United Shield International
J5 Rescue Supply is a United Shield International (USI) dealer located in Northern Illinois. We provide service in the Northern and Central Illinois area, as well as Southern Wisconsin, and Western Indiana.
As a dealer, it is our mission to help your department find the USI gear that works best for you. We are here to consult, present/demo, size, and advocate for your department when making this important life safety purchase.
Protective Equipment with U.S.A Quality & Craftsmanship
When you hold an armor carrier from USI you will feel the difference. These carriers are built by expert sewist in Traverse City Michigan. USI uses the highest quality raw materials to assemble their carriers.
As far as their ballistic equipment goes, USI uses a variety of products that are constructed from market leading ballistic materials, including the latest para-aramids (Twaron and Kevlar), high molecular weight polyethylene (Dyneema and Spectrashield), Goldflex, ceramic and other specialist ballistic composites.
The UPT Armor Series
The UPT Armor Series, we consider to be one of the best carriers we have seen for modern policing. The UPT armor series includes thirteen different carriers. Each carrier varies slightly to provide the user with different functionality for different missions. There are many, but they all are comfortable, adaptable, and scalable.
We find that most departments tend to lean towards the UPT Moody, or one of its variants. Here are all the carriers in the UPT armor series
- UPT Moody
- UPT Moody EV
- UPT Moody AV
- UPT Mountain Highland
- UPT Mountain Gurnee
- UPT Patrol
- UPT Uniform
- UPT Slick
- UPT Molle
- UPT Mountain Patrol
- UPT Mountain CLC
- UPT Mountain Uniform
- UPT Turnout
Functionality
The functionality of USI’s carriers are industry leading in law enforcement protection. Any UPT carrier is able to quickly up armor for an incident which requires increased coverage. This is what we consider scalable protection The following additional protectors are available
- Throat/Neck
- Bicep
- Shoulder/Delt
- Groin
These accessories can be quickly connected to the carrier using the G-Hook hardware. This allows an officer to quickly add ballistic panels to match the level of protection needed for the incident.
Soft Armor Options
USI has 3 different soft armor packages that are available with their carriers. When we sell the soft armor, the pricing includes the front and rear panels. IF you would like cummerbund panels that is an additional item. Typically when items are sold they are offered in a “good, better best” model, and this soft armor is no different.
Checkout the chart below to see the specs of each armor.
- Airius (Best)
- Araura (Better)
- Virtus (Good)
As you purchase higher quality armor you will decrease panel thickness and weight. This may not seem like much, but ounces add up. Some departments and officers opt for level II protection versus IIIa to decrease weight as well if needed.
USI Soft Armor Level II
| Model | Size | Weight (psf) | Thickness (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airius II | C1/C5 | 0.64 | 0.25 |
| Araura II | C1/C5 | 0.99 | 0.26 |
| Virtus II | C1/C5 | 1.24 | 0.33 |
USI Soft Armor Level IIIa
| Model | Size | Weight (psf) | Thickness (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airius IIIa | C1/C5 | 0.83 | 0.22 |
| Araura IIIa | C1/C5 | 1.12 | 0.28 |
| Virtus IIIa | C1/C5 | 1.3 | 0.35 |
Hard Armor Options
USI Carriers can quickly accept drop in hard armor (rifle rated plates) for when you need to match the level of the incident. See the pictures below. The Front flap of the UPT (pictured is the Moody), is what can be opened up and a rifle plate can be dropped in. We have other articles talking about different plates, manufacturers, and threat ratings. Generally speaking, these carriers will accept most plates. You don’t have to use USI plates, but we do highly recommend you purchase plates from a reputable U.S. based manufacturer.
The Buying Process
Click through the fields below to learn about the process of purchasing USI armor from J5 Rescue Supply. This process is not always the same, some steps may be skipped (for example the wear test) if the department doesn’t require it.
Contact J5 Rescue Supply and ask about United Shield International products. Whether you know exactly what your department is looking for, or if you need assistance deciding, we can help.
We can provide a clear and easy to read quote on the equipment you would like to purchase. Our quotes are completely transparent, with each item displayed in an itemized manner.
This may come before or after the quote phase. We can come to your department and present the USI product line. As a dealer, we have a variety of demo gear available. This demo gear includes sample ballistic panels so the departments can see the difference in USI ballistic soft armor. If the department is interested in a “wear test” and demoing USI gear we can size personnel at that time.
The “wear test” is optional if departments would like to try a carrier in service prior to purchasing. United Shield International will provide one carrier (with soft armor) for no charge to the department. At the end of the wear test if the department purchases armor, they simply keep the carrier. If they do not decide to purchase, the carrier can be returned to J5 Rescue Supply or to USI directly.
After a wear test or demonstration we will seek feedback from the department and it’s personnel. This feedback is valuable in helping us provide the best possible service to your department.
The final step is the decision to purchase. Once this decision has been made we will have your department sign a purchase agreement. Departments will be billed on Net 30 terms. This invoice will be generated when production is complete and your order ships from the factory.
