Wonder what it is like wearing that stuff in 120 degree heat?
There our heroes go again - taking the fight FROM the enemy :)
Interesting, but I think that it indicates a need for newer, better armor and body armor research more than anything else.
If you dress a man like a turtle he starts to act and move like a turtle.
You want cool? Check this out. MIT is developing body armor destined to be in use around 2030. Although the article below doesnt mention it, this armor is also more or less "chameleon armor" - designed to blend the wearer into his surroundings:
Liquid Body Armor
Photo courtesy U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center
The Future Force Warrior is protected by liquid body armor built into his or her uniform.
With advances in ballistics, armies must develop better body armor. One type of modern body armor, first developed in the 1960s, is made out of advanced woven fibers that can be sewn into vests and other soft clothing. More commonly known as Dupont Kevlar®, this is one of the many body armor solutions currently employed by U.S. Forces. Another type of armor, SAPI plates, or "small arms protective insert" plates, are hardened ceramic composite plates inserted into a soldier's fragmentation protective vest in both the forward and back torso pockets.
Now, scientists are working on a new breed of armor made from magnetorheological (MR) fluids -- liquid body armor.
One type of MR fluid consists of small iron particles suspended in silicon oil. The oil prevents the particles from rusting. The fluid transforms from liquid to solid in just milliseconds when a magnetic field or electrical current is applied to it. The current causes the iron particles to lock into a uniform polarity and stack on top of each other, creating an impenetrable shield. How hard the substance becomes depends on the strength of the magnetic field or electrical current. Once the charge or magnetic field is removed, the particles unlock, and the substance goes back to a fluid state.
MR fluid will fill small pockets in the Future Force Warrior uniform fabric. The uniforms will be wired to allow an electrical current to pass through the fabric. The electrical current will be controlled by the onboard computer system and will automatically charge the MR fluid when there is a ballistic threat present.
MIT scientists who are developing the liquid body armor say that it will take five to 10 years to make the substance fully bullet resistant.
This is nearly identical to the complaint and resolution of the trench fighters of WW1, about the use of helmets.
The only guy who appreciates the armor is the guy who's life is saved by it.
BUMP!
"many soldiers say they feel encumbered by the weight and restricted by fabric that does not move as they do..."
"You can slap body armor on all you want, but it's not going to help anything. When it's your time, it's your time," said Suthoff, a platoon leader in the brigade's 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment. "I'd go out with less body armor if I could."
The debate between protection versus mobility has dominated military doctrine since the Middle Ages, when knights wrapped themselves in metal suits for battle, said Capt. Jamey Turner, 35, of Baton Rouge, La., a commander in the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment.
The issue comes up daily on the battlefield in Iraq, and soldiers need to realize there is no such thing as 100 percent protection, he said.
"You've got to sacrifice some protection for mobility," he added. "If you cover your entire body in ceramic plates, you're just not going to be able to move."
"These guys over here are husbands, sons and daughters. It's understandable people at home would want all the protection in the world for us. But realistically, it just don't work," said Sgt. Paul Hare, 40, of Tucumcari, N.M.
http://labs.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060108/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_body_armor;_ylt=AteaIKje4hOL6YHaGzzcrHJ34T0D;_ylu=X3oDMTA2c250NGZwBHNlYwN1aA--
Let the NCOs at the company level decide what to require and what to make optional. How about Kevlar jockstraps with ceramic cups?
Troops need lighter, better armour of course.
But what would be really interesting is a peltier effect coolant suit with heat sinks etc. The world of Mechwarrior is approaching faster than we think.
bfl
HILLARY'S ARMOR: A decades-old story...
for the birds
(THE INCOMPETENCE OF HILLARY CLINTON)