressed zones and high-yield steel for the primary load-bearing structure. We supply both categories and can provide profiled parts ready for assembly.
The term “military grade” is often misunderstood. In practice it refers to materials that meet specific defence standards — such as Def Stan, MIL-SPEC or NATO STANAG — for ballistic performance, chemical composition and mechanical properties.
Key requirements include certified hardness (armour plate must achieve a consistent Brinell hardness, e.g. 380–500 HBW, to defeat small arms or fragmentation), impact toughness (high-yield steels like S690QL maintain ductility at low temperatures, critical for arctic or naval operations), and traceability — every plate accompanied by an EN 10204 Type 3.1 or 3.2 certificate linking it to a specific cast and heat treatment.
For high-risk programmes we can also arrange witness testing or supplementary ultrasonic examination (UT) in accordance with ASTM A578.
Grades, hardness ratings, certification and processing capabilities — in one PDF.
Certified plate, full traceability, armour and high-yield from a single source. Tell us what you need and our specialists will respond fast.