We received this photo today and wanted to pass it along. It does a great job of showing you the SORD Variable Armor Carrier as well as what it looks like in the A-TACS pattern.
SORD’s VAC is a pretty interesting design. Not only can it be used as a plate carrier, but the side wings, which can hold soft armor inserts as well as small hard plates, can be added or subtracted as needed. When you add the wings with armor and plates, you have a full armor carrier. That’s some serious scalability.
We have finally located a photo of the new cummerbund for the Soldier Plate Carrier System. As you can see, it is not a tradition plate carrier cummerbund but rather an over sized side plate carrier. It’s main weakness is that it is suspended by two side release buckles on either end along with a single, adjustable “T” bar-style adapter that attaches via the diagonal back straps to a D-ring. It looks like this feature was added to help support the weight, but it’s still going to sag.
However, there are a couple of commercial solutions out there that adapt to the SPCS to provide a more traditional cummerbund.
For any of you that missed the saga that is the Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) you can find a great synopsis here. Since downselecting the KDH design in SPD 7, the Army has procured an initial amount in UCP, purchased the Technical Data Package (TDP) from KDH, changed the colorway to OCP, and developed a cummerbund.
Now, Product Manager Soldier Protective Equipment (PM SPE) is seeking additional OEF Camouflage Pattern (OCP) Soldier Plate Carrier Systems (SPCS). In addition to 17,000 complete carriers, the Army is also seeking up to 42,000 OCP kits in order to modify existing SPCS and up to 32,000 cummerbunds with soft armor package. Additionally, 57 First Article Test vests will be be required within 30 days of contract award. The procurement is set aside from Small Business and offerors have until 8 August, 2011 to respond.
In the early hours this morning, like a predawn raid, FirstSpear launched their website. Make sure you check out their new line of products.
Why FirstSpear? We’ve been waiting for months here at SSD to be able to finally tell you.
The Primus Pilus, or First Spear, was the Senior Centurion of a Roman Legion.
“Centurions were the guardians of Rome. At the height of the Roman Republic there were over five thousand qualified Roman Centurions in the Legions. To be a Centurion required that, in a mostly illiterate society, one be able to read and write clearly, to be able to convey and create orders, to be capable of not only performing every skill of a Roman soldier but to teach every skill of a Roman soldier. Becoming a Centurion required intense physical ability, courage beyond the norm, years of sacrifice and a total devotion to the philosophy which was Rome.
When Rome fell to barbarian invaders, there were fewer than five hundred qualified Centurions. Not because Rome had fewer people but because it had fewer people willing to make sacrifices.
And the last Centurions left their shields in the heather and took a barbarian bride…..â€
SSD readers should not need an introduction to Eagle’s CIRAS and Plate Carriers. The point is that Triad Tactical is holding a great sale on both.
Combat Integrated Releasable Armor System
DLA announced earlier this week that Brooklyn, NY-based Carter Enterprises, LLC, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $79,973,119 for improved outer tactical vests (IOTV) and IOTV cable assemblies. Using services are Army and Air Force. The date of performance completion is June 27, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-11-D-1059).
Carter Enterprises gained notoriety in 2009 when they were awarded contracts for the Marine Corps’ IMTV and Plate Carrier.
Mayflower recently sent us this announcement:
Due to demand ranger green has been added back to the webstore as a standard color. Due to lack of demand ACU has been removed as an available color. ACU is available for unit/bulk orders of 25 pieces or more. Contact us via info@mayflower-rc.org or the contact page for more information on bulk orders.
