Gabion Walls vs. Defencell™

Wire mesh gabion walls make up over 40% of the protective barriers found in Iraq and Afghanistan. Similar in design to Defencell, these gabions walls offer ballistics and explosion protection while requiring only minimal training and resources to construct.

Wire mesh gabions were originally developed for flood protection and later used as ballistics barriers. These steel mesh gabions retained their metal-based mounting hardware when making the transition to military use. Unfortunately, wire mesh poses a high risk of secondary fragmentation, and radio frequency and thermal interference when used in combat operations.

Wire mesh gabions have saved countless lives, but the 20-year-old design leaves room for improvement. Defencell protective barriers offer similar blast protection without the need for metal or plastic hardware.

Defencell units require a smaller logistical footprint, in fact one container of Defencell provides the equivalent force protection of five containers of standard wire mesh gabions. Defencell units are also man portable -- meaning they can easily be carried by rucksack for expedient force protection in remote locations without the need for special equipment.

Defencell barriers can also complement existing force protection systems. For example, Defencell systems can be used for interior walls, tent compartmentalization, containerized housing units (CHUs), and critical asset protection alongside larger gabion perimeter walls. Defencell will not only save space, but reduce the risk of secondary fragmentation when used in close proximity to soldiers and sensitive items.

Wire Mesh Gabion Disadvantages

The primary difference between Defencell and wire mesh gabions is the surrounding metal cage. Most gabions are constructed using a polypropylene geotextile membrane surrounded by a steel cage. Gabion cages will fragment when attacked by explosives, creating high velocity shrapnel which can injure more soldiers than the actual explosion.

The metal cage also adds an additional logistical consideration during disassembly. Large steel gabion perimeters can often extend for miles, and must be broken down during base evacuation to prevent the enemy from reusing old fortifications. Disassembly requires disconnecting the wire mesh on a unit by unit basis, which is both time-consuming and produces significant metal waste that must be moved off-site.

Gabions vs. Defencell Chart

	Standard Wire Mesh Gabions	Defencell (DT1, DC2, DC3, DC4)
Container Weight	42,070 lbs	15,600 lbs, 14,800 lbs, 15,000 lbs, 14,000 lbs
Pallet Weight	2,156 lbs	780 lbs, 740 lbs, 750 lbs, 700 lbs
Setup Time	About 20 minutes per unit	About 20 minutes per unit
Assembly Requirements	Can be built manually or with engineering equipment	Can be built manually or with engineering equipment
Secondary Fragmentation	Very high risk of fragmentation	No inherent secondary fragmentation
Crash Certification	Varies by manufacturer	U.S. State Department K12/M50 Barrier
Delivery Options	Sling load, truck, man portable (cannot be airdropped)	Sling load, air drop, truck or man portable
Foundational Requirements	Can be built on any surface	Can be built on any surface
Ballistics Capability	Small arms, cannon, mortar, artillery, & fragmenting weapons	Small arms, cannon, mortar, artillery, VBIED & fragmenting weapons
Manufacturing Origin	Various global manufacturers	Made in the US (Berry Amendment compliant)
Maximum Height	Varies by manufacturer	Up to 15 Ft
Material	Steel wire mesh, geotextile lining, granular fill	100% Polypropelyne Geotextile & Granular Fill
UV resistance	5 years	2 Year Guarantee
Available widths	2 to 7 ft	24 in, 43 in, 65 in, and 87 in
Man portability	22 lbs per unit, will not fit in backpack	DT1 = 9.5 lbs
Disposability	Non-disposable wire mesh	Easily disposable