One major task of the army is to protect soldiers from the threats they encounter on the battlefield. This is done by equipping them with the right gears and tactical analysis. Some of the gears include a ballistic shield. However, ballistic shields have become more robust over time. More and thicker protective layers of ballistic shields do not often guarantee more victories won. However, it has kept noblemen alive for several decades now.
Ballistic shields have been a major part the world history as they played vital roles in wars and contemporary battles.
- Ballistic Shields in Second World War
In contrast to World War One, World War Two was also fought far more dynamically and so rarely offered suitable circumstances for the employment of man-portable ballistic shields. As a result, few shields were designed or fielded during World War Two and even fewer appear to have been employed successfully
- Cold War Period
As shields for soldiers are best employed in static, siege-like battles—and wars dominated by such battles have rarely been fought since the conclusion of the First World War—their use in more recent decades has been limited. Nonetheless, there are few instances when ballistic shields have been trialed or employed.
- Contemporary Use
Ballistic shields in contemporary usage are primarily encountered in service with law enforcement agencies. In this context, the drawbacks of employing a shield are far less significant than in open warfare. Firefights involving police officers are usually far shorter in duration than a battle. Most contemporary engagements typically occur without the need for a prolonged march beforehand. Also, they do not generally involve armor-piercing ammunition. They are also frequently a unidirectional affair, with officers often knowing the direction of a ballistic threat. Sometimes, officers can even know the make, model, and caliber of the weapons they would be going up against.
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