Interceptor Body Armor
Interceptor Multi-Threat Body Armor System is made up of two modular components: the outer tactical vest and small-arms protective inserts, or plates. The new body armor, which is unisex, is equipped with removable throat and groin protectors, as well as front and back removable plates, which can stop 7.62 mm rounds. It weighs 16.4 pounds; each of the two inserts weighs 4 pounds, and the outer tactical vest weighs 8.4 pounds. The previous body armor, the flak jacket, weighed 25.1 pounds.
The Interceptor body armor's lighter weight provides more mobility than the older flak vest. The new armor also has an outer tactical vest made of Kevlar weave that's capable of stopping a 9 mm bullet, plus the webbing on the front and back of the vest permits attaching other small pieces of equipment. The small-arms protective inserts are made of a boron carbide ceramic with a spectra shield backing that's an extremely hard material.
Soldiers in Iraq benefited from DARPA investments in advanced materials in the 1990s. DARPA developed and demonstrated personal body armor inserts made of boron carbide. These boron carbide inserts are lighter weight than the previous materials, and are being used in the Army Interceptor Body Armor system in Iraq, which weighs 35 percent less than the former vest.
Interceptor Body Armor Components
The outer tactical vest consists of a Kevlar weave that's will stop 9mm pistol rounds. Webbing on the front and back of the vest permits attaching such equipment as grenades, walkie-talkies and pistols. The Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) is made of a boron carbide ceramic with a spectra shield backing that's an extremely hard material. It stops, shatters and catches any fragments up to a 7.62 mm round with a muzzle velocity of 2,750 feet per second. It's harder than Kevlar.
The Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) has significantly improved Soldier combat survivability, but in what ways does it change rifleman lethality? A July 2005 study quantified the effects of Soldier equipment on lethality through multi-factor logistic regression using data from range experiments with the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), at Fort Riley, Kansas. The designed experiment of this study estimated the probability of a qualified US rifleman hitting a human target. It used the rifleman's equipment, posture, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), and experience along with the target's distance, time exposure and silhouette presentation as input factors. The resulting family of mathematical models provides a Probability of Hit prediction tailored to a shooter-target scenario. The study showed that for targets closer than 150 meters, Soldiers shot better while wearing body armor than they did without. Body armor had a negative effect for targets farther than 200 meters, and this could significantly impact the employment of the Squad Designated Marksman. The study also showed that the kneeling posture was an effective technique and recommended standardized training on this method of firing.
The Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) is a modular soft armor system; its protection can be tailored to a particular mission threat by adding or removing subcomponents. The OTV provides fragmentation and 9mm bullet protection and replaces the Personal Armor System - Ground Troops (PASGT) vest currently fielded. The OTV base vest weighs less than 6.5-lbs. It provides the wearer with improved fragmentation protection plus 9mm bullet protection at a weight savings of about 18% over the PASGT vest it replaces. A removable collar, throat protector, and/or groin protector may be affixed to the vest to increase its area of protection and casualty reduction potential. The exterior of the vest is covered with MOLLE-compatible webbing hangars that accommodate load carriage using a variety of standard pouches and pockets. The vest is also designed to be compatible with the FLC, ALICE, MOLLE and ILBE load carriage systems. Currently produced in solid shade Coyote brown only, a single OTV may be worn with the Corps' MARPAT camouflage in both desert and woodland environments. OTV is available in five sizes, XS through XL, with the same sizing system used for the SAPI plates.
Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) plates provide additional protection for vital organs. Pockets integrated into the front and rear of the vest securely hold one or two plates. When SAPI plates are not worn, the front SAPI pocket retracts into the shell for reduced overlap and passive cooling. The rear pocket is fitted with a hole, which permits it to be used for carrying an on-the-move hydration system bladder within the vest. The OTV shell and ballistics are separate sub-components, permitting replacement for repair or upgrade without obsolescing the entire system. The Interceptor body armor jacket could stop 9mm handgun bullets in their tracks. Siliconized silicon carbide and boron carbide plates that can stop rifle or machine-gun fire - which was not possible with this jacket in the past - are now available to insert in the jacket's pockets. Simula, with a production capacity of 5,000 plates per month, had delivered 45,000 of its siliconized silicon carbide plates by 2002 and at that time was under contract to deliver 140,000 more; 12,000 of CERCOM's boron carbide plates had also been fielded by 2002. The new armor plates were 55% lighter than traditional body armor, and had a cost approximately 60% lower than the high performance armor plates that were available at the start of the.
The SAPI plate product enhancement (ESAPI) is being accomplished to ensure new technology and capabilities are fielded as rapidly as possible. The initial SAPI armor is effective against a wide array of threats, and has to date saved countless lives. ESAPI increases the level of protection. It replaces body armor that failed to protect US troops in Iraq from the most lethal attacks by insurgents. The ceramic plates in vests cannot withstand some of the munitions used by insurgents. The initiative to replace the armor with thicker, more resistant plates began in May 2004, months after DOD finished supplying the original plates. ESAPI plates began fielding to all Soldiers supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom in March 2005 and will continue until all Soldiers in theater have been field-ed the new plates.
The Armor Protection Enhancement System guards the neck, arms, and groin. The Deltoid Extension adds about another five pounds and protects the sides of the ribcage and shoulders. However, the extension comes with a price for the Soldier. It can limit movement and block air from circulating under the body armor -- decreasing the Soldier's ability to cool off in a hot environment. Everything is a balance. The Army wants all Soldiers to come back without any injuries. At the same time, the Army wants them to be combat effective. Nothing can be made to be indestructible.
The Deltoid and Axillary Protectors (DAP) component of the IBA provides for additional protection from fragmentary and projectiles to the upper arm and underarm areas. These features allow Commanders to tailor Soldier protection to meet mission threat conditions. Iraqi Freedom combat operations increased the extensive use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) by terrorist insurgents. Whereas the Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) of the IBA provides torso protection from the fragmentary effects of IEDs, combat commanders and medical personnel identified a shortfall in the upper arm and under arm areas not currently covered by the IBA. To meet this threat and to provide an increased level of protection, DAP was developed. DAP consists of two ambidextrous modular components, the Deltoid (upper arm) Protector and the Axillary (under arm) Protector. The Deltoid Protector attaches at the shoul-der of the OTV and is secured around the wearer's arm with a strap. The Axillary Protector is worn under the OTV and is attached to the underside of the shoulder portion of the OTV and to the interior adjustment strap on the lower side of the OTV. The DAP provides the same level of protection as the OTV. They are issued in sets of two each. The 2004 Army budget bought 50,000 Deltoid Extension sets, all of which were shipped to selected troops by the end of September 2004. The Army requested funding in the 2005 budget to equip all 132,000 Soldiers in the Central Command area of operations with the extension.
That should help clear things up. So what about chinese infantry armor?
