According to an article published in Sunday’s edition of the “Daily Mail”, the new Osprey assault armor and Mk 7 helmet have been shipped to Afghanistan for use by the 11th Brigade just beginning a six-month deployment.
This photo published in the “Daily Mail” shows the new helmet’s camouflage cover. It will be interesting to see if this is just a prototype or will see general issue as it forgoes the sewn-in foliage bands found on the cover for the Mk 6 helmet.
Still in the prototype phase, the AGGRESSOR LE Armor/Plate Carrier from Shellback Tactical challenges the status quo in Law Enforcement armor. Traditionally, officers have worn concealable cut armor under their uniforms. However, this trend is beginning to shift to an externally worn vest, particularly on the East coast and in areas with high humidity. In order to answer calls from the field for an external armor carrier, Shellback developed the AGGRESSOR. While the concept of an external vest has been used by the military for decades, Shellback wanted to design something specifically with the needs of Law Enforcement Officers in mind.
One item that really makes this vest stand out is that the badge can be pinned directly to the chest just like on a uniform. This design also allows an officer the flexibility to take the vest off inside the station when completing reports or booking evidence. The design makes it just as easy to don quickly if need be. As an added bonus, several agencies have also found external vests as a cost effective option when they want their officers to also have a tactical type vest at the ready since the armor can be put into this as a secondary carrier rather than having to buy a whole second set of armor with the vest. Finally, with all of these features, the AGGRESSOR can also be used for SWAT and other tactical operations.
The carrier is constructed from 500 Cordura which was selected in order to help lighten the load on an officer who often works a 12 hour shift. The collar area is covered in non-slip material to assist with shouldering firearms and to keep slings and bags from slipping off. Below the non-slip is a two inch wide strip of Velcro for identification patches. As stated earlier, the AGGRESSOR also features grommets to display the Officer’s badge. Additionally, the lower portion of the carrier has PALS webbing which wraps all the way around the body of the vest to accommodate modular pouches. The rear of the vest features a four inch velcro strip across the back for ID patches. The fully adjustable shoulders are padded with foam and the entire carrier is lined with mesh for breathability. As you can see from the photo this mesh also extends around the edge of the arm hole for comfort.
Designed to carry soft armor, the AGGRESSOR also features interior front and rear pockets to hold full size rifle plates. As of yet, there is no info on which soft armor and plates will be accommodated.
Shellback Tactical tells us the new carrier will be available in about six weeks and should retail for under $200. It will be Made in the USA by TAG and feature a Lifetime Warranty. Look for it at www.shellbacktactical.com.
The Marine Corps has awarded ATK’s Eagle Industries business unit a $20 million contract for further deliveries of the Scalable Plate Carrier. Reports of the order do not specify the number of SPCs but they are to be delivered by January 2010. This order combined with the recent sub-contract for deliveries of the IOTV to the Army make the still unresolved Army Releasable Plate Carrier award even more interesting. Already competitors KDH and Eagle had their hands full with the smaller IOTV order and now Eagle has a further order for the Marine SPC. According to early announcements, the Releasable Plate Carrier was supposed to have begun fielding this month. This leaves both Tactical Assault Gear and MSA/Paraclete with ample production capacity. In particular MSA/Paraclete may be feeling the crunch as they did not receive a piece of either of the IOTV contracts.
Apparently, the BIG one has been awarded. Almost prematurely ahead of any formal Army announcement Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. issued a press release late yesterday declaring that they have been awarded a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the US Army REDCOM Acquisition Center. This is for an as yet undisclosed portion of the production of up to 736,000 Improved Outer Tactical Vests and 253,000 Deltoid and Axillary Protection Systems (“DAPS”) under the “IOTV Main Buy” – Solicitation W91CRB-07-0079.
This award comes on the heels of a much smaller award in July for 65,000 IOTVs to fill an immediate need. Repeated delays of the “IOTV Main Buy” award have hit the armor industry hard, forcing layoffs so it will be welcomed as a sign of a longer-term turn around for that industry.
Jim Henderson, Acting CEO of Point Blank Solutions stated, “This is a major milestone for our Company as we believe we are one of only a few companies that can produce the IOTV and DAPS for the US Army over the next five years. We have been a chosen provider of the US Armed Forces for years and look forward to continuing to meet their requirements. While no additional awards have been made and competition continues to be fierce, we are confident that the steps we have and continue to take to improve our operations and manufacturing capabilities will position us as the best value, low cost provider in the industry.”
“The recognition and faith bestowed by the Army also reinforces our industry position as a leading, ballistics provider and should add incremental value for our Company and our shareholders,” Henderson concluded.
Once the formal Government announcement comes we will update this story as according to Point Blank’s own press release, they have been selected as a “chosen supplier” indicating that others may also be awarded.
Australian ABC News is reporting that Australian forces operating in Afghanistan as members of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force will receive new, lighter armor plates as part of an effort to enhance the modularity of Australian armor systems.
Photo ADF
Download the video report here.
The Tactical Tailor Hybrid Enhanced Vest (H.E.V.) is manufactured from 1000D Cordura with an air mesh lining. The design features modular webbing on all sides and is fully adjustable to fit most wearers. Safety features include a dual cummerbund system for proper vest posture and positioning on the body as well as a pull-over flap for quick removal in emergency situations. Internal pockets accommodate standard size plates and soft armor for most ballistic vests up to 17″ x 24″ front and 18″ x 22″ back. Also included with the H.E.V. are removal side closures with elastic for better fit and adjustment, padded shoulder straps with integrated microphone epaulets for added ease and comfort, and a heavy duty drag handle. The entire package has an empty weight of only 4.5 lbs. Soft armor packages are available exclusively to military and LE personnel with proper credentials. Available in Black, Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, and Multicam from www.tacticaltailor.com.
Ever wanted to attach your chest rig directly to your armor but wanted to to be able to get it off quickly?
Down Range Gear can help you do just that. Providing more of a service than a product, according the the owner of Down Range Gear, they work directly with the customer to develop a custom product. The goal is to identify the equipment used and deliver a set of buckles customized for the combination of vest and rig along with instructions on how to set it up but just as importantly, how to use it. Using the four to six points of attachment found on most chest rigs they anchor compatible buckles directly to the vest in order to support attachment of the chest rig.
Customer participation is necessary to make the process work and pictures of the vest and the chest rig are almost always required to determine the best course of action. Further customer interaction and input is solicited through the build process in order to ensure a custom fit. With the myriad possible vest and chest rig combinations, there is no definite, single system and end user preference figures heavily in the final product.
Lastly, no matter what happens, Down Range Gear makes every effort to:
1. Not have the customer send any equipment in.
2. Not permanently alter either piece of equipment and ensure the chest rig can continue to be used with the harness as originally designed.
3. Ensure the anchor points and mating solution are easily understood, can be installed by the user and modified or repaired in field conditions.
Turnaround time is typically an astounding two to three days on a project. Only small design houses can provide service like this and it is imperative that we support them whenever possible. For more information on this service as well as the full line of Down Range Gear products, visit them on the web.
On 17 July, 2009 Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Dir of Clothing & Textiles awarded contract number SPM1C109C0022 for $39,371,150.00 to KDH Defense Systems of Johnstown, PA for production of 65,000 VEST, BODY ARMOR (Improved Outer Tactical Vest).
The carriers will be produced by four sub-contractors who are required simply because of the demands of the delivery schedule which requires delivery of the 65,000 vests between September and December of this year. They are: DJ Manufacturing Corp. of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Eagle Industries Unlimited (Front Line Defense International, Inc.) of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Eagle Industries Del Caribe Inc. of Lares, Puerto Rico, and Savannah Luggage Works of Vidalia, GA.
Announcement of this award may come as a sigh of relief for some as it had been delayed several times. Interestingly, the companies involved in this award, as well the finalists in the Releasable Plate Carrier program may indicate a passing of the torch, so to speak, from the larger, more traditional armor companies to smaller manufacturers. Also, as two of the four finalists for that program will be heavily invested in producing IOTVs until the end of the year it will be intriguing to see if there now continues to be a delay in announcing the award for the Releasable Plate Carrier. Additionally, Eagle Industries has captured a notable portion of this business which seems to indicate a new emphasis on large piece contract sewing since being purchased by ATK.
