Soldiers in Iraq will start getting an addition to their Interceptor body armor systems this fall: a set of pads that cover and protect the upper arm and armpit area.
Dubbed Deltoid and Axillary Protection (the deltoid is the muscle that runs along the top of the upper arm; axillary refers to the area in or near the armpit), the detachable pads can stop penetration of shrapnel from a large fragmentary round, or a bullet up to 9 millimeter, Brig. Gen. James R. Moran said Monday at the Pentagon.
The Army plans to send 50,000 sets of pads to Iraq beginning in late September, said Moran, who is head of Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier), the Army’s Fort Belvoir, Va.-based development center for advanced soldier equipment.
Photo courtesy of Point Blank Body Armor
2 comments:
My son played competitive hockey as a goalie until his senior year in High School. It's a bit amusing to see how close this enhanced Army body armor is to the hockey goalie chest & arm pads. Aside from the cost (top of the line amateur one costs about $350, pro ones easily double of that), the hockey one only stops a frozen rubber projectile the size of a small bagle at no more than 90 mph! I must admit I am very glad that I didn't have to buy the one he has on him now!
When I told my son about it, his comments were:
1. I'll beleive it when I see it.
2. I certainly hope I won't be around here to use it by the time it arrives.
BTW, the photo seems to have an added neck guard too?!
John, Dad of 1AD Soldier
The Stars and Stripes had the whole article as well. Apparently theese really restrict arm movement and might make holding a weapon certain ways, etc more diffcult.Apparently they also restrict airflow and therefor body cooling which is important in Iraq! Also how much more stuff do we want them to wear????? By the way the neck thing comes with (as does a cod piece which isn't shown) but most guys don wear it because it's to hot and restrictive.........I'm thinkin these would go the same way!
Just my .02C
Holly
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