Body armor for American troops

[RICHARD]

If you get a chance check out the piece.

One thing about the IBA was it's failure at arouund four hits. The frame upon which the armor was mounted had clay mounted underneath to show the impact and deflection of the plates.

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If I remember correctly they used an armor piercing/incendiary round on the DS.it held up to that- The question of the DS holding up to a vehicle fire wasn't even broached!

DL also mentioned that there are CIA people using DS during their ops.

I see the problem with testing and then buying 300,000 sets, but nothing is too costly if it saves one life.

[lizbud]

I see the problem with testing and then buying 300,000 sets, but nothing is too costly if it saves one life.

It's red tape at it's worst. Contracts have already been made & it takes
a lot of personal "effort" to consider a change now. Vets are cheated in
their care & treatment here at home, but they should have the best available
when they are in the field. IMO.

[lizbud]

Richard,

Just happened to run across this interesting article. Lots of info here.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0524/p99s01-duts.html

[RICHARD]

Fox news did a 'round table' on the subject today.

I didn't see the whole thing but will try to find the text.

[Lady's Human]

The 20 pound difference between the vests is a HUGE issue, as an infantryman is already carrying about 40 pounds of equipment BEFORE the vest is added to the combat load. (Want to see the difference? Put 60 pounds in a backpack, walk around with it all day, and then after giving your body a while to recover, then try the same with 80 lbs. That weight doesn't even take in the extra 20 pounds that an RTO or a machine gunner is carrying.)

While the DoD procurement system is a bureaucratic maze at best, they do occasionally get some things right. The maker of Dragon Skin has been deeply embroiled in a PR campaign for about 2 years now to get the vests accepted, and the media is just making a mess out of it.