The debate over Dragon Skin went political with the late-in-the-day release of a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates from top Senate Armed Services Committee lawmakers.
The letter asks Gates to take the Dragon Skin testing up a notch, requesting that his research and engineering guru, John Young, hold his own tests to determine the facts regarding the protective qualities of the body armor we are currently providing our troops and that of any other commercially available comparable and competing system.
Download the Levin/McCain letter here.
This is an interesting turn of events because the letter also calls into question the Armys testing methodology for body armor effectiveness.
Recent press reports raise questions about the fairness and reliability of Army tests of a commercially available body armor and whether it fails, meets, or exceeds the military’s ballistic protection requirements.
The Pentagon and the individual services began a total overhaul of their test methodology in late 2005 after stories emerged that failed lots of Point Blank-made Interceptor body armor were shipped to troops despite failed quality assurance tests.
Whether or not McCain and Levins letter prompts a more favorable view of Dragon Skin in the DoD is perhaps a more minor point to the chances their efforts might put to rest once and for all the debate over exactly how to test and evaluate body armor.
For years, the Army tested it armor at HP White and US Labs two civilian owned and run ballistics test facilities. Their motive was to banish any idea that they somehow swayed the results. I dont know a whole lot about US Labs, but Ive spoken with the owner of HP White and he calls the tests as he sees them.
On the other hand, the Marine Corps for years tested its armor at Aberdeen Proving Ground — an Army facility. When lots of vests were failed at Aberdeen, the Corps took those vests to HP White and they passed. Then the service shipped them to troops despite the original adverse results. So, which test facility is better?
And, oh, who tested the purported CIA Dragon Skin vests? What model were they? Its my understanding the SOV3000 (Level IV) is a relatively new design. The National Institute of Justice do not test to the level the Army does on armor-piercing resistant plates. So, theres a third variance in the whole equation.
Hopefully this controversy can force the services to come up with a universal testing regimen with credibility that can also be used by other government agencies so at least some of the doubt over whos got the best armor can be erased.
Great continued coverage– so many questions.
I would also hope this time the Interceptor Program Manager is excused from overseeing testing the rival product.
While in no way would I suggest any impropriety on his behalf the perception of conflict-of-interest presented is doing considerable damage to the Army’s claim of no-bias objective testing.
that makes a lot of sense, why dont you put the navy in charge of the army while you are at it. I think the guy who has been testing all the armor systems should keep testing new systems. This is the second or third time that PEO Soldier tested Dragon Skin. The first time they used a wire to hold the discs together and it came apart, this time it was a glue failure. The Army didn’t make the armor, Pinnacle did. We still don’t know how SOCOM testing came out since they didn’t buy any after they tested it either. But the lack of a procurement and a ban by SOCOM a year before the Army ban should speak volumes. Special Operations soldiers are not easily fooled,
Check out Pinnacle’s level 5 body armor!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKnfHhRl7U0
this is now joke, check it out
Check out Pinnacle’s level 5 body armor!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKnfHhRl7U0
this is no joke, check it out
Patriot,
While the demonstration of level 5 armor looks impressive there is no true side by side ceramic plate next to the the level 5 dragon skin. It’s just another devised test to impress untrained eyes. Mr. Neal and I were discussing these higher level tiles in 1999, nothing new, just more of “Side Show Neal’s” armor circus, man the guy needs a new act for sure.
Did you see how monsterously thick that armor panel is? It looks like a New York City phonebook! What a bunch of morons, did you see the guy who got fragged, what the hell were they thinking? Guys, do not try this at home, shooting at any hard surface is dangerous, bullet fragments and richocets do occur when testing armor, Duh, it is supposed to stop bullets, so guess what happens? The laws of physics will get you if you are stupid.
I’m not sure if I would be pointing the finger at Mr. Neal, calling him side-show Neal. I would guess that all the media attention, both entertainment related and news related has been initiated by the media.
In other words I highly doubt that Mr Neal is setting up these tests. If I was Mr. Neal and various tv shows contacted me wanting to demonstrate the ballistic capabilities of my product I would certainly comply.
No one is saying that these “shoots” aren’t for entertainment purposes, because that is exactly what they are, however these “entertainment shoots” certainly do not take away from the ballistic capabilities of Dragon Skin which I still think are very impressive.
Oh please he’s a willing participant, and if he puts these videos on his web site then he using them as advertising. He’s a ballistic expert, and he’s knows better and so do I.
Others playing RO, I also play RO, but I played the RO is very different of others. I have not practiced my own, did not earn my own IRO zeny. There are even some time even transferred I do not what is.
All things are the memories, before all things have been imprinted in my mind, the friends all have left the 2moons, sometimes before when the sleeping I often think of the previous screen, together with friends upgrade, earn the 2moons dil and together play with friends, playing now I also feeling some tired
in the game there are many players do not have diathesis, can be said that there were very bored, they often like to ask something about the players looks like, family, and in the game can earn how much 2moons gold, I do not know these people are playing the game or game play them.
If you think that play game was important that have you thought about your parents? I want to say that when you played game that you do not forget your parents and friends. When you used your parents give your money to buy the Archlord gold, did you thought that money was your parents
Because of the game, we understand with each other, unknowingly, play with you in the dofus already have more than one year, in the year we experience many things, together with you I was very happy, together with you, I earn many dofus kamas, I think we will together play forever, but I was wrong, until one day you tell me that you will left and said goodbye to me.