ASL GRP enhances its ballistic outboard covers for superyacht tenders and tactical vessels

In high-risk maritime operations, visibility and vulnerability can be the difference between success and failure. As demand grows for greater protection on fast, agile craft, Air Sea Land Group (ASL) has updated its ballistic outboard engine covers with new Infra Red Reflective technology, adding another layer of defence for operators working in hostile environments. It’s composite armour systems are designed to withstand projectile impact and fragmentation from small firearms and blast fragmentation.

ASL launched its ballistic outboard covers last year – the company attended Metstrade and Seawork looking for customers with tactical craft – think fast-patrol vessels, RIBs, and inflatables with outboard engines. And also, superyacht tenders.

Risks to open and exposed vessels

“Tenders are often overlooked regarding the need for protection,” says Jon Diffey, MD.

“Whilst the mothership may dominate protection and armouring discussions, the risks of such open and exposed vessels should be acknowledged.”

Demand for private protection is growing – led by shipyards, interior fit-out teams and/or yacht designers.

“A superyacht tender’s small size and positioning of its outboard engine make them vulnerable, and with the industry demand for increased protection for such tenders and vessels alike, we carefully designed lightweight armouring to provide security without loosing speed or manoeuvrability.”

The company’s already ‘armoured’ a number of tenders. “We have to be especially mindful of weight distribution, material choices and space. Key zones that should be considered for armouring include seat backs, glazing at head height (glazing can have high weight impacts), inboard engines or outboards.”

A lightweight Legion Polyethylene (technical details are on the company’s website) is utilised for wheelhouses, seat backs, bulwarks and/or bulkheads to ensure critical zones remain shielded without compromising a vessel’s agility.

Ballistic outboard cover development

ASL’s covers can now incorporate new IRR material (Infra Red Reflective) and MOLLE webbing (heavy-duty nylon allows tools and accessories to be secured on the outboard’s cover).

IRR coating reduces engine visibility when viewed through night-vision or IR-sensitive equipment.

The outboard covers ASL makes are removable, flexible and custom made – with a practical, operational design to maintain essential vessel mobility. The company says the defence they provide is vital, reinforcing a vessels’ survivability in high-risk environments by ensuring propulsion remains intact and functional under fire.

Plus, the outboard covers decrease engine noise during operation.

Testing armoured outboard covers

When it comes to testing, Diffey says there is sometimes a misconception among the general public that ballistic testing is conducted with actual firearms.

“We don’t stand in a field and shoot at targets, much as this would be more entertaining for us.” ASL works with independent UK Laboratories, depending on customer requirement, including Precision Ballistics in Shrivenham.

“Ballistics testing involves shooting specified projectiles, using a remote trigger to fire from a test barrel (eg: 9mm, .44 Mag) at our test panel (armour). The distance, speed, round and conditions are all stringently controlled to assess penetration. High-speed cameras and blast overpressure measurement equipment are used to record the velocity of the projectile, the point(s) of impact, and the resulting damage or reaction of the test panel.”

Exhibitions key to introducing ballistic outboard covers to market

While ASL attended Metstrade this year (and made good contacts in the superyacht pavilion), Diffey – pictured below – says Seawork is the only exhibition that the company consistently books annually because it puts it in front of such a targeted audience.

“2025 was the year we finally got a boat on our stand – and what a difference that made. We were able to exhibit our full capabilities regarding small tactical craft, displaying our innovative new removable armouring system.

“We believe this is the first solution of its nature to be put into the working environment and it gained a lot of interest from boatbuilders, military and special forces personnel. Seawork 2025 certainly was a busy event for us, and the follow-through for the rest of the year has been evident.”

Currently the company’s supplied nearly 300 units of its ballistic outboard covers, of different make and models, to clients in Scandinavia and the Nordic regions. “However, these covers do not necessarily stay in country. The war in Ukraine has been the catalyst for increased defence spending in these areas.”
 
With a strong order book into 2026, each ballistic outboard cover is custom made to suit client requirements, including the engine make, model and size, and can offer two levels of ballistic protection, plus defence against high-velocity fragmentation. They come in a choice of colours including black, grey and camouflage finishes.