Tri-Service

The Building Block That Can Stop A Bullet

The latest piece of equipment on show in Russia's Army Expo 2015 seems like something out of The Lego Movie.

With interlocking blocks easily crafted into any position, the system can be constructed quickly and without specialist knowledge or equipment, to reinforce infantry positions.

It is said to provide protection against shrapnel and bullets from small arms of all types to large-calibre armour-piercing rounds.

Assembling the barrier presents a considerable challenge, however, with each block weighing in at a minimum of 50kg with the ballistic glass and 75kg for the basic block.

The affordable competitor to the Russian companies lego is the humble sandbag. Easily fillable (depending on terrain), transportable, cheap - and holding a maximum of 35kg of sand, it seems like a no-contest. But can it take more of a punch, and be stacked as high?

As the topic is readily deployable barrier systems, we thought we'd ask the experts.

HESCOs huge earth-filled bags were used to define Camp Bastion boundaries

HESCO Bastion, the British company that produces bomb-proof bags and provided the British camp in Afghanistan with its namesake, share many of the issues raised about the inter-locking blocks. Citing a thread on social-networking site Reddit, a spokeswoman pointed to a couple of quotes from users that echoed some of the companies concerns:

"I would feel much safer behind a HESCO barrier. It shrugged off direct RPG fire."

"If you’re already doing earth work you might as well just build massive, cheap, HESCO barriers and leave the armor blocks at home"

The Head of Technical Assurance at the company went on to say: