BAE Systems shared two technologies that they’ve put forward for the US Army’s Soldier Protection System program.
The first technology is ISSS or the Integrated Soldier Sensor System. Based on their HEADs technology (Headborne Energy Analysis and Diagnostic System) which helps measure the forces that can lead to traumatic head injuries, ISSS incorporates external pressure sensors based on the DARPA blast gauge, physiological stats monitor for heart and breathing rate as well as skin temp and inactivity. All of this feeds into a Soldier Display. There is also a data retrieval system similar to HEADS that allows the data to be interrogated post mission. It can then be interpolated to help better diagnose Soldier injuries.
The second technology is the SPS Vital Torso Protection or VTP. Consisting of four different plates, X-SAPI and E-SAPI toros as well as side plates. BAE Systems have delivered over 1.25 million armor plates to DoD beginning with the original Small Arms Protective Insert program back in the late 90s.
Tags: BAE Systems, SOFIC 2014
First I really like Soldier Systems and TFB. Second I am a Soldier.
BAE may have a lot of great innovations in the body armor area, but any time I see “handle with care” on the face of a body armor plate it makes me weary. Yes I know how plates are designed to work. and yes I know that mistreatment may cause them to fail. But when will a company make a plate that will withstand a Soldier, I mean when a jack*** pulls another ripcord and it falls 3-4 feet to the concrete, or when a private just throws his on a steel (armored) hood of his truck, of course that is not “handling with care”. But come on when at war things don’t get “handled with care”. Again I don’t mean any disrespect to any, however the first that doesn’t have to have their plates X-rayed to see if they are still are good, will be the one to have my trust and confidence in body armor. (of course I am still stuck to what the government gives me)
They do make them. It’s just that those plates cost substantially more per plate than the ceramic versions you are issued.