Bringing immediate protection to Soldiers

NATICK, Mass. (Feb. 17, 2012) -- Your unit deployed so rapidly to the remote location that there was no time to set up sandbags and concrete barriers to protect the base camp.
Those systems are heavy and time-consuming to erect. And by the time you establish them, today's fluid battlefield might have you up and moving again.

So how do you protect Soldiers in these temporary camps? The Modular Ballistic Protection System, known as MBPS, under development at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC, with help from the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, was designed to fill that crucial gap.
"When you set up your tent, it's sometimes weeks or months before you get any kind of sandbag protection or concrete protection," said Karen Horak, senior mechanical engineer, Collective Protection Systems Team, Shelter Technology, Engineering & Fabrication Directorate at NSRDEC. "We had to give (Soldiers) an initial protection level."
MBPS, in development since 2005, offers a lightweight, portable, rapidly deployable solution to the problem of unprotected shelters at expeditionary base camps. Designed to fill the requirement of a ballistic add-on kit for the Force Provider expeditionary base camp system, MBPS has versions that can protect tents, field kitchens and rigid-wall containers or be used in the standard stand-alone configurations.
"You can put it around a GP (general purpose) tent," Horak said. "You can put it around a mortar pit. You can put it around anything you want."

MBPS can be installed around a shelter in less than an hour by four Soldiers working without special tools. The system doesn't adversely affect shelters or missions. The 7-by-4-foot composite ballistic panels, which weigh roughly 117 pounds each, cost less than $20 per square foot.
"You can get some protection right away, and it's very simple," Horak said. "There's like four parts to the whole system. Anything you want to protect, you can protect, and you could protect it really quickly."
The system developers sought to protect against fragmentation and blast waves where Soldiers work, sleep and eat. NSRDEC modeling efforts predict significantly lower numbers of casualties where MBPS is deployed.
"I think that can truly enhance the mission because the Soldiers have a home that's protected, right away," Horak said. "You can sleep at night, you know?"
Already, tests have been conducted on ballistic protection, blast overpressure resilience, environmental threats, transportation challenges, and safety/human factors, and have included Soldier and in-theater evaluations.

"We've tested all the systems to withstand overpressure," said Nick Tino, a mechanical engineer on the Special Projects Team. "We're careful not to say it's blast proof or blast resistant. It's really blast survivable. It's designed to stay in place to do its main task of providing ballistic protection."
Future initiatives include an anchorless system that can be used in any terrain, increased ballistic protection, earthen fill options for more permanent bases, overhead threat protection, flexible ballistic panels, and high-performance panels.
"It's such a unique use and system type that there are always new pieces and new stuff that we're trying to put together and integrate in," Tino said. "It's always evolving."
MBPS could be fielded as early as fiscal year 2014, which would give the Collective Protection Systems Team members a great sense of accomplishment.
"For us, it's really been about the Soldier," said team member Claudia Quigley. "We have a lot of requests from the field, from the Soldier, and that we're actually able to deliver a capability to the Soldier -- that really makes our day. That's why we're here."

Kevlar underpants protect pelvic region

WASHINGTON (Feb. 22, 2012) -- For dismounted Soldiers patrolling Afghanistan roads, improvised explosive devices can be even more devastating than for those in armored vehicles, but a new line of protection may help.

"A few years ago, in certain areas of Afghanistan, we started to notice the dismounted improvised explosive device (known as IED) threat becoming more prevalent," said Lt. Col. Frank J. Lozano, PEO Soldier protective equipment. "There were a lot of significant injuries, and very traumatic injuries occurring to Soldiers in the lower extremity area. A lot of Soldiers losing their lower leg below the knee. A lot of above-the-knee amputations, and a lot of high hip amputations."

Soldiers who stepped on an IED might suffer injuries that required amputations which didn't leave enough of a limb for a prosthetic leg, for instance. But those Soldiers were also suffering extensive damage to the perineum region, the part of the body that includes the anus and reproductive organs.

"It's very traumatic, very heartbreaking, when Soldiers go through those types of events, and they are very young, and then they come home and they are not able to have children," said Lozano. "It's one of the harsh realities of this type of warfare when you have dismounted IEDs."
The Army wanted to do something to offer protection to Soldiers. Taking a cue from British forces that had already found a material solution to the problem, the Army developed the Pelvic Protection System. The system includes two layers of protection for Soldiers, including the Tier I protective under-garment, called the "PUG," and the Tier II protective outer-garment, called the "POG."
"We wanted first to be able to protect the genital region so that Soldiers going through those traumatic events would still be able to do things like have a family when they get home," Lozano said.
Both components of the system are worn like shorts. The PUG is worn under a Soldier's ACU pants. It can be worn in place of underwear, or over the top of a Soldier's underwear. Some Soldiers have called them "Kevlar boxers" or "combat underpants" and it's not far from the truth.

"It's kind of like a bicycle shorts garment," Lozano said. "It's designed to be worn under the pants, close to the skin. You can wear it like you'd wear a normal piece of underwear."
The PUG has a breathable, moisture-wicking material on the outer thighs. Along the inner thighs is knitted Kevlar to protect the fleshy inner parts of the thighs and the femoral artery. Over the groin, more knitted or woven Kevlar. "It's not really very complicated," Lozano said.
The colonel said that as a result of an IED blast, sand, dirt, and "manure that's been in the ground for decades" is pulverized and can wind up embedded in a Soldier's flesh.
"It can take 20 or 25 surgeries to go through and pick all that out," he said. "If you don't get it all, then that causes infections and it can lead to further amputations," Lozano said.
The PUG is part of a system to prevent that from happening in the first place. The fabric used in the garment has also been tested to ensure that it won't melt or drip when exposed to high heat.
"Since it's so close to the skin, we don't want to exacerbate any type of heat damage a Soldier might get in an IED blast," Lozano explained.

The outer garment, the POG, provides even more protection for Soldiers, and performs similar to the soft portions of the improved outer tactical vest. It "protects along a greater range of fragments," Lozano said.
While Soldiers can wear the undergarment on its own, Lozano said if Soldiers are going to wear the outer garment they should wear it in conjunction with the undergarment.
"Because the Tier II has more ballistic protection, it is a little more rigid," he said. "If you wear the Tier I under the Tier II, it prevents chafing. It also provides the maximum amount of coverage together with the maximum amount of protection, without restricting your movement."
Wear test and user evaluations have ensured that the tiered pelvic protection system is comfortable for Soldiers to wear," said Lozano said. "You might go through testing and think you've got a great design, but then you put it on a Soldier and tell him to road march for 20 miles and shoot and go through an obstacle course and find out, it's a terrible design."

He said that even if the protection is great, if it's not comfortable, Soldiers might not want to wear it.
Soldiers in theater who have worn the gear have reported back on their experience and have helped inform changes to the pelvic protection system, Lozano said. Early on, he said, there were reports of chafing and "poor thermal management," for instance.
"We've worked with the Soldiers in theater to redesign the system; we've gone through a couple of design iterations," Lozano said. "It's taken a good six to nine months. We're getting now to an optimized system where Soldiers are seeing their feedback codified in a material solution and it's more comfortable and breathable and Soldiers are more willing and apt to wear it."
The Army first put the pelvic protection system into theater in June 2011. Now, the system has been fielded to some 15,000 Soldiers. The typical issue includes three PUGs and one POG. Fielding is happening now for Soldiers in theater and for Soldiers stateside.

PPSS Body Armour's CEO being shot testing new bullet proof vests

Robert Kaiser, CEO of PPSS Body Armour is demonstrating the exceptional high performance of our truly outstanding 1.65kg light and 6.5mm thin CV1 covert bullet proof vests, certified to NIJ Level IIIA + certified protection from Tokarev Ball 7.62 x 25mm and Makarov 9 x 18mm. Robert is being shot by live ammo from 9ft/3m distance using Glock 19 (9x19mm FMJ 124gr).
+ 10 Joule of stab/knife protection
+ unmatched protection from hypodermic needles.
+ using only the very best high performance materials available.
+ using OUTLAST temperature regulating space technology... making it the ultimate choice for hot and humid condition.
+ especially developed for executive/diplomatic security, sky/flight marshals and dignitary's/VIP's.
Contact: info@ppss-group.com or +44 845 5193 953

http://www.ppss-group.com

Canadian Army Tests New Ballistic Helmet.

The Canadian Army is testing a new concept for a modular ballistic helmet.

Ballistic clipboard for LE agencies.

http://impactarmortech.com/ Developed by request for local law enforcement agencies the ballistic clipboard provides protection where you need it most -- by your side. Designed to be always available the clipboard is there when you need it, not in the trunk, not 20 minutes away. For routine traffic stops, first responders, or serving a warrant, the clipboard provides discrete protection at all times.

Designed to exceed NIJ IIIA specifications the clipboard has undergone extensive testing to ensure it performs. From a standoff distance to point blank, hot and cold, the clipboard provides multi-hit protection against 9mm, .357, .40, and .44 mag rounds. Most importantly, this protection is available in an ergonomic design that weighs under 2.0lbs.

DuPont starts up $500 million Kevlar facility in South Carolina.

DuPont today announced the start up of its $500 million Cooper River Kevlar® facility near Charleston, S.C. The Cooper River Kevlar® plant uses state-of-the-art technology that will allow DuPont to meet increased customer demand for advanced protective materials in emerging industries around the world by expanding its portfolio of science-based innovations and boosting productivity. Commercial supply will begin by the end of the year.

Overall global production capacity for Kevlar® will increase initially by 25 percent and is expected to grow by 40 percent, with planned productivity improvements and continued technology developments over the next two years. The new capacity will allow DuPont to provide customers with next-generation Kevlar® products that improve their ability to innovate in many applications.

According to DuPont and independent tests, new body armor can help stop bullets within the first three layers of a vest designed with a total of 11 layers. The remaining layers absorb the energy of the bullet, resulting in 15 percent less bruising for the vest wearer. DuPont estimates that the ballistics demand is growing at more than 10 percent annually.

Best known for its use in ballistic and stab-resistant body armor, Kevlar® has helped save the lives of thousands of law enforcement and military personnel around the world.

Added protection and performance can be achieved in ballistic applications for military and police helmets and tactical plates. Critical is the reduction of the weight of helmets for soldiers and marines and for other helmet and tactical plate designs where there is higher ballistic performance and increased protection, without sacrificing other performance requirements.

“As the global population grows, there will be even more critical need for protection materials to keep people safe and to protect the environment, structures and critical processes,” said Thomas G. Powell, president, DuPont Protection Technologies. “After more than 40 years, the proven performance of Kevlar® continues to create significant new opportunities where the combination of lightweight strength and other unique properties enable new designs, increase reliability and save more lives. This significant boost in production capacity and capability demonstrates DuPont’s continuing commitment to support our customers and to find solutions that help protect more people around the world.”

Along with a recent $50 million expansion at DuPont’s Spruance plant in Richmond, Va., Cooper River represents the largest single investment in Kevlar® and the largest capacity increase since the fiber was introduced in 1965. DuPont also manufactures Kevlar® in Richmond, Va.; Maydown, Northern Ireland and at a DuPont joint venture, DuPont-Toray Company in Tokai, Japan. The Cooper River Kevlar® plant expansion has created 135 jobs and was built over a period of three years using a construction workforce of up to 800.

DuPont also has research and development facilities and customer applications centers for Kevlar® in every region: Shanghai, China; Hyderabad, India; Paulina, Brazil; Meyrin, Switzerland, Richmond, Va. and Wilmington, Del.

The Cooper River Kevlar® plant will initially produce innovations that support three primary technology platforms: DuPont™ Kevlar® AP, DuPont™ Kevlar® KM2 Plus and DuPont® Kevlar® XP™ for growing applications in ballistics, other personal protective equipment, aerospace, tires, fiber optic cables, oil and gas and automotive. Among the industry opportunities where new DuPont™ Kevlar® products already are making an impact

Source: DuPont

First All Black Twaron Fiber Produced by Teijn

Teijin Aramid has developed a new type of yarn – black-colored, high-modulus Twaron. This unique yarn is the first high-modulus black para-aramid yarn on the market. It has been dope dyed – which ensures the color reaches right to the core of each filament, giving it a deep black color.

Its great looks are just one of many reasons to choose black Twaron. It is ideal for reinforcing sails and other sporting goods. Also in hybrid fabric constructions Twaron Black can add stiffness, strength, dimensional stability and great aesthetics. Key benefits of using Twaron Black:

• Strength (weight-to-weight, it’s 5 times stronger than steel)
• Excellent performance/weight ratio
• High modulus and tensile strength of the composite structure
• Damage tolerance
• Cut resistance
• Chemical stability
• Heat stability
• Non-conductive

Our Twaron black high-modulus filament yarn has a 0.8% spin finish that is optimized for composite applications and is compatible with most common resin types, such as epoxy, vinylester and polyester. We have developed two different linear densities: 1210 dtex and 1610 dtex. Assembled yarns can be delivered on request, as well as twisted or tangled black Twaron yarn.

Kolon Loses $920 Million Verdict to DuPont in Trial Over Kevlar

Kolon Industries Inc. lost a $919.9 million jury verdict to DuPont Co. over the theft of trade secrets about the manufacture of Kevlar, an anti-ballistic fiber used in police and military body armor.

Jurors in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, deliberated about 10 hours over two days before finding Gyeonggi, South Korea-based Kolon and its U.S. unit wrongfully obtained DuPont’s proprietary information about Kevlar by hiring some of the company’s former engineers and marketers. The award yesterday is the third-largest jury verdict this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

DuPont, based in Wilmington, Delaware, is spending more than $500 million to boost Kevlar production and meet rising demand for armor and lightweight materials that reduce energy use. Kevlar and Nomex, a related fiber used in firefighting gear, accounted for about $1.4 billion of DuPont’s $31.5 billion in sales last year.

The “jury decision is an enormous victory for global intellectual property protection,” Thomas L. Sager, DuPont’s general counsel, said in a statement. “It also sends a message to potential thieves of intellectual property that DuPont will pursue all legal remedies to protect our significant investment in research and development.”

DuPont rose 86 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $45.52 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday. The shares have declined 8.7 percent this year.

Kolon said it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.

‘Multi-year Campaign’
The “verdict is the result of a multi-year campaign by DuPont aimed at forcing Kolon out of the aramid fiber market,” Kolon said in a statement e-mailed by Dan Tudesco of Brodeur Partners, a public relations agency. “Kolon had no need for and did not solicit any trade secrets or proprietary information of DuPont, and had no reason to believe that the consultants it engaged were providing such information. Indeed, many of the ‘secrets’ alleged in this case are public knowledge.”

Kolon said it will continue to pursue an antitrust case against DuPont, which is scheduled for a March trial. DuPont will file motions later this year to have the case dismissed, Sager said in a telephone interview.

DuPont will pursue recovery of the award “wherever we can find Kolon assets,” Sager said. The company also will seek punitive damages for each of the 149 stolen secrets, reimbursement of more than $30 million in attorney’s fees and an order barring Kolon from making products with DuPont’s information, Sager said.

Body Armor
DuPont, the largest U.S. chemical company by market value, sued Kolon in February 2009 alleging it stole confidential data about Kevlar. DuPont began selling the bullet-resistant fiber in 1965 and it’s used in body armor, military helmets, ropes, cables and tires. Kolon began making its own version of the para-aramid fiber in 2005.

DuPont argued in court filings that Kolon executives conspired with five former employees of the U.S. chemical maker or its Japanese joint venture, DuPont-Toray Co., to gain access to Kevlar information.

To spur sales of its Heracron aramid fiber, Kolon hired Michael Mitchell, a former DuPont engineer who also had served as a Kevlar marketing executive, DuPont said in court papers. DuPont contended that Mitchell, hired as a consultant, provided Kolon with proprietary information about Kevlar.

‘Home Computer’
Mitchell “retained certain highly confidential information on his home computer” and passed the information to Kolon, DuPont alleged in court filings.

After learning about Mitchell’s activities, DuPont executives alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to U.S. Justice Department officials.

During a search of Mitchell’s Virginia home, FBI agents uncovered DuPont documents and computers containing confidential information belonging to his former employer, federal prosecutors said last year.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to theft of trade secrets and obstruction of justice and was sentenced in March 2010 to 18 months in prison.

Kolon recruited other former DuPont workers, including engineers and researchers, as part of a “concerted effort” to obtain information about Kevlar, according to court filings.

“DuPont’s investment in developing this information, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars over many years, was thereby essentially lost,” the company said in a filing in October. “Kolon is now able to compete against DuPont in the aramid marketing using DuPont’s own information against it.”

The case is E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Kolon Industries Inc., 09-cv-58, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond).

REVISION INTRODUCES NEW BATLSKIN™ HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM

09.12.2011– Montreal, QC, Canada – Revision Military, the recognized global leader in ballistic and laser eye protection, launches into the head protection arena with the introduction of its new Batlskin Head Protection System. The first fully integrated and fully modular solution of its kind, the Batlskin Head Protection System combines groundbreaking technology and design, with new materials and innovative processes to deliver an all-new ballistic helmet shell, trauma liner, front mount, retention system, mandible guard and visor. The result is a single, fully integrated system that provides excellent protection from blunt force, blast and ballistic threats, with a lightweight wearability for peak performance.

"The product of several years of research and development work, we’re proud to introduce the Batlskin system at a critical time. The unfortunate reality is that wartime head and face injuries are at an all-time high," explains Jonathan Blanshay, CEO of Revision. "The Batlskin Head Protection System not only makes radical leaps forward in helmet and liner technology; its integrated visor and mandible guard could also greatly reduce the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in blast situations. At the same time, the modular and scalable nature of this system provides soldiers with the unique ability to quickly armor-up and -down as the threat environment dictates."

About the Batlskin Head Protection System Modular Components:

The Batlskin Lightweight Helmet uses advanced shell technology to achieve weight reduction while increasing ballistic performance. Its rigid construction is engineered to withstand blunt force, blast and ballistic threats.
● Hybridized layers of materials bonded through innovative manufacturing processes provide the next generation of combat helmet shells
● Enhanced ballistic performance, at minimum 20% lighter than current shells for long-wear comfort

The Batlskin Impact Liner uses dual foam technology for superior fit, comfort and impact absorption. Its multi-level design allows for cooling and stability while shim pads afford a custom fit.
● Exceeds EN 397, Canadian CG634 and U.S. ACH impact standards
● Lightweight, sweat-wicking materials offer superior comfort and wearability

The Batlskin Ergonomic Retention System employs one-handed adjustment buckles for ease of use and straight-line-force design for stability—even with night vision equipment.
● Integrates with Batlskin head protection system ensuring no interference with communications equipment or when sighting a weapon
● Comfortable nape pad and cabretta leather-lined chin strap allow for superior wearability

The Patented Batlskin Multi-Purpose Front Mount allows for the rapid attachment of protection enhancing devices such as the Batlskin visor and mandible guard. Ingeniously, it also doubles as a universal NVG mount with a lightweight and durable construction for modern-day battlefield use.
● Provides excellent stability for NVG use and other surveillance devices
● Core piece that seamlessly integrates Batlskin visor and mandible guard

The Batlskin High-Threat Mandible Guard provides lightweight blunt force, blast and ballistic protection for the lower jaw. Its durable, low-profile design is engineered for rapid attachment and removal while on the fly.
● Seamlessly integrates with all Batlskin modular components even when sighting a crew served weapon
● Alternative polycarbonate or lightweight wire cage mandible guards available for different threat levels

The Batlskin Three-Position Visor provides blunt force, blast and ballistic protection, flawless optics and maximum field-of-view. Designed for quick donning and doffing while on the move, it is scratch, fog and chemical resistant.
● Locked, vented and up positions allow for full ballistic coverage, breathability & adjustability
● Visor frame, seal and arm ensure secure attachment to the helmet during blast overpressure stresses

Revision’s Batlskin Head Protection System makes its European debut at DSEi, taking place at the ExCeL London Centre in the UK, September 13-16, 2011. Its North American unveiling will take place at the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, USA which runs October 10-12, 2011

http://www.revisionmilitary.com/batlskin/360/

The Pentagon Orders Ballistic Boxers As Groin Injuries Surge In Combat

The force of an improvised explosive device travels up from the ground, through the floor of a vehicle and directly into servicemembers lower torsos with devastating effect.

The Washington Post reports that from 2009 to 2010 this type of often fatal injury rose from 4.8 to 9.1 percent -- 90 percent in one year alone.

In response the U.S. military just put in a rush order for $21 million worth of "ballistic" groin protection.

Generally made oof pliable Kevlar, the gear wraps the pelvic region, protecting the femoral artery in the thigh.

Of the 142 soldiers with lower body wounds at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where almost every servicemember goes after a severe injury, 40 percent of the soldiers had wounds to the testicles.

The order will be filled by British firm Cooneen, Watts, and Stone, Ltd who have provided over 300,000 pairs of ballistic undergarments to English soldiers in Afghanistan.

British troops wearing ballistic underwear (UK Ministry of Defense)

ATC experiment looks at how clay performs in body armor testing

Photo credit Air Force Master Sgt. Demetrius Lester
A critical mission for the Aberdeen Test Center is the testing of body armor such as that worn by U.S. Army Spc. Aaron Franklin in this photo. ATC designed a unique experiment to characterize a special clay used to determine the back-face deformation that occurs when a bullet strikes such protective equipment during testing.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - To support the Army Product Manager, Soldier Protective Equipment, the Army Developmental Test Command's Aberdeen Test Center recently conducted an experiment to characterize the clay backing material used for testing body armor.

The Army rigorously tests both hard armor plates and soft armor vests and their components, as well as helmets. It conducts this testing to verify the adequacy of a system's design and conducts further testing to ensure that the quality of the system is maintained during production.
One of the ways to characterize how these systems perform is to determine to what extent an armor system will deform itself in response to an impact from a projectile while preventing the projectile from completely penetrating the system. The crater or indentation formed by the armor giving into the backing material is called "back-face deformation." Roma Plastilina No. 1 clay is the backing material used to characterize how much of this deformation takes place.
Even if a bullet doesn't completely penetrate body armor, it can cause enough back-face deformation, or BFD, to result in catastrophic injury, so the clay that helps testers determine how much of this deformation takes place is critically important to the test process.

For test purposes the clay is built into boxes that are 24 inches by 24 inches by 5.5 inches, and these clay boxes must pass a calibration test to be declared ready for testing. The drop calibration test, or "drop test," is the standard way the Army validates the consistency of the clay blocks.
The drop test involves dropping a 2.2-pound weight that is 1.75 inches in diameter from a height of 6.5 feet. The clay blocks are considered to have passed this test if three drop indentations into the clay measure between 22 and 28 millimeters.
According to a report on the experiment released by ATC, the first objective was to "characterize the relationship between drop depth and radial distance from the center of the clay box." The second objective of ATC's experiment was to "characterize how that relationship may change as the clay box ages," and the third objective was to "characterize how those relationships may be affected by the position of the clay box in the temperature conditioning oven."
To do this effectively and ensure drop uniformity, ATC developed a template specifying 11 drop locations at varying radial distances from the center of the box. Testers selected three pairs of boxes from ATC's inventory, each pair representing a separate "age" based on when the boxes had been packed.

They used a six-position temperature-condition oven between experiments. Two dedicated crews conducted the testing, each working 12-hour shifts so the test could run 24 hours a day from March 8-14, 2010.
Between experiments, ATC personnel conditioned the clay boxes in a 105-degree-Fahrenheit oven for six hours. They opened the doors just once an hour to remove a box for the experiment and to return the box they had just used for that purpose. They conducted the 11 drops at a controlled rate of one minute between drops.
When they had finished conducting all of the drop tests, they measured the indentations in each box with a digital caliper and recorded the results. They then repaired the clay boxes by filling the indentations with clay and after an hour returned them to the oven.
ATC personnel conducted 22 replications of the drop test per box, so that each of the 11 positions marked out with the template on each box could experience each drop order twice in each box. The order of drop locations on the boxes was random for each drop replication. The boxes were rotated through each of the six oven positions at least three times. In all, ATC made a total of 1,452 individual drops, based on 22 replications of the 11 drops on each of the six clay boxes.

To examine the results of the experiment, ATC used a statistical method called analysis of variance. In layman's terms, this is an analysis of the outcomes of an experiment where the contribution of each source of variation under study is compared to the total variation to assess which factors, if any, are contributing at a rate greater than one would expect by chance alone; that is, if any factors are having a significant effect on the experimental outcomes.
The results of the study revealed the following: The most significant factors affecting the depth of indentations were the differences between one clay box and another based on box serial number rather than age, the location on the clay box where the weight was dropped, and the interaction between individual clay box by serial number and drop location, respectively. By contrast, oven position had no practical effect on the results at any drop location. And because the date the boxes of clay were packed showed no correlation with test results, it was learned that a better definition of clay age is needed.
ATC's analysis of the experiment further revealed that four of the six clay boxes showed no correlation between the drop depth and its radial distance while two showed a "moderate negative linear correlation," meaning there was some evidence that a relationship exists between the two variables and the shape of that relationship is described by a line. A negative linear relationship means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. In this case, as radial distance increased away from the center of the box, the drop depths for those two clay boxes tended to decrease in depth.
A most interesting finding was that the depth of indentation at the center of all the blocks remained consistently near 25 millimeters, despite the mixed results when dropping the weight at other locations.
Additionally, while there seemed to be a "marked difference" in the drop-test results between new and used boxes at the beginning of the experiment, by its conclusion all boxes experienced similar variation of results, independent of box age. That is, as more drops were performed, the clay became softer, judging from indentation depth, and testers observed less variation.
ATC's Barbara Gillich, who helped design and analyze the experiment, said it was a very worthwhile project.
The experiment was seen as an "excellent" effort between ATC and the Product Manager, Soldier Protective Equipment, designed to increase the knowledge of Roma Plastilina No. 1 clay for the entire body armor community. Although ATC was able to answer the three specific objectives of this experiment, quite a bit of work remains to be done on the subject of clay and its use in body armor testing.

 

Source

Vests more bullet-proof with wool

Adding wool to kevlar makes a lighter, stronger and cheaper bullet-proof vest, new research shows.

 

WOOL HAS MANY PROPERTIES ideal for fashion; this natural fibre is warm, elastic fire- and static-resistant, and easy to clean. But new research has uncovered a new use: making body armor even more bullet resistant.

Scientists at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology school of fashion and textiles discovered that a blend of wool and kevlar, the synthetic fibre widely used in body armor, was lighter and cheaper and worked better in some conditions than kevlar alone.

The RMIT textile technologist Dr Rajiv Padhye says the standard bullet-proof vest was generally made of kevlar, a dense, strong and expensive fibre. For military use, a heavy ceramic plate provides greater protection over vital areas.

A kevlar vests typically comprises some 36 layers of kevlar fabric. But it loses about 20 per cent of its effectiveness when wet, requiring an expensive waterproofing process.

"What we did was kept the kevlar but added a wool yarn into this," he says.

Cheaper, lighter

The increased friction of the wool in a tight weave means that a vest with 28-30 layers of fabric, provides the same level of bullet resistance as 36 layers of kevlar.

"And because wool fibres expand naturally in water by up to 16 per cent, the wool-Kevlar blend actually becomes more effective in wet conditions," he says. "The result is a cheaper bullet-resistant vest that works even better when it's wet."

That's a significant matter, considering kevlar costs about $70 a kilogram, compared with about $12 a kilogram for wool.

Rajiv says RMIT had worked with Australian Defence Apparel (ADA) as an industry partner and had taken out a patent. ADA currently provides body armour and uniforms to the Australian Defence Force.

"The next step is to see see if we can move ahead with ADA or any company and see if we are able to commercialise this," he says.

 

Source

BAE Systems Celebrates One Millionth Hard Body Armor Insert Milestone

PHOENIX, Arizona – BAE Systems has completed the production of more than one million hard armor inserts under Department of Defense (DoD) contracts primarily in support of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps and the Defense Logistics Agency. A ceremony to commemorate this milestone was held today at BAE Systems’ Protection Systems business in Phoenix, Arizona where the inserts are manufactured.

“A hard armor insert helps protect a warfighter’s vital organs and has been proven as a critical lifesaver on the battlefield. Our employees come to work each day knowing that the work they do could save a life and bring a loved one home to their family,” said Joe Coltman, vice president of BAE Systems’ Protection Systems. “Manufacturing one million of these plates is a significant milestone for BAE Systems and its employees to achieve. It brings into perspective the number of lives we are protecting.”

Attending the celebration were U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Arizona), COL William Cole, program manager for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment, LTC(P) Jon Rickey, product manager for Soldier Protective Equipment and COL John Womack, Commander for the Defense Contract Management Agency in Phoenix.
“Last year, Phoenix and Tucson were ranked among the top ten U.S. metro areas with Aerospace and Defense manufacturing facilities,” said Congressman Pastor. “Arizona is proud to have as an Aerospace and Defense representative BAE Systems and its employees, who diligently create protective products, like the SAPI plate, for our troops worldwide.”

From L-R: COL William Cole of PEO Soldier, Margy Bons of Operation Homefront Arizona, and COL Shannon Womack of Defense Contract Management Agency

BAE Systems first introduced the Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) plate in 1998 to meet the demanding requirements of the DoD Interceptor program. SAPI plates, as they are often called, are hard armor inserts worn on the front, back and side torso to aid in protection against fragmentation and small arms. The protective plates offer greater ballistic protection over soft armor alone and are worn within a warfighter’s vest.
As the original equipment manufacturer of the SAPI plate, BAE Systems’ capabilities have expanded to include other SAPI derivatives and Next Generation (X) plates, including the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts, Side SAPI, XSBI and XSAPI. These plates are designed to provide a wide range of ballistic protection to troops in a variety of combat conditions. BAE Systems continually strives to advance their designs to protect against emerging threats.
BAE Systems expanded its hard armor insert line in 2007 to include the ECLiPSE^® Performance Gear SOLAR™ series. The SOLAR™ series of inserts meet specifications set forth by the Special Operations Forces Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) under its Body Armor and Load Carrying System program. 

BAE Systems is a leading provider of Soldier protective and load carrying equipment in the United States, producing a significant portion of the nation’s body armor, tactical vests, combat helmets and load carrying systems. Not only is the company focused on the design, development and production of leading edge survivability products, its integration of advanced materials into manufacturing, rigorous product testing, and field trials support the company’s focus on the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces.

Heavy body armor result of over-engineering

IOTV components

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 18, 2011) -- The armor plates used in the plate carriers and IOTV Soldiers wear in combat are safe -- maybe too safe.

The ceramic enhanced small arms protective inserts worn in the improved outer tactical vests and lighter plate carriers are designed to provide ballistic protection to Soldiers in combat. But they are heavy, and industry is at an impasse when it comes to developing new armor technology that is as safe, yet lighter, said Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, Program Executive Officer Soldier.
"We don't see anything that is game-changing or anything in the near term that is going to change our ability to provide increased protection at a lighter weight," Fuller said of the plates. "I think the next (thing) we need to look at is what is our requirement and is it a validated requirement?"
Fuller spoke March 17 before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on tactical air and land forces to discuss, among other things, the amount of weight Soldiers now carry on their bodies, as part of armor, gear, power and weapons, when they go into battle. That weight can sometimes be more than 120 pounds.
The general told lawmakers that perhaps the plates themselves could be made lighter because today, they are really over-engineered. He said a "holistic," head-to-toe review of body armor has shown the Army could provide a lighter plate to Soldiers because, Fuller said, "we have technically overbuilt our plates right now. We overbuilt them because of our testing process."
Fuller said the Army simply set the bar for protective capability of the plates too high.
"The way I say it is, we wanted to ensure you could go in the ring with Mike Tyson and if you could take two hits from Mike Tyson, then when Fuller climbs in the ring you knew you would be able to survive those rounds," he said.

Today, he said, body armor worn by Soldiers in the field may be unnecessarily heavy because it has been designed to protect against "a round that is not on any battlefield in the world," Fuller said. "We set that bar for a reason. Now we are trying to evaluate -- if that bar causes us to have increased weight, do we want to adjust the bar? "
Fuller also said as an effort to reduce weight on Soldiers, the Army is "trying to do a better job of systems engineering at the Soldier level." He said while the Army does a good job of systems engineering for large platforms "we've treated the Soldier as ... a Christmas tree -- we just hang things on Soldiers."
Fuller told lawmakers the Army must pay more attention to the amount of weight Soldiers carry on their back, and must do a better job of understanding "the physiological challenges of adding more kit regardless of its capability and the impact it will have on our Soldiers ability."
The general explained that a Soldier's cognitive skills diminish when they get tired from carrying so much weight, and "that's not what you want in a combat environment."

Fuller also said distributing loads across a combat unit might be one way to reduce the weight burden on the individual Soldiers.
"Can we distribute some of this capability across a unit? What's the risk and the advantages so we don't weigh down everybody with the same capability but distribute capability across the unit?" he asked.
Body armor for female Soldiers and for smaller Soldiers is also an issue Fuller said PEO Soldier has tackled. The latest version of the IOTV provides adjustments to allow smaller stature Soldiers to ensure their vests are cinched tight enough, while at the same time keeping the side plates where they belong -- at a Soldier's side.
"One size does not fit all within the Army," Fuller said, saying some 14 percent of the Army is women. The general said the Army is still having difficulties trying to make conforming body armor plates for Soldiers. "The physics associated with trying to have the body armor work in a complex shape is a bridge too far right now."

Another lawmaker questioned Fuller about the Army's individual carbine competition, to find a follow-on to the M4 Carbine weapon Soldiers are using now in Afghanistan. Fuller told the lawmaker the competition was not about meeting a specific need but about seeing if there was something better for Soldiers.
"We want to continue to improve the M4 -- not necessarily associated with a complaint or challenge the field might be having -- but we want to refresh that technology," Fuller said. He told legislators there's been 63 improvements to the M4 since it was first fielded in 1991
"This (competition) is another iteration of improvements," he said. "We want to see through a full and open competition is there something better? That's what this competition will be doing for our individual carbine."
After competition, he said, the Army would evaluate what comes out of that and measure it against the current M4 to build a business case for making the investment to replace it.
Currently, the Army has 500,000 M4s in its inventory, and right now the Army is working to upgrade some 140,000 of those to the M4A1 model, which is fully automatic, and includes a heavier barrel to allow for an increased sustained rate of fire without overheating and ambidextrous controls.

Ops-Core 2011 Catalogue

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We manufacture cutting-edge protective equipment that provides better performance and protection for today's soldier. Our current focus on eye, face and head protection is driven by unique designs provided by our sister company Artisent. When state-of-the-art concepts do not find a home with larger manufacturers, they come to us. Since we are a small business, we have the flexibility to provide custom solutions for specialty markets and elite customers who demand higher quality products that cannot be found anywhere else.

Ops-core website

Enhanced Combat Helmet to be fielded in fall

Photo credit Army file photo
The Advanced Combat Helmet, currently used in Iraq and Afghanistan, is scheduled to be replaced this fall with one that offers even more protection, the Enhanced Combat Helmet.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 4, 2011) -- The Army is looking at an improved combat helmet that surpasses the capabilities of what Soldiers are currently wearing in the field, and it may be available in the fall.
The new Enhanced Combat Helmet doesn't look much different than the Advanced Combat Helmet it's designed to replace, but the performance difference is huge, said Col. William Cole, project manager, Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment.

"If you hold them in your hand, you'd have a tough time telling the difference, other than the relative thickness," Cole said during a media roundtable Feb. 2 in the Pentagon. "The ECH is a little bit thicker, also about an ounce to four ounces lighter depending on the size. But it's really a huge leap ahead forward in terms of head protection capability."
During testing, he said, the helmets did so well that a new test system will need to be developed to evaluate their effectiveness at protecting a Soldier's head from fragments.
"The data we're getting from the prototypes going into the milestone was even better than we hoped," he said. "We had hoped for a 35-percent improvement over the ACH in terms of ballistic protection and it's way better than that."
With smaller fragments, the lab was unable to determine a "V50" rating -- that's a determination of what velocity is needed for 50 percent of fragments to penetrate a test material.
"In this case the test guns they had couldn't shoot fragments fast enough to penetrate the helmet," Cole said. "We don't know exactly what the V50 is, but we know it's better than anything we've seen before. We're going to have to build stronger test guns to figure out exactly how good it is."

The Army wants 200,000 of the helmets, though Cole said, "I'd be surprised if we stop at that number." It's expected fielding of the ECH will happen this fall and will align with the Army's Force Generation Model, though Cole said he hopes to accelerate fielding. The Marine Corps is a partner in development of the ECH and will also purchase the helmets.
"It potentially could mitigate some traumatic brain injuries -- we're seeing it has great potential," said Brig. Gen. Peter N. Fuller, the Program Executive Officer Soldier. "We're trying to work through getting that product accelerated."

Source

Corps: New body armor more comfortable

Cpl. Casey Jones / The Associated Press Lance Cpl. Kevin Shanahan, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, prepares to take off the Improved Scalable Plate Carrier.

Improved tactical vest, plate carrier coming in 2011

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 10, 2011

As early as spring, Marines will be dawning the next generation of improved body armor designed to be more comfortable and adjustable than current models.

The designs are similar to those of existing vests, but have been refined, said 2nd Lt. Jamie Larson, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Systems Command, out of Quantico, Va.

The development of the IMTV dates back to at least 2008, when troops in Iraq and Afghanistan complained of the discomfort of the MTV, which can add up to 30 pounds when filled with armor plates.

Rest of the article HERE

Corps searches for improved body armor

Advanced vests would be used by MARSOC and recon Marines

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 26, 2010

The Marine Corps is searching for new armor that will be issued to elite Marines on the toughest of missions, acquisition officials said.

Rest of the Article HERE

Soldiers in Iraq will get new body armor

A better body armor that was shelved last year is now making its way to soldiers in Iraq — but not Afghanistan.

All-Army Activities message 347, dated Nov. 17, outlined the limited fielding of the X Small Arms Protective Inserts, or XSAPI, as well as X Side Ballistic Inserts, or XSBI. Distribution will begin Dec. 15.

Soldiers deploying to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn will receive XSAPI plates, which will then remain in theater. This will continue until U.S.-based stocks are emptied. Distribution of XSBI plates will follow a similar procedure, but will not begin until February or March.

But soldiers headed to Afghanistan will continue to deploy with Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts, or ESAPI, as well as Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts, or ESBI.

The Army did not respond when Army Times asked why the new plates are now cleared for use and why they are going to Iraq but not to Afghanistan.

Full Article

DuPont launches Kevlar XP for hard armour applications

DuPont has launched a new product called Kevlar XP for Hard Armor to provide extra protection and extra performance in ballistic applications. The product is initially targeted at military and police helmet markets  and tactical plates used in ballistic protective vests.

According to DuPont, an Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) used by the U.S. military today can weigh almost four pounds and DuPont Kevlar XP for Hard Armor provides a half pound (0.5 lb.) reduction in weight, which is vital to operating in stressful physical environments where moving quickly and efficiently is critical to protecting soldiers and marines.

For other helmet and tactical plate designs, Kevlar XP for Hard Armor is said to be able to offer 20% higher ballistic performance and increased protection, without sacrificing other performance requirements.

“DuPont is committed to protecting people around the world through science-based innovations. One of our goals is to provide the U.S. military with new products that provide significantly better protection for soldiers so they can more effectively complete their missions,” said Thomas G. Powell, president, DuPont Protection Technologies. “The U.S. military was looking for a lighter weight helmet option and DuPont developed this new product in less than a year. Using our integrated science and more than 40 years of experience, we were able to offer a solution that not only addresses the military’s needs to ‘lighten the load,’ but also to better protect the lives of those who protect us.”

Developed under the Kevlar XP platform, the increased ballistic protection offered by Kevlar XP for Hard Armor makes the new system usable in a variety of ballistic applications, including but not limited to military, law enforcement and homeland security segments. The new product was developed at DuPont’s Armor Technology Center in Wilmington, where the company’s integrated science capability, focusing on the latest innovations in life protection technologies to design, produce and test prototypes of helmets and composite panels for helmet and vehicle armour applications.

Kevlar fibre has been a critical component of providing protection for the military in helmets, vests and vehicle armour for more than 30 years, and is widely used in the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) worn by U.S. troops today.

The patent-pending Kevlar XP for Hard Armor is a combination of DuPont Kevlar KM2 Plus fibre and a new thermoplastic resin that DuPont says creates an entire matrix system, improving upon the original Kevlar technology. Kevlar KM2 Plus, a precursor to Kevlar XP for hard armour, will be produced at DuPont’s new $500 million Kevlar facility currently under construction near Charleston, S.C. The site, which is expected to be fully operational by the beginning of 2012, will produce Kevlar fibres for the military, law enforcement and other industrial applications, and will help increase worldwide production of Kevlar by 25%.

Kevlar® XP™ H170 Datasheet