Body armor could be a technological hero of war in Iraq

CS Monitor ^ | April 2, 2003 | Seth Stern

[austinite]

Forget JDAMs and MOABs, satellites and stealth bombers. For the American GI on the ground in Iraq, the true technological marvel may be four-pound ceramic plates slipped into flak jackets. Capable of stopping most bullets, the body armor worn by virtually all of the Army and Marine combat troops in Iraq is being credited with saving many lives. Soldiers shot at close range are walking away with no more than sore backs and broken ribs.

While the newest smart bombs and electronic wizardry usually get more attention, unheralded improvements in soldiers' gear are improving performance and safety on the battlefield. The new body armor, in particular, may help dramatically reduce casualties in the frequent firefights troops are facing on the road to Baghdad.

[austinite]

Good stuff...

[AdamSelene235]

I wonder how much longer civilians will be "allowed" to own this stuff.

The BATF has already classified .308 Winchester as a *pistol* cartridge in order to prevent civilian ownership of AP ammo.

[Newbomb Turk]

Less than 1/4 of the soldiers deployed have access to this type of body armor.

Most are still wearing the old style Vietnam era flack vests.

Army officials said about 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq don't have the armor. Congressmen who have been fielding letters from angry soldiers and their families say the figure is more like 44,000. Many complaints originated with National Guard and Reserve units, which by their nature don't get the latest equipment. Relatives of some soldiers have even bought armor in the United States -- spending more than $1,500 -- and shipped it to Iraq.

The Arizona Republic Oct. 15, 2003 12:00 AM The largest maker of body armor used by U.S. soldiers in Iraq says spotty government funding and a materials shortage are why one-fourth of the troops there lack the strongest shields. Bradley Forst, chief executive officer of Phoenix-based Simula Inc., said the company could produce twice as many of the ceramic plates that slip into vests if it had more government contracts and could get more materials from suppliers. It currently makes about 5,000 plates a month.

"Clearly the demand outstrips the supply," he said.

The government estimates that about 30,000 of the 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq lack the special vests that can stop bullets such as 7.62mm rounds fired by Kalashnikov rifles, which are common in Iraq and Afghanistan. Older-model vests can block shrapnel and other low-speed projectiles but not high-velocity rifle rounds. The newer vests may not reach Iraq before December, more than eight months after the war began.

The Phoenix area is a capital of sorts for producing the bulletproof ceramic plates, which slip into the front and back of special vests worn by soldiers and police. Simula is the largest of three original government suppliers; the other two are Armor Works LLC of Tempe and Ceradyne Inc. of Costa Mesa, Calif.

[ExpatCanuck]

There is an awful lot of government waste, probably in the billions of dollars. If ordinarly Americans knew that they could offer better protection to our soldiers by giving up a handful of pork barrel projects and grants, they would do it. The greatest weapon the voracious bureaucracy of government has is the ignorance of the people. For example, given a choice between spending $500k on studying the mating habits of some marshland tree frog, or spending it on 20 sets of body armour, the average American would say f*** the frogs.

[cars for sale]

go re read the military do rey me just signed...this body armor is ON THE WAY

[irv]

I wonder how much longer civilians will be "allowed" to own this stuff.

In the state of NY it's already illegal to wear any sort of "bullet proof vest" except for the police.

[TheJollyRoger]

The stuff we wore back in the day in Nam (1963-1964) was a fiberglass-metal impregnated compound that was VERY HEAVY to hump...considering that it would'd stop a 5.56 at close range. The term "Body Armor" is still a myth. I'm sorry to say my fiends...when soldiers go into harm's way...they may die. This is why our freedoms do NOT come from the government...they (the freedoms) come from our own blood. BODY ARMOR does not exist. PAY THE PRICE...we will remember you forever.

Hail!...victory!...a Free Republic forever!

If it takes sacrifice...then sacrifice it shall be.

AMERICAN HEROS will always step up to the line.

Will you?

[Beelzebubba]

My thought is that the less this is publicized, the better.

[RadioAstronomer]

In the state of NY it's already illegal to wear any sort of "bullet proof vest" except for the police.

Good grief! WOW!

BTW, you can buy body armor on ebay.

[Focault's Pendulum]

BTW, you can buy body armor on ebay.

It's also readily available in the pharmacy of your choice. Oh boy!.... Do I remember the embarassment wanting to buy a three pack when I was twenty five!!!

I was a late bloomer....and anyway...RadioAstronomer shamed me into start posting again.

[RadioAstronomer]

It's also readily available in the pharmacy of your choice. Oh boy!.... Do I remember the embarassment wanting to buy a three pack when I was twenty five!!!

ROFL!!!!!!!!!

I was a late bloomer....and anyway...RadioAstronomer shamed me into start posting again.

Hehehehehe :-)

[Maelstrom]

Americans are already proving that we can provide the equipment for soldiers by purchasing it ourselves and sending it over via FedEx.

Don't that just kick the statists in the balls?

[GATOR NAVY]

This relevent letter was in Stars and Stripes Wednesday Pacific edition:

"GIs in Iraq need vests more

"I’m serving in Kosovo. Almost all the members of my task force and I have been issued Interceptor Body Armor with ballistic plates. We received these vests shortly after arriving in Kosovo back in July.

"There’s little to no threat to any of us here compared with the troops in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Certainly there always exists the possibility of something happening here. But in Iraq it’s not simply a possibility. Several times a day, day after day, the need for this body armor is demonstrated. With every incident that occurs in Iraq in which a soldier is lost due to substandard body armor, the other soldiers and I who have the armor but don’t need it have to live with the guilt of their loss.

"I’m embarrassed to even have the Interceptor vest. The sad truth is that we rarely wear the vests. They’re seen as one more piece of useless equipment that soldiers are forced to tote along with them on patrols. A lot of us are often left to wonder how the U.S. military can be so incompetent and so seemingly brainless.

"How was something like this allowed to happen? What command personnel would submit a request at this time for this level of armor for the troops in Kosovo? Moreover, what kind of person would even knowingly consider approving such a request? It would also be interesting to know when this request was submitted. Was it submitted years ago when the need for such armor in the Balkans may have been necessary? Is the paperwork trail so long, redundant and defeating that it’s possible this request is in fact several years old? If that’s the case, is the military so inept that it couldn’t stop the ball from rolling? Either way, the military has failed its fighting soldiers.

"In addition to the body armor, I also take issue with the “up-armored” Humvees. We arrived to a full complement of these vehicles. Shortly afterward, we were told the vehicles would be shipped to Iraq. Finally, something right was going to happen. But we’re now well into our fourth month in country, and there are still “up- armored” Humvees here in Kosovo. To my knowledge it’s a slow process and few have been shipped. I’d venture to say that even fewer, if any at all, have found their way to the soldiers in Iraq. I’m certain the KFOR command and its soldiers would gladly hand-deliver these vests and vehicles today if it were only that easy.

"The U.S. military will defend its time-consuming incompetence by saying the vehicles first have to be overhauled and painted before they can be delivered. And of course let’s not forget the paperwork. While this is certainly true, one could make the sarcastic argument that MAACO could get it done in a day.

"Is the U.S. military so crippled by its enslaving obsession with paperwork, tracking and accountability of supplies and equipment that it doesn’t see what’s happening, or is it simply turning a blind eye? I consider it to be a combination of both."

Spc. Michael Young

Kosovo

[Gumption]

"Is the U.S. military so crippled by its enslaving obsession with paperwork, tracking and accountability of supplies and equipment that it doesn’t see what’s happening, or is it simply turning a blind eye? I consider it to be a combination of both."

Finally a refreshingly original complaint about the military. (/you-know-what)

[Newbomb Turk]

Good info ( BUMP )

[austinite]

bump

[Travis McGee]

Most are still wearing the old style Vietnam era flack vests.

Totally wrong. The VN era vests were made of nylon and only stopped fragments. Today's soft kevlar vests stop pistol and subgun bullets point blank, and many "spent" or richocheted rifle rounds. Even without the plates, you cannot compare the effectiveness of VN era vests to today's vests. Totally bogus.

[Travis McGee]

Great post, worth its own thread.

[Squantos]

I'm gonna hoist the Bullsh*t Flag to full mast on yer disinformational post !........When I retired in 98 after 26 years there wasn't anyone wearing the Vietnam Era vests nor were they wearing even the vest issued after Vietnam . Not Active Duty, Reserve or Guard as I observed it first hand. Last one I saw on a troop was about 84 and he was a National Guard Airman to the best of my memory. But if ya have proof of your claim then please educate me. Otherwise someone has seriously fed you some bad info NT.......

Stay Safe !

[archy]

Less than 1/4 of the soldiers deployed have access to this type of body armor.

Most are still wearing the old style Vietnam era flack vests.

Nope. Not the old M1968 *flak jacket*, Thank God. I once draped one over a chair and let fly with a 10-round magazine's worth from an L34A1 submachinegun to see how well it worked; it was shredded, with the 9mm pistol rounds zipping through fromt and back with no problem at all. Ruined the chair back, too.

Much more likely: a lot of the guys arev now wearing the PASGT body armor of the 1991 *Desert Storm* Gulf War. Not up to the Interceptor Vest or Ranger Body Armor standard, but worlds better than the old *Vest, protective M1968, many of which went to the Israelis.

My own preference is for the present-issue CVC [Combat vehicle crewman's] armor. meant for those who spend a lot of their time in a sitting position, as per tank crews or drivers.

Simple. cheap and lightweight compared to Interceptor body armor, and treadheads only poke the top half outside of their hatches most of the time anyway. If detailed to footpounder chores, however, that preference is subject to change in a heartbeat.

[DreaminBig]

First posting... Would you say ARMOR WORKS LLC/CERADYNE INC companies producing these plates would be great companies to invest in? Considering the global drama stirring up, particularly in the mid-east.

[Kozak]

Check this stuff out....

http://www.pinnaclearmor.com/dragon-skin-survivors.php