TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Composition: The fibers comprise fiber-glass fibers. The fiber-glass fibers are chosen from E-type glass fibers and/or S-type glass fibers. The laminate comprises plied construction or tape construction. The fibers are continuation fibers and the laminate comprises a tape construction. The fire-resistant composite laminate comprises several composite plies including at least composite ply (P1) and composite ply (P2), in which the composite ply (P1) and the composite ply (P2) comprises fibers embedded in the thermoplastic matrix, and the composite plies are bonded together to form the fire-resistant composite laminate. At least one of the outer layer (12) and the outer layer (14) comprises coating of the composite structure. The composite structure comprises fibers which are parallel to each other. The composite ply (P1) and the composite ply (P2) comprise fibers of different strength. The core of the composite structure comprises expanded polyvinylidene fluoride foam at thickness more than the thickness of the outer layer (12), the outer layer (14) and the intermediate layer (17). The plies (P'1) comprise E-type glass fibers and the plies (P'2) comprise S-type glass fibers. The composite ply (P1) comprises E-type glass fibers and the composite ply (P2) comprises S-type glass fibers. The fibers are parallel to each other within their respective plies and the plies are arranged so that fibers of each ply are arranged cross-wise to fibers of an adjacent ply. The fire-retardant ballistic panel comprises fire-resistant composite laminate containing fire-resistant polymeric matrix material reinforced with fibers embedded in the matrix of the composite laminate, in which the fire-retardant ballistic panel achieves at least one protection level against a projectile as defined by NIJ Standard armor grades II-A, II, III and IV, when the projectile is directed at the panel. The fire-retardant ballistic panel has face (F1) and face (F2), and comprises a strike face portion containing several plies (P'1) each comprising fibers in a polymeric matrix material (M1) containing fire-retardant resin (R1), and a support portion adjacent to the strike face portion, in which the support portion comprises several plies (P'2) each containing fibers in polymeric matrix material (M2) comprising fire-retardant resin (R2), and in which each ply is bound to an adjacent ply. The polymeric matrix material (M1) and/or polymeric matrix material (M2) comprises polyvinylidene fluoride. The panel achieves at least one protection level against a projectile as defined by NIJ Standard armor grades II-A, II, III-A, III and IV, when the projectile is directed at the strike face. The laminate further comprises additional reinforcing material. The composite structure further comprises at least one intermediate layer between the outer layer (12) and the outer layer (14). Preferred Process: The manufacture of fire-resistant composite laminate further involves bonding the laminate to a core comprising polyvinylidene fluoride foam.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polymeric matrix material of the fire-resistant composite laminate comprises polyvinylidene fluoride, polyether-ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide and/or polyether amide.