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KDH Announces Convergence Armor

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

KDH Defense Systems is producing its new, lightweight ballistic pack, called “Convergence,” for the Army’s Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV). Tested to ensure that the new package meets or exceeds all Army ballistic testing standards, according to KDH Convergence has reduced the weight of the IOTV’s armor package by more than 10%.

“KDH Defense Systems continues to make significant advances in reducing the weight of Soldier borne protective technologies,” stated Jeff Payne, Special Projects Manager, Research and Development, for KDH. “This milestone marks the first actual weight reduction under the current soft ballistic requirement and the first considerable reduction since the 1.1 psf requirement was implemented in the late 1990s. With the Convergence IOTV lightweight ballistic pack nearly 10% lighter than specification, the Soldier can now much more easily accomplish his combat missions regardless of the enemy, the terrain, and the weather encountered. Reducing the weight of the armor system also provides for the opportunity to add other potential life-saving equipment such as additional ammunition to the load. This innovative, new technology has the potential to reduce the weight of every armor system under the current requirement regardless of style,” Mr. Payne concluded.

“Lighten the load has been the resounding command from the military for more than a decade,” stated SGM (Ret) William T. (Butch) Hancock, Jr., Military Program Development for KDH. He continued, “The Afghan surge, which requires more foot patrols than were carried out in Iraq, has fueled the need to make our Soldiers more agile in their protective gear by reducing the weight of their armor systems. KDH’s new IOTV lightweight ballistic pack, Convergence, is one of the lightest and most flexible packages ever selected by the United States Army.”

“The emphasis to increase the ballistic protection of the Soldier has increased his survivability while hindering his mobility and endurance,” stated David Herbener, President and Chief Executive Officer of KDH Defense Systems, Inc. “We know what we have today works, but the challenge is reducing the weight while maintaining or exceeding the identical amount of protection. We are pleased that the United States Army has chosen KDH’s new, lightweight Convergence ballistic package and we continue to look beyond the current Soldier protection systems in an effort to protect against threats that Soldiers haven’t yet encountered. KDH remains steadfast in its commitment to developing solutions that will make Soldiers more agile in their protective gear by reducing the weight and bulk of the systems while making the design of such armor much more flexible and comfortable to wear.”

KDH currently manufactures the Amy’s IOTV and Soldier Plate Carrier System as well as the USMC IMTV and Plate Carrier. They moved completely to their current ISO 9001 facility in Eden, North Carolina from Johnstown, Pennsylvania in early 2010.

Bravo to the Army as well as KDH for making this happen as reducing the weight of armor is one of our biggest challenges. KDH did receive Congressional earmarks in 2008 and 2010 to improve ballistic protection the tune of $3.36 Mil so it’s good to see a return on the investment. But, this isn’t exactly a technological breakthrough. KDH did what it could based on the materials it was allowed to work with. There are myriad armor packages available commercially that blow the previous IOTV weight per square foot standard away if you move in a different direction.

Industry insiders estimate there are currently between eight and ten certified armor packages for the IOTV with the point Blank developed Pathfinder-S being the most popular and serving as a de facto baseline that everyone else varies from. There are several methods to reduce cost for these packages but reducing weight proves very tricky considering the Army has stood by woven aramids such as Twaron or Kevlar KM2 rather than introducing unidirectional technologies which can be made from polyethylene such as Dyneema or aramids such as Goldflex. While weights drop when using the unidirectional fabrics due to their higher performance, conversely costs rise. Naturally, the lower the weight, the higher the cost.

As we have said before, if there is a true desire to reduce the load, particularly on the armor side, true quantifiable measures can be made, but someone has to foot the bill.

Tags: KDH Defense Systems
Posted in Armor | 1 Comment »

Army Conducting ‘Full-Court Press’ to Reduce Weight Soldiers Carry

Monday, March 14th, 2011

“Army conducting ‘full-court press’ to reduce weight Soldiers carry” – That’s the title of latest story from the Army News Service discussing testimony provided last week by Army officials before the House Armed Services Committee on the Army’s budget and modernization. Afghanistan as you know is a very Soldier-centric environment and the Soldier serves as our most important combat system. Since the onset of hostilities in 2001 the Army has made huge strides to improve the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) of our Soldiers but it has come at a cost.

However, the article leads the reader to believe a couple of things that are untrue and hopefully, the article is incorrect and these same misstatements weren’t provided to Congress as testimony.

For example, according to the article the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff GEN Pete Chiarelli “said the Army has given Soldiers the option between the Improved Outer Tactical Vest and the new light-weight plate carrier. That provides a weight savings of 8 pounds…” Actually, the Army provides both systems but it is not up to the Soldier which he will wear but rather up to his chain of command. While it isn’t an out and out mistruth, it is a bit misleading. Individual Soldiers don’t get to apply METT-T and decide which PPE to wear.

He went on to state, “And the Army “continues to look at ways to further lighten body armor,” though he told lawmakers it’s not likely that the most common protective gear for Soldiers, the ceramic protective plates worn close to the body, could become lighter — because the technology isn’t there yet.

“I have not heard of any technologies now that will give us the required protection — as enemy capabilities continue to increase — at a lighter weight,” Chiarelli said.”

Once again, not entirely true. Industry can drop weight, but the Army doesn’t want to foot the bill associated with the reduction.

But, according the article GEN Chiarelli wasn’t the only one putting out incorrect info. LTG William N. Phillips, the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) apparently hailed the Army’s new “Danner” boot due to its weight reduction. Unfortunately for him, the Army chose the Belleville boot instead. While the boots are very similar, the fact that a senior Army leader is passing out bad info is a bit disconcerting. What else is he getting wrong? It might be the tidbit about the “added” $5.8 Million for armor R&D. Yes, it’s a new line item, but the money isn’t. Most of it was pulled out of the old single line item that covered armor as well as Organization Clothing and Individual Equipment. Now they are separate.

Soldiers are our most precious resource. When it comes to their protection, we’re not opposed to a little gold plating. But please, no sugar coating.

Posted in Armor, Boots, Congress, PEO-Soldier | 2 Comments »

HP White to Perform Ballistics Testing for NIJ Body Armor Performance Project

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

H.P. White Laboratory, Inc., the worldâ€™s largest independent test laboratory for body armor, has contracted to work with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF; policeforum.org) to conduct comparative ballistics resistance testing on new and used law enforcement body armor for the research study: Physical and Environmental Effects on the Performance of Body Armor. In a 18-month study funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) they will integrate data collected in a two stage process. In phase one, PERF will conduct a survey to evaluate how body armor is used, maintained and stored over time. In phase II, used soft body armor samples (and usage histories) will be collected from officers in 30 agencies across a range of US climates.

â€œHP White is honored to work with PERF and support the NIJ in its mission of advancing body armor design and the protection of law enforcement personnel,â€ said Mike Parker, president of HP White. â€œThis is critically important work that will give law enforcement empirical data on body armor performance over the life of the protective equipment.â€

Then, through a series of abbreviated tests based on the NIJ 0101.06 standard, HP White will then conduct comparative evaluations to match the ballistics properties of used body armor samples against an equivalent control group of new body armor samples. These comparative data will identify the variables, with each used body armor sample, which contribute to armor failure.

For more information visit www.hpwhite.com, or call 1-410-838-6550.

Tags: HP White
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HP White Expands NIJ Testing

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

HP White, the World’s Largest Independent Body Armor Test Laboratory Gains National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) Accreditation for its Environmental Conditioning Test Facilities in Support of NIJ Body Armor Certification Regimen

NVLAP has awarded HP White accreditation to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 0101.06, Sec. 6 Flexible Armor Conditioning Protocol; fortifying the labâ€™s existing ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Scope of Accreditation (NVLAP Lab Code: 200825-0). HP White joins a handful of NIJ certified ballistic testing laboratories that can conduct the required environmental conditioning of personal body armor, in addition to the ballistics resistance testing required for NIJ 0101.06 body armor certification.

â€œSince 1972, HP White has been conducting body armor testing for NIJ and its predecessor the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice,â€ said Mike Parker, president, HP White. â€œThrough the years HP White continues to evolve its operations with the NIJ programs and customersâ€™ needs. This NVLAP accreditation will provide our customers with more efficient NIJ testing cycles, and faster throughput and market readiness of their products.â€

Ok, so now you are saying to yourself, “What does this mean for me?” What it means for you is that HP White is now certified to conduct a protocol “designed to subject test armors to conditions that are intended to provide some indication of the armorâ€™s ability to maintain ballistic performance after being exposed to conditions of heat, moisture, and mechanical wear. This protocol will not predict the service life of the vest nor does it simulate an exact period of time in the field.” This protocol is critical to predicting how well armor will perform in real world conditions. Nobody gets shot in a lab. It’s always in the rain, or bitter cold, or sweltering humidity.

HP White is a household name in the armor world and more testing/certification capacity is good for the market. It means new configurations can be tested more rapidly. This should help shorten the development cycle and encourage competition. Competition in the market place means improved armor and lower costs.

www.hpwhite.com

Tags: HP White
Posted in Armor, Industry | 1 Comment »

ECLiPSE RBAV-AF (AF as in Air Force)

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Actually, this isn’t the first version of the Releasable Body Armor Vest for the Air Force. Just over a year ago, BAE outfitted Air Force TACPs with vests as well as a pouch suite. This new variant of BAE’s ECLiPSE RBAV is designed specifically for the Guardian Angel Weapon System (USAF PJs) and packs a couple of new features not found in other versions. For example, it includes communications cable routing (referred to as management) into the design meaning no more exposed radio cables. Although a subtle upgrade BAE designers slightly modified the rear flap covering the cable release mechanism which alleviated some binding issues that can occur with previous iterations. Additionally, BAE redesigned the release cable handle for the cutaway to make it easier to get a hold of and deploy. The RBAV-AF also integrates an internal chest pocket for documents and other small items as well as a pouch for a hydration reservoir in the rear. Finally, the cummerbund internal side pockets will accept magazines as well as batteries.

Here is the full information sheet provided by BAE.

RBAV-AF

www.eclipsegear.com

Tags: BAE ECLiPSE
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CAGE Armor Chassis Price Reduction

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Crye Precision has introduced a price reduction on their CAGE (Crye Assault GEar) Armor Chassis. Previously, it went for about $1900 but is now listed on their site for $1642.80. Unfortunately, still no word on availability of the new products unveiled at SHOT show and showcased in their catalog.

www.cryeprecision.com

Tags: Crye Precision
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The RAD Pack from Ares Armor

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Ares Armor presents the R.A.D. (Rapid Armor Deployment) Pack. Designed to do exactly what the name implies, the wearer can deploy armor from a storage slot in the pack and deploy a sidearm in less than two seconds. Once we get to the features you will see that one of their main concerns was to keep the features of this pack from betraying its intended purpose. It is important to note that this pack was designed more for civilian concealed carry than for military or LE use although it looks like it will do a great job there as well.

One of the first things you are going to ask is, what armor plates will it accept? According to ARES Armor, it is designed primarily for SAPI cut plates but is fully adjustable to accommodate different sized plates and individuals. However, we have not had our hands on one yet so we are looking forward to feedback from users on how well it handles various plate setups.

Additionally, this isn’t a one trick pony. While it does offer armor protection, it can still be used as a normal pack. Featuring a rear compartment that is fully separated from the plate panel and that is designed for the storage of everyday items, it’s storage capacity is comparable to a normal bookbag-sized pack. There is also PALS webbing on the inside of the storage compartment that allows users to set it up however they choose. The RAD Pack can carry both front and back plates with backers or just soft armor panels.

As you can see in the video, a cable system keeps the front plate panel in place inside the pack. Once the cable is pulled, the plate can be pulled up over the head. not only does this provide immediate protection it also allows access to a chest mounted sidearm.

It comes with a simple universal pistol holster that is attached via PALS webbing into the front plate panel. This is what you pull over your head. There is also PALS webbing covering the entire front of the carrier to allow whatever setup you want or to change out holsters.

In order to maintain the low profile image, there is no PALS webbing or other military/LE/tacticool giveaways on the outside of the pack. Additionally, the colors are very civilian friendly: Black, Black and Grey, Black and Blue, in addition to Black and Red.

Ares Armor left us with this statement about the RAD Pack.

Its not made to turn people into super heroes just to give them an advantage in an unexpected gun fight. (imagine if one of the innocent people at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Arizona the other week etc. were wearing a system like this. Having armor as well as a handgun might have very well given them the bravado to save some lives)

Overall, it looks like a promising design. According to Ares Armor, they are manufacturing the packs themselves and are applying for patents that cover how the pack works. Naturally, this makes them Made in USA. While we aren’t going to delve very deep into this, Ares Armor is collectively owned by several veteran and active duty military members. A big part of their business model is giving back and we will write more on this soon.

To order, visit www.aresarmor.com.

Tags: Ares Armor
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Crye Changes Everything…Again

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

It seems like just last year we were telling you all about all of these great new Crye Precision products, and just as they are hitting the market, Crye up and does it again.

As we reported some time ago, Crye did in fact win the SOCOM contract for their Low Viz vests. They produced two variants, one for the RBAV armor and the other for the MBAV. They both accept a small chest rig that attaches via SR buckles and the cummerbunds are interchangeable with the skeletonized AirLite cummerbund.

This is the AirFrame helmet with Chops and MultiCam mesh cover.

In addition to the GunClip we wrote about last year and is now available, Crye showed their new MagClip. Weighing a mere ounces, it fits US GI as well as PMAG magazines, clamping around the base of the mag and relies on two fork-style bars that fit around belts or into PALS channels. Unlike other systems, the MagClip remains connected to the magazine.

Crye has also made a couple of changes to their G3 field and combat clothing including larger jacket pockets with huge side entries as well as zippered back pockets and a new tool loop on the trousers. Additionally both field and combat pants share identical pocket layouts. They also are introducing an all weather combat shirt and field pant as well the FieldShell seen above as well as the WindLiner, a simple, lightweight wind shirt. Finally, for clothing Crye is reintroducing the range vest in a much more streamlined form as a cover up for the combat shirt when no armor is being worn.

Crye also introduced FastMits which is a product designed specifically for fast roping. For years, operators have used a variety of solutions including welding gloves which prove to be bulky and difficult to transition from rope to weapon ready. Crye developed an overmitt that is lightweight and is easily stored. They are placed over the operator’s gloves and can be quickly diffed in order to expose the hands to wield a weapon or operate radios or other equipment once safely on the ground.