Purchased new by me in March 2023, this set (one of two sets available) has never been out of the factory packaging until I took these pictures on 4/23/26. They have been in a safe in a non-smoking environment. Tags are still in place. These sets include the upgraded Level III+ Curved plates with FragLock option. This is a high-quality set that would cost around $650 per set.

Each set includes the following:

The Plates:

Multi-Hit Capability
Tested to go above and beyond NIJ level 3 standards, the curved A1 armor plate is level 3+ rated to defeat all pistols and most rifle ammunition, including 5.56×45 M193, 5.56×45 M855/SS109 at 3,000 FPS as well as AK-47 rounds (7.62×39) and .308 (7.62×51 M80 NATO Ball) at 2,850 FPS. Also, thanks to the custom steel alloy blend, it is able to protect against several hits without shattering or breaking like ceramic or polyethylene would. It also provides the same protection on the edges as it does in the center, giving you true edge-to-edge coverage.

FragLock™ Coating
The FragLock™ Build-Up Coating on these particular plates protect the user by helping capture fragmentation (a bullet’s broken apart pieces after impact). The Base Coat seals the armor plate from sweat and other contaminants that would compromise the steel core. The plates has a shelf-life of twenty years and requires no maintenance. These plates are good for at least another 17 years

Type III+ Classification
NIJ 0106.01 is a National Institute of Justice standard that specifies performance requirements for rifle-resistant body armor. This standard provides testing protocols, including velocity, bullet types, and penetration limits, to ensure consistent levels of protection for law enforcement and security personnel. It was designed to address threats from common rifle ammunition encountered in tactical situations.
Type III+ is an informal designation within the ballistic community to describe armor that exceeds NIJ Type III performance. 

Key characteristics:
Protection Level: Can stop standard 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds, like standard Type III armor, plus certain higher-velocity or specialty rifle rounds. It offers enhanced protection against some semi-automatic rifle threats.

Intended Use: Typically used by specialized law enforcement units, military personnel, and individuals requiring higher-than-standard rifle protection. It is heavier and less flexible than soft armor but lighter than full Type IV plates in some designs.

Multi-Hit Capability: These III+ plates are designed to withstand multiple hits, depending on the location and spacing of impacts.
They provide a high level of rifle protection that bridges the gap between standard Type III and Type IV, ensuring improved safety against certain high-velocity rounds while remaining lighter than full Type IV plates. 

The Carriers:

The Veritas Lite is a comfortable, well-ventilated, and lightweight plate carrier for 10”x12” hard armor plates constructed of genuine 500D Cordura nylon and bar-tacked at all stress points. Plenty of PALS webbing for attaching your MOLLE-compatible pouches, holsters, and accessories.

The Veritas Lite features the same American-made, impact-resistant buckles as the original, but eliminates the bulk and weight of the padding, 3D mesh, and removes the MOLLE webbing on the upper front and rear portions. It is ideal for wearing over a soft armor vest. The Veritas Lite is a slimmed-down version of AR500’s standard plate carrier offering more maneuverability and less bulk. 

The Trauma Pads:

Armored Republic trauma pads are designed to be worn in conjunction with and behind your body armor to reduce the amount of energy transfer to your body, reducing felt energy through your armor and mitigating backface deformation. 

When a bullet strikes body armor, the energy from the impact is transferred to the armor. What happens to the armor depends on the type and material. Soft armor flexes and “catches” the bullet, whereas hard armor can either shatter the bullet (steel alloy), dissipate the force by breaking apart (ceramic), or capture the bullet by melting around it (polyethylene). All Armored Republic in standalone configurations perform very well in tests against back face deformation (BFD) and energy transfer and are designed with BFD in mind.

Each trauma pad is specially engineered to mitigate blunt force trauma in case your armor takes a round and reduces the amount of back face deformation that could occur, which can mitigate the risk of injury after impact. Designed to be worn in conjunction with and behind your body armor, our Trauma Pads reduce the amount of energy transferred to your body, reducing felt energy through your armor. Compatible with body armor from Armored Republic and most other armor systems and plate carriers.

The Cummerbund Kit from Armored Republic integrates seamlessly with plate carriers that have a flap pocket on the backside and Velcro on the front. The kit consists of two components: the front admin flap and the cummerbund itself.

The Cummerbund

The Armored Republic Cummerbund Kit is designed to add storage and side plate capability to your plate carrier. The front flap is optional and only needed for carriers that do not have a cummerbund flap. For carriers that have a cummerbund flap, the cummerbund is the only needed item.

The cummerbund kit can work with most other plate carriers on the market. (Excluding the Armored Republic Concealment and Compact carriers). With the included length of shock cord lashing, the cummerbund will reach a maximum 51″ in OAL circumference but can be sized down to Small when the lashing is moved inward towards the MOLLE columns.

Size: 22″ X 5″ X .25″ Per half (x2)