CES Composites focuses heavily on personal protection as well as aerospace and naval composites. Based out of Turkey, they were founded in 1996 and have grown significantly since, expanding their branches into the United Kingdom and Singapore. During a recent interview at EnforceTac 2025, we spoke with Bozo Bujanic, the Director of Head Protection Systems at CES about the development of body armor in respect to the conflict in Ukraine.
Developments in Shrapnel and Drones
Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, one of the larger trends in personal protection was high-cut helmets made for vital coverage and optimal integration. Body armor manufacturers primarily developed these helmets to improve peripheral vision and allow for easier use of communication headsets. R&D adapts to the advancements in ballistic weaponry that resulted as a consequence of this war, the largest concern in body armor manufacturing now are drones, rockets, and fragments. With these threats come faster and smaller projectiles, often doing more damage to soldiers than bullets. This development drives necessary innovation in the body armor market.
Emergence of Polyethylene Solutions
CES adapts to this conflict through the integration of polyethylene. We previously spoke with CES about polyethylene becoming more prevalent in the market. During this interview we discussed its specific implications and functions in new body armor.
Bujanic explains how the necessity for new ballistic materials like polyethylene has emerged as a consequence of the new fragment and drone technology. CES heavily utilizes polyethylene, as it is the only material that meets all the requirements to stop fast and small projectiles on the battlefield. Manufacturers approach the production of this militant body armor differently than previous personal protection solutions designed for bullet safety, especially in the context of this war. In comparison to shrapnel and lethal fragments, bullets are much larger and slower. Additionally, a large criteria emerging is the development of bigger armor with more coverage, as surface area is now a priority.
Difficulties emerge from finding compromise within these various elements. In reducing the weight, Bujanic says, you also reduce the price and surface of protection. At CES the R&D team works to find the optimal solutions to maximize protection while maintaining a lighter weight.
Body Armor Expenses and Companies from Abroad
The number of protective equipment producers is increasing as a consequence of the war. Some production companies in Asia utilise cheaper components and sell them in Europe.
The importance of client communication surfaces here. European companies must actively explain to the user why some of the body armor from international sellers is cheaper, and inadvertently more dangerous.
As Bujanic richly put, ‘nations who, in the past, bought cheap armor, are starting to realize that human life is not as cheap as they think that it is. You are buying the bad body armor only once. Only once.’
