Body Armour - USA / USMC

[MedCorps]

Hi all,

I came across this at work today and reckoned that you might be interested:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07911t.pdf

It is the United Stated Army and Marine Corps’ Body Armor Requirements, Controls, and Other Issues that came out a few months ago.  Interesting read, if you like this kind of stuff.

Enjoy,

MC

 

[R711]

this has been discussed on Lightfighter.net in more detail. but the gist of it is that the USMC came out with a concept at virtually the same time as the USAR. Orginally it was two slightly different vests, but the USMC saw that due to the bigger contract offered by the USAR that it would be benefical to use the Army vest and get it made in Coyote for thier needs. It looks like a great system and i wish the Canadian army would adapt a similar type vest as well.
R711 OUT

 

[Armymedic]

quoting from the article:

The Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) consists of an outer tactical vest with ballistic inserts or plates that cover the front, back, and sides. The vest and inserts currently meet the theater ballistic requirements. The vest provides protection from 9mm rounds, while the inserts provide protection against 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds

So the ballistic inserts are level III, and with the ceramic plates, level IV.

Someone want to refresh us what level of protection our ballistic vest w/ and w/o the plates provides us?

 

[KevinB]

Depends -- the orginal insert small arms protective was a LIIIA soft armour package.
  Due to a few reasons, it was descided to replace with a fragmentation protective insert.

With the US issued ESAPI plate your getting a LIV multihit plate - where a SAPI plate you get single hit rated protection.

Pics and a bit more up in a few min.


 

 

[KevinB]

Here is a pic of a USGI add on soft armor panel for the OTV (in this case a deltoid protector) and an ESAPI plate
  They are LIII - thus a bit thinner and less protective than a LIIIA panel.

I'm not the biggest OTV fan - and USSOC issues different setups than the OTV.