Highcom Ltd Hits Commercial Scale and Gains First NIJ 0101.07 Plate Listing

HighCom Limited (ASX: HCL) has reached commercial production loads on its proprietary XTclave™ process, while securing its first plate listing on the US NIJ Certified Products List (CPL) under the new NIJ 0101.07 baseline standard. The dual milestone marks a step in the commercialisation of the Company’s next-generation lightweight rifle protection solutions.

Three additional XTclave™ plates completed independent third-party testing across multiple threat levels, and the Company validated its BRS21M plate to the Brazilian SENASP standard, supporting a large-scale international program opportunity.

What the NIJ 0101.07 certification milestone means

Inclusion on the CPL carries direct commercial weight. According to HighCom, the list establishes which armour products meet the US Government’s rigorous Federal performance requirements, ensuring high product quality and performance standards are maintained, and setting the buying standard for Federal and State agencies.

This is HighCom’s first plate certified to the new NIJ 0101.07 standard, positioning the Company to support customers transitioning from older baselines to the updated US requirement.

HighCom Positioning

The Company noted that, with certification progress underway and multiple products validated to the NIJ 0101.07 standard, HighCom is well-positioned to support customers transitioning to the new standard and to address demand for lightweight, high-performance ballistic protection.

Certification pipeline and newly tested plates

HighCom continues to broaden its NIJ 0101.07 product offering. The RF1 standalone lightweight plate, which delivers rifle-rated protection with minimal reduction in operator mobility, is progressing through testing and certification, while six additional plate submissions are currently under NIJ review for future CPL inclusion.

Beyond the certification pipeline, the Company completed independent third-party laboratory testing for three new plates across distinct threat levels.

The IRIS platform incorporates complex curvature geometry, enabling improved protection and comfort for female users. These geometries are made possible using HighCom’s proprietary XTclave™ process.

Understanding XTclave: the manufacturing edge

For readers less familiar with the technology, XTclave™ is HighCom’s proprietary advanced composite and ceramic consolidation process.

According to the Company, XTclave™ delivers four core advantages:

• Improves material consolidation and ballistic consistency

• Enables lightweight, high-performance armour designs

• Supports complex geometries such as the IRIS platform for the female form, as well as applications on vehicles, vessels and aerial platforms

• Allows scale and efficiency to meet increasing global product demand

Reaching commercial loads is significant because it shifts the technology from validated to revenue-capable at volume. The Company stated that the continued expansion of XTclave™ production capacity positions HighCom to efficiently deliver growing volumes of next-generation armour solutions across military, law enforcement, and international markets.

International reach: Brazilian SENASP validation

HighCom has successfully completed testing to the Brazilian SENASP standard for its BRS21M plate, supporting a large-scale program opportunity. The validation extends the Company’s certification footprint beyond US standards into an international market.

The source does not disclose the value or scale of the program, and the result represents validation supporting an opportunity rather than a signed contract. Investors should view it as a qualifying step that could underpin future international demand if the opportunity progresses.

Investment thesis and outlook for 2026

Taken together, commercial-load production, the first NIJ 0101.07 certification, six plates in review, and international SENASP validation position HighCom across military, law enforcement and international markets. Each additional CPL listing expands the addressable US government and agency market that the Company can supply.

The US defence procurement recovery has already begun translating into tangible order flow for HighCom, with a US$1.2 million body armour contract from a major long-term customer scheduled for FY26 delivery as agency buying normalises following an extended government funding shutdown.

The Company expects continued momentum throughout calendar 2026 as additional products progress through certification and enter commercial production.

For investors tracking the Company, the near-term catalyst path includes several distinct strands to monitor:

1. Six additional plates progressing toward CPL inclusion

2. Continued XTclave™ production capacity expansion

3. Brazilian SENASP program development

4. Further commercial production ramp through 2026

Each milestone broadens HighCom’s certified product range and, by extension, the pool of agencies and programs able to procure its armour solutions.

For investors exploring the financial context behind these certification milestones, our deep-dive into HighCom’s H2 FY26 revenue outlook covers the 100-150% revenue surge forecast, the path to breakeven, and the role XTclave plays in the Company’s technology division, which has grown to 46% of group revenue.

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