U.S. Army's new body armor for the troops.

Video showing the armor vest. IOTV

www.militarytimes.com...

360 animation you can play around.
www.armytimes.com...


www.armytimes.com...

The Army will start fielding a new protective vest this month that weighs less, covers more and fits better than the bulky body armor soldiers wrestle with today.

Reacting to complaints from the battlefield, Army equipment officials last summer set out to redesign the current Interceptor vest to create one easier to maneuver in while carrying heavy combat loads.

The effort also focused on perfecting something new: an “emergency quick release” feature so soldiers can get out of their armor quickly to escape battlefield hazards such as drowning.

After seven months of testing and tweaking, Program Executive Office Soldier is ready to start outfitting soldiers with the Improved Outer Tactical Vest beginning Thursday, said Steve Pinter, PEO Soldier’s deputy project manager for soldier equipment.

Comfort and utility features are also part of the improved design. The most notable may be the IOTV's overhead opening. An internal waistband provides a snug fit and moves much of the weight from the shoulders to the waist. "This design significantly decreased the vest's profile and should increase mobility, and we believe mobility equals survivability." Fulmore said.

peosoldier.army.mil...

Other features include:

The addition of a long variant to sizes medium through extra large. This extends the size range from eight to eleven and should result in a near-custom fit for Soldiers.
Additional MOLLE attachments as a result of moving the opening from the front of the vest. These attachments are now in Universal Camouflage Pattern.
Enhanced Small Arms Ballistic Insert pockets with four inches of vertical adjustability, allowing for better placement of the plates based on individual body proportions.
Additional storage pockets
A mesh lining to aid ventilation
Channels and a storage pocket for cables
Vertical adjustability of side plate carriers
Soldiers will continue to use the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts and the Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts.

Guess the Army doesn't want to be left behind by the Marine Corps that developed their own vest to replace the Interceptor.

Wow.looks very light-weight.hope it saves many soldiers lives in field

The armor is useless.
and why would he need to treat a wound underneath the armor? shouldn't the armor protect him so he DOESN'T get shot in the chest?
Its basically armor that is easier to remove when the poor soldier gets shot up.
I don't see how thats going to protect anyone more.

[edit on 4-4-2007 by jetflock]

Originally posted by jetflock
The armor is useless.
and why would he need to treat a wound underneath the armor? shouldn't the armor protect him so he DOESN'T get shot in the chest?
Its basically armor that is easier to remove when the poor soldier gets shot up.
I don't see how thats going to protect anyone more.

[edit on 4-4-2007 by jetflock]

Well it has side armor for a start.
The british body armor doesn't have side armor and to my knowledgs neither has the US....until now.
Most people killed are shot in the side or head, alls we need now is leg protection to stop ieds-probably the biggest killer these days.

I would think that the U.S. military already has the best of everything (not that there aren't room for improvements), but yet they still can't win the war.

We're losing soldiers everyday to the enemy who doesn't have any of this advanced protection.

I do, however, think it would be cool to see the guys hit the catwalk modeling this stuff. Oops... did I say that out loud?

Originally posted by annestacey
I would think that the U.S. military already has the best of everything (not that there aren't room for improvements), but yet they still can't win the war.

We're losing soldiers everyday to the enemy who doesn't have any of this advanced protection.

I do, however, think it would be cool to see the guys hit the catwalk modeling this stuff. Oops... did I say that out loud?

I wouldn't know about that. It's a bit big headed saying they have the best of everything, but they are not far off.

Originally posted by SKUNK2
It's a bit big headed saying they have the best of everything, but they are not far off.

What I meant by that is... the U.S. seems to think or at least make us think our military has the best of everything. If you compare the U.S. military's equipment and training to whichever enemy we are fighting at any given time, I would think there would be a huge difference. How far advanced do we need to become in order to start defeating the enemy? Or may we're really not as advanced as I think we are? Maybe I'm completely ignorant about the whole issue and should just shut-up.

Originally posted by annestacey
I would think that the U.S. military already has the best of everything (not that there aren't room for improvements), but yet they still can't win the war.

We're losing soldiers everyday to the enemy who doesn't have any of this advanced protection.

I do, however, think it would be cool to see the guys hit the catwalk modeling this stuff. Oops... did I say that out loud?

We are losing soldiers to the enemy because they are using weapons that even the armor vest cannot protect from, not to mention there are places where there is no protection on your body.

Hey hey hey now people...

I actually was in a unit with the opportunity to test and evaluate some of this new body armor.

YES, its lighter...yes it fits better, yes its a heck of a lot more comfortable...

BUT, we already had the side, arm, and groin/kidney armor additions in the current IBA. This design incorporated those plates into a newer, lighter vest that fits tighter to the bodt, disperses the weight onto the HIPS and not so much on the shoulders and keeps the Soldier cooler.

The Marines did the exact same thing. Instead of all of us "rigging" these additions to the IBA vest, they simply MADE a new vest that had all of them incorporated.

There's no new wonderful technology in this vest, trust me, there are still commercial vests out there that far out perform this one.

Its the government people. It has to be affordable..there are 1.1million Soldiers (Guard and Reserves count too)...and we all need this vest...so its GOT to be made by the "lowest bidder"...kinda scary huh?

I agree with the guy above, our enemy today uses IEDs, EFPs, etc...that defeat the armor on TANKS and other armored vehicles....so sorry, a high-speed vest wont save you every time.

The point is, its getting better and it gives the American Soldier/Marine the confidence he needs to go out there every day and accomplish his or her mission. End of story.

I like knowing that I can take an AK-47 round in the chest....and still be able to kill the bastard who shot me...then go home and have a beer....

confidence? lol. look at that soldier's face in the video-he knows this is a joke. if i were his enemy, i would be shooting at his damned kneecaps.
WE care about our men because they COME FROM US, our ruling class does not. They are cannon fodder to them, something to win an election and/or stay in power.
The last thing our soldiers need is garbage propaganda from the government, they know they're loved ones yearn and support them-they know this armor won't protect them from a car bomb or the like.

288thSapper
You can only take 1 AK round maybe 2 if your lucky LOL. Then the plate fails.
Dragon skin is much better imo. But i doubt they'd issue that to the average squishy. Maybe a high rank though.
How heavy are the plates that this vest uses? Or is the same as the old vest?

SKUNK2..actually plates can take more than that. I have seen a back 10x12 level 4 take 7 rounds. Soldier had fractured ribs from it and the wind knocked out of him, but lived. And the plates vary in weight depending on size. My vest had 4 plates total (front 8x10 9lbs, back 10x12 12lbs, and each side was 6 x 8 5lbs).

The new Army vest looks good, only time will tell if it becomes a GO or NO GO!! Either way it WILL save lives...thats what matters

When is this armor going to get a "green light" ?
Looking forward to giving it a try.

288thsapper,
where are you based man ?
288th, that's NG, isn't it ?


[edit on 10-4-2007 by kaskad]

Yeah, once upon a time I was NG....the 288th is my old unit...still partial to em'..now I'm AD....here at Ft. Leonard-Wood! =)


Skunk...yeah that DragonSkin is one bad mother....WAY TOO pricey for all of us "crunchies" out here. If they'd allow me to wear commercial body armor...I'd be all over that Dragon Skin...

The plates in the new vest are exactly the same as the IBA...but what makes the vest weigh less is the construction and how they integrated all the parts into one vest. The IBA had side armor "addidtions" that flopped around and just pissed me off all the time...now its all in one seamless package....I love this new vest.. =)

Well if the level of protection is about the same and if it weighs less, is more comfortable to use, and the soldiers prefer it over the old IBA; then I say that's enough of an improvement. (Considering that such armor as the Dragon Skin is too "expensive" to hand out to every soldier on the field, which I think prices shouldn't be put on the lives of our soldiers.)

I just wished they would hand out far superior armor such as the Dragon Skin.

Shattered OUT...

"Considering that such armor as the Dragon Skin is too "expensive" to hand out to every soldier on the field, which I think prices shouldn't be put on the lives of our soldiers.)

I just wished they would hand out far superior armor such as the Dragon Skin. "


Shattered - I could not agree with you more.
But hey...all I can do is write my congressman...haha...


-the Sapper

Is really the dragonskin armor one of the bests? I saw threads here saying the contrary... if someone could start a thread to discuss it once and for all...

Anyway, why are you denied to save your life by buying commercial body armor... HELL it's your life.

you are denied because you cannot be an "individual", you give that up joining the military.

Originally posted by jetflock
you are denied because you cannot be an "individual", you give that up joining the military.

You are denied because the Army can not guarantee body armor performance on the field and they hand out the equipment for a reason.

Also for political reasons. But not because you joined the military. That's just absurd logic. The military by no means degrades a human, it merely synthesizes them and molds a person into a better human (with enough work and a lot of luck).

Shattered OUT...

I may have an absurd tone, but that is not absurd logic. The perfect military would operate with a "hive" mind. You are "broken" in boot camp. You all dress and look the same.
Personally, I don't think that view is absurd at all.