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New Soldier-Protection Turret Developed for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle

Thursday, April 28th, 2022

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — Soldiers are getting a chance to evaluate and train with a new armored turret system for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the latest U.S. Army platform within the high-priority Next Generation Combat Vehicle modernization program.

The new Objective Commander’s Weapon Station integrates with all five variants of the AMPV: a general-purpose vehicle, mission command vehicle, mortar carrier, medical evacuation and medical treatment vehicles. The AMPV is currently in low-rate production.

The OCWS system, which addresses the ongoing need to develop advanced armor protection and capabilities for Soldiers, is part of the broad sweep of modernization efforts within the U.S. Army. The advanced protection kit has a new armor alloy and a titanium hatch design.

The OCWS turret protects the vehicle commander, who operates as the gunner on the top side of the vehicle. Essential features include periscopes, motorized rotation and a spacious interior that allows the gunner to perform complex missions under protection. The weapon mount on the system gives the gunner full access to the suite of crew served weapons, providing a range of firepower options.

The OCWS was developed and prototyped by engineers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The Armaments Center reports to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, which is part of Army Futures Command.

“The OCWS is definitely one of our more sophisticated turret systems,” said Thomas Kiel, who leads the engineering activity for U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps armored and tactical vehicle turrets within the DEVCOM Armaments Center Force Protection team. “The AMPV was developed to operate on the front lines of the battlefield, and our team had to accommodate the challenging requirements associated with that,” Kiel added.

The OCWS includes a combination of opaque and transparent armor that is specially configured to provide advanced protection and situational awareness for the Commander. The Armaments Center works closely with DEVCOM’s Army Research Laboratory to ensure that the high performing armor materials are lightweight, affordable and readily available.

“Our initial prototype was integrated with the vehicle at the test site for a formal user evaluation,” said Narayan Bhagavatula, Program Lead for Gunner Protection Systems within Program Manager Soldier Lethality, also located at Picatinny Arsenal.

Experienced warfighters, program managers and Picatinny engineers participated in a Human Systems Integration event at the Aberdeen Test Center for a complete evaluation of every aspect of the new turret. “It is critical that the OCWS meets the needs of the Soldier,” said Bhagavatula. “User feedback is the most important aspect of our development process.”

At the Soldier-centered event, the turret team gathers all comments and recommendations from Soldiers and incorporates them into the design. Engineering analysis of the updated computer models follows each design change.

“We’re able to really push the envelope on system complexity and performance because of recent advances in modeling and simulation,” said Kiel. The engineers work closely with the Gaming, Interactive Technologies & Multimedia team at the Armaments Center to evaluate computer models within a virtual environment that simulate various battlefield scenarios, from dense urban combat to open terrain, under certain weather conditions.

In collaboration with Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, the Armaments Center is acquiring new simulation technologies and toolsets that make it possible to evaluate the overall effectiveness of new weapon systems through fully immersive environments.

“Through advanced modeling, we can predict the behavior of our turrets under extreme stress, as well as understand how the system will be used during combat,” said Kiel. “The engineering data we generate is treated as a weapon system and is managed and secured as such,” he added.

The DEVCOM Armaments Center has the lead within the DOD in the development of Tactical Vehicle Turret Systems. More than 50,000 systems have been fielded on a variety of platforms, including the Humvee, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle and others. Objective Gunner Protection Kit Turrets are standard for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

At least 14 patents have been issued related to the development of turret systems, including three that were selected as Army’s Greatest Inventions. AGI awards are considered somewhat of a “Soldier’s Choice Award” because nominations are judged by a panel of noncommissioned officers with recent combat experience as well as practical, hands-on experience.

The Product Data Management team at Picatinny is responsible for processing and maintaining all aspects of weapon system data, which is used throughout the Armaments Center enterprise for various functions such as prototype fabrication, structural modeling, and cost analysis. “The technical data itself is a strategic asset for the U.S. Army and a crucial component in achieving military advantage,” Kiel said.

“We built all of the prototype OCWS turrets in-house over the last 18 months,” said Bhagavatula. “Meeting the aggressive test schedule was a top priority, along with finalizing the technical data package for the start of low-rate production,” he added. Assembled within its Prototype Integration Facility, the Armaments Center provided 20 OCWS turrets for test and evaluation.

The AMPV with OCWS has undergone reliability, availability, and maintainability testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, as well as live-fire testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Follow-on operational testing of the AMPV with Soldiers is underway.

By Ed Lopez, Picatinny Arsenal Public Affairs

Posted in Armor, Army, Guest Post, Mobility | 1 Comment »

Ultralightweight Yet Super-Strong Plate Carrier MX244 for Military and Police Special-Forces Goes On Sale 27 April, Says Lindnerhof-Taktik

Wednesday, April 27th, 2022

LENGGRIES, GERMANY (25 April 2022)—Maker of high-quality tactical gear systems Lindnerhof-Taktik today announced it will this week begin offering its new MX244 Ultralight Plate Carrier for purchase.

The MX244—set to go on sale Wednesday—is the first of an entire line of Lindnerhof-Taktik products made with the company’s innovative Multiaxial Laminate MX material, notable for its extreme low weight and astonishing strength, said Lindnerhof CEO Jakob Kolbeck.

“We’re very confident that the military and police special-forces teams for whom the MX244 is designed will find it an indispensable piece of equipment,” Kolbeck said, adding that the carrier is designed to serve as a grid for toting SAPI L-sized plates.

“There are many reasons why we believe the MX244 will quickly become a bestseller, but two of the most important are its exceptional durability and it weighs only 450 grams,” Kolbeck continued. “In fact, until the MX244 came along, there’s never been a more reliable, lightweight option for carrying plates.”

Lindnerhof founder Josef Sixt added that the advanced-technology Multiaxial Laminate MX material used in the manufacture of the MX244 has very low water absorbency characteristics. Moreover, he said, the option exists for covering the carried plates with fully camouflaged sleeves.

“Although the MX244 Plate Carrier is a cutting-edge product, we incorporated many of our classic, time-tested, and field-proven features,” Sixt offered. “For example, we took our patented hook buckle for securely closing shoulder straps and waist belts and translated it into an extra-slim version, one that would stay more out of the way of the user’s weapon system, provide additional space along the waist belt, and yet clasp just as rock-solidly as the original hook buckle.”

Kolbeck said an objective in developing the MX244 was creation of a plate carrier that would allow users to quickly add accessories. Accordingly, the company has timed the debut of its MX244 to coincide with the launch of several Lindnerhof-Taktik accessory items.

These are:

• Front Panels (MX233 Velcro® Panel, MX231 Panel Front, MX234 Multi-Calibre front Panel)

• Carrying Sling (MX106 Single Point Velcro® Sling)

• Next-generation Multi-Calibre Pouches (MX119 Multi-Calibre Rifle Mag Pouch, MX519 Multi-Calibre SMG Mag Pouch)

• Slim Belt Grid (MX560 Modular Belt Grid)

“Common to the plate carrier and the accessory items—beyond being made with Multiaxial Laminate MX—is their extreme functionality and modularity,” Kolbeck said. “Consider, for instance, the new MX560 Belt Grid. It’s a laser-cut sleeve-grid. But as soon as it’s wrapped around our Tactical Harness [1000551 Edelrid Gürtel], the harness transforms into a slim, super-lightweight war belt. Extra slots stably attach it to common holster systems including Blackhawk, Safariland, and G-Code, as well as to other items.

“As for the MX231 Front Panel, it can carry three magazines for rifles ranging from the AR15 on up to the HK417. Both it and the MX234 Multi-Calibre Front Panel attach to the MX244 Plate Carrier by means of Velcro® fasteners and/or with an included pair of click-it-to-attach MOLLE buckles for faster gearing up.

“And, of course, all of the new products include other outstanding Lindnerhof features such as cable management, patch areas, and size adjusters.”

The MX244 Plate Carrier and most of its accessories (unveiled in March at the at Enforce Tac and IWA 2022 trade shows held in Nuremberg, Germany) will for now be available in only two colours—coyote and stone grey. The company said black will be offered later, as will the camouflage patterns MultiCam and 5fb Flecktarn.

Meanwhile, Kolbeck provided a sneak-peek at a coming capability of the MX231 and MX234 panels. “In additional to their classic functionality, the front panels also can form the basis of a fully configured and ready-to-use micro-rig, but we’ll have more about that in the next few months,” he revealed.?

All the Lindnerhof-Taktik products coming available for purchase this week reflect a recently adopted strategy of developing and rolling out new items with greater frequency.

“We create roughly a thousand prototypes of new products each year, but our goal now is to bring more of them to customers and to do so on a more consistent basis,” Kolbeck said.

For more information about these products and other Lindnerhof-Taktik gear, please visit the company’s website at www.hqg.de.

Posted in Armor, International, Load Carrying, Materials, Press Release | Comments Off on Ultralightweight Yet Super-Strong Plate Carrier MX244 for Military and Police Special-Forces Goes On Sale 27 April, Says Lindnerhof-Taktik

Sneak Peek – Lindnerhof Taktik MX224 Uktralight Plate Carrier

Tuesday, April 26th, 2022

Dropping 27 April, Lindnerhof Taktik’s lightest Plate carrier yet. The MX224 Uktralight Plate Carrier features their proprietary MX material, a laser cut multiaxial laminate which is paired with their patented hook buckle.

www.lindnerhof-taktik.de

Posted in Armor, International, Materials | 3 Comments »

DEVCOM Soldier Center Seeks to Improve Body Armor for Women

Tuesday, April 26th, 2022

NATICK, Mass. — Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, or DEVCOM SC, have developed a body armor questionnaire to help improve body armor for female users specifically and for all body armor users in general.

The researchers at DEVCOM SC — who are longtime experts in Soldier protection, human factors and gathering/analyzing Soldier input — are investigating body armor fit and related issues, and how those issues impact the ability of users to perform their mission.

Participation from current and past users of body armor will provide researchers with insight into user needs and ways to make improvements. Data will be collected from a questionnaire completed by eligible individuals.

The questionnaire is part of DEVCOM SC’s larger effort to support the Female Body Armor Modernization Act. In support of the act, DEVCOM SC is investigating and developing body armor system improvements specifically focused on women as well as improvements that will benefit both male and female Soldiers. DEVCOM SC’s Applied Ergonomics Team and the Consumer Research Team, both part of DEVCOM SC’s Soldier Effectiveness Directorate, have worked together to develop the questionnaire.

Blake Mitchell, team leader of the Applied Ergonomics Team and lead for the Anthropometric Study for the Female Body Armor Modernization program, explained that the questionnaire will help “to identify the predominant fit and performance issues, as well as the body armor system sizing and issuance process experienced by women in the Army.”

Mitchell explained that the questionnaire goes into considerable depth in its attempt to identify what the primary issues are in a way that can allow for design improvements. The questionnaire gives participants the means to identify ways they are not fully protected, any discomfort they experience — both short or long term — and how issues with fit may impede their ability to do their job.

“We want potential participants to understand the importance of completing this survey, because it takes time to answer all questions honestly and thoroughly, particularly for those who have more experience with body armor,” said Wendy Johnson, a research psychologist on the Consumer Research Team. “In order to make the survey more convenient and to accommodate their schedules, participants have up to seven days to complete the survey once they begin.”

The questionnaire is aimed at women in the Army, but all genders are welcome to respond. The research team hopes to use data from male respondents to better understand their general fit and performance issues. Researchers are also interested in gathering opinions of body armor users from the National Guard and the Reserves, as well as individuals who have recently separated from the military.

“We hope to elicit responses from a wide variety of mission areas across the military – from people that only have to wear body armor occasionally to those that wear it day and night for extended periods of time,” said Mitchell. “Having data from a broad array of users will allow us more power in how we understand and interpret the data, and aid in the better design of future systems to accommodate a broader range of the user population.”

The questionnaire asks respondents relevant questions about their body shape and size, as well as their experiences with, and performance impacts due to, body armor use. In addition to identifying the specific body armor elements that need to be improved, researchers also hope to find out what is working well.

“Researchers will summarize the information derived from this questionnaire and will make it available to designers, manufacturers and acquisition personnel,” said Mitchell. “Key issues will be grouped based on demographic and anthropometric descriptors to lead to a better understanding of how to improve fit and performance.”

As part of their larger effort to improve female body armor, DEVCOM SC researchers are also using data from the 2012 Anthropometric Survey, or ANSUR II, to better understand the size and shape of women who make up the U.S. Army. ANSUR II includes direct measurements and three-dimensional whole-body scans. ANSUR II was executed by DEVCOM SC and is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive anthropometric surveys. It provides invaluable data that aids the design and optimization of a wide range of products.

The body armor questionnaire is part of DEVCOM SC’s ongoing emphasis on Soldier input as a key component in all research and product development.

“The Soldier Center wants to ensure that all of the products we support meet the requirements of all Soldiers so they can complete their mission and do their job without creating unneeded or additional burdens for them,” said Mitchell. “This questionnaire will provide specific information on Soldier’s preferences and experiences for body armor in their own voice.”

Data gathered from DEVCOM SC’s questionnaire will be used to improve future body armor development efforts for the Army. Navy body armor designers and project officers have also expressed interest in the results and have requested information and summary data on female Sailors who have experience with certain Navy body armor systems, as responses from other services are also being collected. The Soldier Center plans to have a summary of results by the end of the fiscal year.

If you are interested in participating in the questionnaire, it is available at online.

By Jane Benson, DEVCOM SC Public Affairs

Posted in Armor, Army, For the Ladies, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

High Speed Gear Partners with Industry Leaders to Provide Core Plate Carriers

Thursday, April 21st, 2022

SWANSBORO, N.C. – April 20, 2022 – High Speed Gear® has delivered thousands of Core™ Plate Carriers over the past several weeks.

High Speed Gear® continues to partner with our customers and industry leaders to keep up with the demand which is ever growing for High Speed Gear Products. HSGI now has 3 operating factories which has allowed the company to produce more volume while maintaining on time deliveries. The company is proud of their strong relationships that have been built with time and trust across the tactical industry and community to provide Battle-Proven Tactical

Gear™ to those who rely on it most. The highly sought after Core™ Plate Carrier provides American-made quality, worry free to human size algorithms with a focus on complementing plate/type sizing. If you are looking to source plate carriers, universal magazine pouches and medical pouches, please contact High Speed Gear at sales@highspeedgear.com.

The Core™ Plate Carrier is a ruggedly-designed, affordable plate carrier built for law enforcement, personal protection or range/training use. With padded shoulder straps and spacer mesh interior, the Core™ is comfortable and low profile. Despite its streamlined design, it remains versatile, sporting adjustability, comfort, plenty of laser-cut MOLLE for scalability, and more.

“The idea of the Core™ Plate Carrier began when we had customers of varying professions and backgrounds asking for a low-profile plate carrier,” said Bill Babboni, HSGI® Chief Operating Officer. “Several different design variations were applied to create the Core™ as we had input from both law enforcement and military members. We wanted to bring all the features possible at this price point, with more accessories coming soon.”

You can watch the official product video for the Core™ at youtu.be/N4ZdOeWwraE.

The Core™ Plate Carrier is available in: Black, Coyote Brown, LE Blue, MultiCam, and OD Green.

For more information or to place an order, please email sales@highspeedgear.com.

Posted in Advertiser, Armor, Press Release | Comments Off on High Speed Gear Partners with Industry Leaders to Provide Core Plate Carriers

Limited Edition Agilite K19 in Multicam Arid

Thursday, April 21st, 2022

Agilite has released a Limited Edition version of the popular K19 Plate Carrier in Multicam Arid. It’s live on their website already but there are very limited quantities available so it’s first-come, first-served.

To see more about what makes the K19 plate Carrier so unique, see the video below:

Posted in Armor, Press Release | Comments Off on Limited Edition Agilite K19 in Multicam Arid

Premier Body Armor Thermal Regulation Technology in Multiple Armor Systems

Monday, April 4th, 2022

GASTONIA, N.C. – April 4, 2022 – Premier Body Armor’s partnership brings unprecedented thermal regulation technology to several armor products. Eclipsys is available in multiple configurations for a wide variety of uses. Eclipsys™ thermal-regulating properties is revolutionizing the body armor industry and Premier Body Armor offers several popular setups.

The full lineup debuted earlier this year at SHOT, and multiple product lines sold out fast. Integration options for Premier Body Armor’s STRATIS rifle rated plates, Every Day Armor T-Shirt, soft armor vests and more are in stock or currently being re-stocked for quick delivery.

The full lineup debuted earlier this year at SHOT, and multiple product lines are currently sold out. The fact that it can be incorporated into any system, is affordable and the performance is unparalleled (reducing heat up to 200%) means options for plates and everyday shirt armor are awaiting re-stocking.

“We haven’t even seen warmer temperatures yet, and people are already seeing how game-changing this really is—especially those who wear armor every day,” said Alex Stewart, President of Premier Body Armor. “Body Armor is very insulative, and until now, there were no thermal regulating options. Eclipsys changes this in a big way and we’re excited about what we’re seeing.

“We are pleased to be making a difference in the lives of our customers. One recent Law enforcement officer left the following review: ‘I used to take my vest off at the end of the day and my shirt was drenched. Now with this attached to my vest, my undershirt is dry.’ We continue to get regular and positive feedback from other happy customers as well.”

Eclipsys utilizes passive cooling which means there are no batteries or wires to break, replace or worry about when it matters most. It is non-flammable, non-toxic and razor thin at 0.42 mm thick (three sheets of paper). All of these features and qualities put Eclipsys in a league of its own. Premier Body Armor is proud to offer it with some of the company’s most popular and heralded products including the Elite Executive Vest and the Discreet Executive Vest.

More information on Eclipsys is available here and interested parties can request an editorial sample by contacting Tim Brandt at the address below.

Media Contact: Tim Brandt, Murray Road Agency
E-Mail: tim.brandt@murrayroadagency.com

Posted in Armor, Press Release | Comments Off on Premier Body Armor Thermal Regulation Technology in Multiple Armor Systems

Premier Body Armor Responds to Call for Support from Save Our Allies, Donates Body Armor

Saturday, April 2nd, 2022

GASTONIA, N.C. – March 29, 2022 – Premier Body Armor saw and heard the request for Body Armor from Save Our Allies and responded immediately. Founder Frank Stewart reached out with an offer that resulted in Save Our Allies personally picking up all armor for their volunteers earlier this month at the Gastonia, North Carolina headquarters of Premier Body Armor.

Premier Body Armor provides Made in the USA complete body armor systems to defend against threats in a violent world. The company is proud to offer everyday solutions to law-abiding citizens, but their ties to the military and directly to efforts like those being seen from Save Our Allies go much deeper.

Before starting Premier Body Armor in 2013, the company spent 20 years engineering and manufacturing armor for tactical vehicles, becoming an industry leader in innovation with the highest benchmark of quality. Customers have included the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the United States Marine Corps (USMC), North American and International OEM’s, private security industry, government agencies and the Department of Defense.

“Save Our Allies has found a select group of American volunteers to provide support and aid to civilians affected by the war in Ukraine,” said Premier Body Armor President Alex Stewart. “These volunteers will each be given a personal kit of our flagship Core Plate Carrier with rifle rated plates. Our mission is and has always been keeping Americans safe and we can’t think of a better opportunity to live that out than with Save Our Allies.”

“Save Our Allies is thankful to Premier Body Armor for embodying the ‘Send Me’ spirit of our team – and people around the world,” said Save Our Allies Co-Founder Sarah Verardo. “Thanks to our friends at Premier Body Armor we are able to distribute items to frontline medical personnel working to overcome terror and tyranny.”

More information on how to help Save Our Allies with their efforts in Ukraine can be found at their website.

Posted in Armor, Press Release | Comments Off on Premier Body Armor Responds to Call for Support from Save Our Allies, Donates Body Armor