Indonesian Army Inducts Bullet Proof Vests Made From Palm Oil Waste.

December 2025: Palm oil waste, which has long been overlooked, has now proven its potential as a strategic material for national defence.

The innovative bulletproof vest made from empty palm oil fruit bunches (TKKS), the result of research by the IPB University team, has passed ballistic testing and been certified after undergoing rigorous testing at the Indonesian Army Research and Development Laboratory in Batujajar, Bandung, on Friday.

This success marks an important achievement in IPB University’s biomaterial research in supporting the development of a defence industry based on local resources. This achievement is the culmination of years of TKKS biomaterial research, with a specific focus on bulletproof materials since 2023, which has finally met military qualification standards.

This innovation emerged from a multidisciplinary team at IPB University that led by Dr Siti Nikmatin, a researcher at the Palm Oil Research Center and a lecturer in the Physics Department. The research team members include Dr Irmansyah, Rima Fitria Adiati, MT, Dr Agus Kartono (Physics), and Tursina Andita Putri, M.Sc. (Agribusiness).

The involvement of industry partners through Andika Kristinawati, M.Sc. from PT Interstisi Material Maju has further strengthened the down streaming of this research. The certification process was witnessed directly by IPB University leaders, including Prof Anas Miftah Fauzi (Chair of the Advanced Technology International Research Institute) and Prof Budi Mulyanto (Chair of the Palm Oil Study Center).

This ballistic testing process was directly monitored by a team of Indonesian Army research officers, namely Colonel Cpl Kries Kambaksono, Colonel Yayat Priatna P, Colonel Hiras M.S Turnip, and Colonel Tri Handoko.

The TKKS fiber vest was tested using 9×19 millimetre caliber ammunition from a shooting distance of 5 meters, covering dry and wet shooting conditions, as well as testing its resistance to stabbing and slashing with sharp weapons.

Based on the assessment of the testing team, the vest was declared to have passed because it was able to withstand projectiles without penetration with a level of deformation or indentation of less than 44 millimetres. This performance is considered very competitive with the current market price range for Level IIIA bulletproof vests.

In addition to fulfilling protection aspects, this vest also stands out in terms of ergonomics, weighing less than 2 kg and less than 2 cm thick. This project is funded through the Matching Fund Program (Kedaireka) of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology for the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

Dr Siti Nikmatin emphasised the importance of strategic steps towards commercialisation. According to her, the availability of palm fiber raw materials is abundant, but the production process still requires investment in machinery and capital because many stages are done manually.

“Hopefully, this innovation can transform the potential of palm oil waste into a new strength for Indonesia’s defence industry sovereignty in the future”, she hoped.

Team Maverick.