Armor

Armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action (e.g., cycling, sites of construction works). Personal armor is used to protect soldiers, and war animals such as war horses (the application for the latter called barding). Vehicle armor is used on warships and armoured fighting vehicles.

Armor has been used throughout recorded history. It has been made from a variety of materials; from rudimentary leather protection, personal armour evolved to Mail and full plated suits of armour. For much of military history the manufacture of metal armour in Europe has dominated the technology and employment of armor. Armor drove the development of many important technologies of the Ancient World, including wood lamination, mining, metal refining, vehicle manufacture, leather processing, and later decorative metal working. Its production was influential in the industrial revolution, and influenced commercial development of metallurgy and engineering.

Personal armor

Personal armor is the whole of protecting clothing, designed to absorb and/or deflect slashing, bludgeoning, and penetrating attacks. They were historically used to protect soldiers, whereas today, they are also used to protect police forces, private citizens and private security guards or bodyguards. Two types exist:

  • regular non-plated personal armor (used by the people mentioned above, except combat soldiers) and
  • hard-plate reinforced personal armor, which is used by combat soldiers, police tactical units and hostage rescue teams.

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Light armor (ex., Interceptor Body Armor (IBA)) [left]
Heavy armor [center]
No armor (ex., Battledress) [right]

Flesh tones : Vulnerable body areas with NO protection
Light grey : Vulnerable areas (soft armour; vulnerable to assault rifle fire)
Dark grey : Heavy protected areas (level IIIA (w/ anti trauma); withstand limited MP5 fire)


Body armor

Gear for defense against ballistic weapons are commonly worn by military and law enforcement personnel. Modern body armor may combine a ballistic vest with other items of protective clothing, such as a combat helmet. Vests intended for police and military use may also include ballistic shoulder and side protection armor components, and bomb disposal officers wear heavy armor and helmets with face visors and spine protection.

Battledress, or fatigues in the general sense, is the type of uniform used as combat uniforms, as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions. It may be either monochrome (often a shade of green or brown) or in a camouflage pattern. The first purpose-made and widely issued camouflage garments were used by the Italian Army after the First World War; most nations developed camouflage uniforms during the Second World War, though in many cases they were issued widely only among "elite" units.

Battle Shield
"Combat Shield"
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A military combat shield is held in the hand or arm. Its purpose is to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows (and bullets for mini ballistic shields) or by glancing a blow to the side of the shield-user. Shields vary greatly in size, ranging from large shields that protect the user's entire body to small shields that are mostly for use in hand-to-hand combat. Shields also vary a great deal in thickness; whereas some shields were made of thick wooden planking, to protect soldiers from spears and crossbow bolts, other shields were thinner and designed mainly for glancing blows away (such as a tactical shield for sword blow).

In prehistory, shields were made of wood, animal hide, or wicker. In antiquity and in the Middle Ages, shields were used by foot soldiers and mounted soldiers. Even after the invention of gunpowder and firearms, shields continued to be used. In the 18th century, Scottish clans continued to use small shields, and in the 19th century, some non-industrialized peoples continued to use shields. In the 20th and 21st century, ballistic shields and urban combat shield are used by military and police units that specialize in anti-terrorist action, hostage rescue, and siege-breaching.

Interceptor Body Armor [IBA] (or light armor) is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s. Materials for the Interceptor vest were developed by DARPA in the 1990s, and a contract for production was awarded to DHB Industries' Point Blank Body Armor, Inc., by the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center. Tthe Interceptor Body Armor System (IBAS) currently employs two main variants, the original Outer Tactical Vest (OTV), used with the Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) ballistic plates series; and the newer Improved Outer Tactical Vest, (IOTV), used with the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPIs) ballistic plate series. The original Interceptor OTV variant was re-designed, improved, and enhanced with the introduction of the Improved Outer Tactical Vest body armor for the Army (which began to be issued to ground combat units in late 2007). The Modular Tactical Vest (MTV) is a bulletproof vest originally adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 2006. The MTV was designed as a solution to shortcomings in the current, decade-old interceptor body armor (IBA) and was selected after a rigorous proposal and examination process by the Marine Corps. The MTV provides better protection levels than the IBA, although it uses the same Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) plates.

A ballistic vest (or torso light armor) helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso. Soft vests are made from many layers of woven or laminated fibers and can be capable of protecting the wearer from small caliber handgun and shotgun projectiles, and small fragments from explosives such as hand grenades.

Metal or ceramic plates can be used with a soft vest, providing additional protection from rifle rounds, and metallic components or tightly-woven fiber layers can give soft armor resistance to stab and slash attacks from a knife. Soft vests are commonly worn by police forces, private citizens and private security guards or bodyguards, whereas hard-plate reinforced vests are mainly worn by combat soldiers, police tactical units and hostage rescue teams.

A bomb-suits (Blast Suits ir "extra-heavy armor") is personal armor designed to withstand the force released from a bomb. It is also sometimes referred to as a 'Demon suit' due to the number of people who are killed in the suit. In contrast to ballistic armors, which primarily focus on protecting the torso and head, a bomb suit must protect all parts of the body equally, since a bomb's force always impacts the entire body. Being a suit designed to withstand explosive force, it is very heavy, bulky and difficult to maneuver in. These drawbacks make it unsuitable for combat situations. However, they are often used by explosives experts while attempting bomb disposal. EOD technicians wear Bomb Suits during reconnaissance, 'render safe' or disruption procedures on potential or confirmed explosive threats. Such suits must provide a tremendous degree of protection from fragmentation, blast overpressure, thermal and tertiary effects should the threat device detonate. At the same time the suit can significantly hinder their mobility or situational awareness.

Helmets and masks

A combat helmet are among the oldest forms of personal protective equipment, and are known to have been worn by the Assyrians around 900BC, followed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, throughout the Middle Ages, and up to the end of the 1600s by many combatants. Their materials and construction became more advanced as weapons became more and more powerful. Initially constructed from leather and brass, and then bronze and iron during the Bronze and Iron Ages, they soon came to be made entirely from forged steel in many societies after about 950AD. At that time, they were purely military equipment, protecting the head from cutting blows with swords, flying arrows, and low-velocity musketry. Today's militaries often use high-quality helmets made of ballistic materials such as Kevlar and Aramid, which have excellent bullet and fragmentation stopping power. Some helmets also have good non-ballistic protective qualities, though many do not. Non-ballistic injuries may be caused by many things, such as concussive shockwaves from explosions, physical attacks, motor vehicle accidents, or falls.

Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) is a combat helmet and ballistic vest used by the American military from the late 1980s until 2005, when the system was succeeded by the Lightweight Helmet, Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, and Interceptor body armor.

The Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH), is a combat helmet used by the United States Army. It was developed by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center to be the next generation of protective combat helmets for use by the U.S. Army. The Advanced Combat Helmet was derived from the MICH.

The Lightweight Helmet is the replacement for the PASGT combat helmet. As it is nearly identical to untrained eyes in shape to the PASGT, it is still called the Fritz helmet or K-pot (due to its resemblance to the German Stahlhelm). Though heavier than the Army's Advanced Combat Helmet, its larger size also offers more protection and is lighter than the PASGT. Featuring a V-neck strap and improved fit, it is much more comfortable than the PASGT. As with the PASGT helmet, it is an olive drab color, and can be fitted with cloth helmet covers in desert and woodland MARPAT camouflage patterns, as well as a mounting bracket on the front for any sort of night vision device, such as the AN/PVS-7 night vision goggle or AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device (MNVD). Currently, individual can obtain a sling suspension or a pad suspension to fit the inside of the helmet to the head. A nape protection system adds ballistic protection to the rear of the head was also added as to reduce strain and improve comfort to the back of the neck.

A ballistic face mask, is designed to protect the wearer from ballistic threats. Ballistic face masks are usually made of kevlar or other bullet resistant materials and the inside of the mask may be padded for shock absorption, depending on the design. Due to weight restrictions, protection levels range only up to NIJ Level IIIA.

A gas mask is worn over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling "airborne pollutants" and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Airborne toxic materials may be gaseous or particulate. Many gas masks include protection from both types. During riots where tear gas or CS-gas is employed by riot police, gas masks are commonly used by police and rioters alike.

Armor Level and protection

Due to the various different types of projectile, it is often inaccurate to refer to a particular product as "bulletproof" because this implies that it will protect against any and all threats. Instead, the term bullet resistant is generally preferred. NIJ Standard-0101.06 has specific performance standards for bullet resistant vests used by law enforcement. This rates vests on the following scale against penetration and also blunt trauma protection (deformation).

  • Type 0

Ballistic nylon is a thick, tough, synthetic nylon fabric used for a variety of applications. Ballistic nylon was originally developed by the DuPont corporation as a material for flak jackets to be worn by World War II airmen. The term ballistic nylon takes its name from the fact that it was intended to protect its wearers from flying debris and fragmentation caused by bullet or artillery shell impacts. It was not an effective defense against most pistol or rifle rounds, let alone the heavy 20mm and 30mm autocannons Axis fighters were often armed with. (For this application, ballistic nylon has been replaced by Kevlar and other, more effective, bullet resistant fabrics.)

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  • NIJ Type I (.22 LR; .380 ACP)

This armor would protect against 2.6 g (40 gr) .22 Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LR LRN) bullets at a velocity of 329 m/s (1080 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 6.2 g (95 gr) .380 ACP Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets at a velocity of 322 m/s (1055 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It is no longer part of the standard.

  • NIJ Type IIA (9 mm; .40 S&W; .45 ACP)

New armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9x19mm Parabellum Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets at a velocity of 373 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1225 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); 11.7 g (180 gr) .40 S&W Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 352 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1155 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 14.9 g (230 gr) .45 ACP Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 275 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (900 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). Conditioned armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 355 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1165 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); 11.7 g (180 gr) .40 S&W FMJ bullets at a velocity of 325 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1065 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 14.9 g (230 gr) .45 ACP Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 259 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (850 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Type I].

  • NIJ Type II (9 mm; .357 Magnum)

New armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 398 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1305 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). Conditioned armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 379 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1245 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I and IIA].

  • NIJ Type IIIA (.357 SIG; .44 Magnum)

New armor protects against 8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 448 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1470 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). Conditioned armor protects against 8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 430 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1410 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, and II].

  • NIJ Type III (Rifles)

Conditioned armor protects against 9.6 g (148 gr) 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball bullets at a velocity of 847 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2780 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, and IIIA].

A flak jacket (flak vest) is a form of protective clothing designed to provide protection from shrapnel and other indirect low velocity projectiles. Today it frequently refers to ballistic vests, particularly Type III and above, which have added steel, titanium, ceramic or polyethylene plates which can withstand high-powered rounds such as those from rifles.

  • NIJ Type IV (Armor Piercing Rifle)

Conditioned armor protects against 10.8 g (166 gr) .30-06 Springfield M2 armor-piercing (AP) bullets at a velocity of 878 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2880 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides at least single hit protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, IIIA, and III].

See also

External articles

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Standards

Wikipedia

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