Body armor will go through an entire situation and get shredded up,” said one U.S. military sergeant who had trained Afghan troops outside Kandahar City in 2006 and 2009, “but you're still surviving.”
The inadequacy of body armor has become more apparent over the years, not only because of its low resistance against bullets but because of the armor's bulkiness and weight. It is important to be aware that there are many different kinds of weapons. Different kinds of weapons require different kinds of protection. I will describe how effective armor is in each category of weapon.
Ballistic protection: this type of body armor, also called level 2A or NIJ III, covers the chest and shoulders, so it offers protection against ammunition from handguns and shotguns. Blow protection: this type of body armor, or level 3A or NIJ IV, protects against blunt force attacks that come primarily from melee weapons like knives and screwdrivers, but also includes bullets coming at a lower velocity than the ballistic protection mentioned above.
Pierce protection: this level of body armor, or NIJ IV, guards against bullets like the kind possessed by assault rifles (300 rounds per minute). It is also designed to protect against fragments from bullets that don't kill you outright but can cause wounds.
Breathable protection: This type of body armor protects against chemical, biological and radiological attacks, or level 4A or NIJ VI. It protects against the bio-warfare weapons that a bio-terrorism attack might include. This armor, which is lightweight and worn by soldiers on their heads, also provides protection against chemical and radiological weapons. You can run away from chemical and biological weapons,” said one soldier, “but not away from a bullet. A.B.L.I.S. The U.S. Army uses a new body armor called the A.B.L.I.S. (acronym for Active Body Armor System). The armor protects against all known weapons, but is relatively bulky and heavy. It is also hard to conceal.
The Army will issue the armor to troops by 2014. The Pentagon has also been experimenting with “Smart Trousers” that contain body armor. Another type of armor that can protect soldiers from attack is “smart vest” technology. One example of this technology is the Bio-Vest, which is a vest that protects the wearer from a gunshot or blast.
The vest's power source is small and lightweight. It can last for years, and can be charged using a small battery. This technology is a lot like a battery-powered cellphone.
The Bio-Vest is not bulletproof, but it is more effective than other vests. It has not been issued to troops yet. In 2007, the Army experimented with vests that contain Kevlar-like material. But the vests were not the kind that protect soldiers from bullet strikes. They protected soldiers from high-velocity blast. The vests did not contain armor, so they were not bulletproof. This technology was not approved for use in combat
The Army's experiments with body armor are being carried out at a laboratory at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
