Even since the late 20th century there have been attempts made to make new bullet-proof vests for combat troops as well as the rich that depend on VIP protection. Several western and eastern labs have been working with arachnofiber vests with spider silk which is the greatest load bearing substance in the word and is 12-25x stronger than steel depending on the type! This means that a heavy Kevlar threat level 3 with insert can be replaced with a spider silk vest that weighs less and is stronger. Silk packs can also be used by SFs to ruin access to vehicles and entry ways and snare enemies! I do not know how far they are militarily by now, but several arachnofiber vests have been sold to the Saudis at $250,000 each!!! These are capable of taking all pistol, rifle, and grenade schrapnel. They can defeat any knife. A flak sized vest can stop a .50 cal but one could still die from internal injuries of the KE force. This biotech is being considered for some supersoldiers while in Europe nanofiber is 27x steel and cheaper to make. Interesting to see who gets it first. The Germans use articulated and laminate armor for IDZ troops. New helmets are polyfenol.

Note: It is hoped that entire military and police clothing of the future can be made from this material for protection. Light as '80s parachute pants but stronger than steel! Reminds me of that Alec Guinness movie "The Man in the White Suit."