The Army has awarded a huge contract for its new improved outer tactical vest body armor to Specialty Defense Systems a division of the Armor Holdings conglomerate and Point Blank Body Armor.
The Specialty Defense order calls for 155,000 vests — with the Point Blank order totaling about 75,000 vests, the Army said.
Army officials added that the first unit to receive the new and improved vests will be the Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Division with a fielding goal for all troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Weve already taken a pretty good look at the new Army vest which basically takes advantage of technical improvements on configuration, coverage, fit and weight since the first Interceptor vest was fielded. It was a move long in coming, and some argue a smarter choice than the Marine Corps Modular Tactical Vest.
What many might view as disturbing, however, is the Armys continued use of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Point Blank to manufacture its life-saving vests.
It is inarguable that PBBA has been embroiled in deep controversy over the past two years. Expanding sharply from a small armor company that primarily supplied law enforcement personnel, the companys founder raised shareholder worries by throwing money around like it was growing on trees. A sharp drop in the stocks price built on investor frustrations and called into question the companys management.
Despite a forceful defense of its manufacturing and quality control practices, the Marine Corps was compelled to recall thousands of its vests from the field due to the rejection of manufactured lots that werent up to snuff. More recalls of Point Blank Interceptor vests followed later in 2005.
Then, the companys COO, Sandra Hatfield, was indicted for inflating profit reports in 2006, along with the chief financial officer, Dawn Schlegel.
Then, former Army Forces Command chief, Lt. Gen. Larry Ellis, stepped in to save the company, leading PBBA to the new Army contract.
The Army would not provide price information for the new IOTV, but a news report shows Point Blank garnered a $53 million for their 75,000 IOTV order.
Maybe PBBA has truly shaped up its act and can be trusted with millions of taxpayer dollars and with the lives of Soldiers who will be wearing the IOTV. But its track record of alleged financial improprieties and vest recalls should cause any government agency pause especially as the escalating war over Dragon Skin and the Armys Interceptor vest focuses more attention on the body armor debate.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Why do some argue that the USMC MTV was not a good choice? It looks much better then the the current vest out there b/c it covers more and thus has more protection, is more confortable, and has better feature such as being able to easly come off.
I’ll tell you why some say the MTV wasn’t a good choice. For one, take a look at it and compare with the Army IOTV. The features were slapped on with no forethought. Also, you literally have to take a class to learn how to doff and don it. And, finally, I happen to know for a fact field testers were raving about a vest during evaluations last year…the one that you see now wasn’t it.
“4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Division????”
C’mon, guys – you can do better than that. Really.
Something smells really bad here… I just spent some time reviewing the body armor issue. The Gen. who designed the INTERCEPTOR body armor strongly supports the new DRAGON SKIN ARMOR. The Army Gen. who issued the ban on its use did so BEFORE it was tested. IN COUNTRY Gen’s and their security ware the DRAGON SKIN, AND THE TEST REPEATED ON THE BODY ARMOR EXCEEDED ALL REQUIREMENTS PLUS ARMOR PIERCING AND INCENDIARY ROUNDS (AND THOSE WERE 7.62 SNIPER LOADS NOT 5.56). Beyond the requirements it also protected a test covering a fragmentation grenade. The INTERCEPTOR’S ceramic plates failed after three or four standard round striking anywhere on the plate.
Maybe we need an investigation into who has holdings in the supplier of the vest that is being purchased. Whoever had a hand in awarding this bid should be willing to put one on and take five or six round in the chest and back.
This story is really fishy, who is 4th BN, 9th ID? Do they perhaps mean 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Divison? When they flub a detail like that on a military site like this the rest of the story has the distinct odor of bullshit.
why is this argument still going when the youtube movies clearly show the creator of interceptor admitting that dragon skin was by far superior?
my god, i think i just won the entire debate
It is the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry REGIMENT, of which I am a member currently serving in IRaq. We are assigned to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division SBCT (stryker brigade combat team)
This new IOTV is echelons beyond the old stuff; but your suspicions are correct with regard to the testing of the body armor. Nuff said.
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Why do some argue that the USMC MTV was not a good choice? It looks much better then the the current vest out there b/c it covers more and thus has more protection, is more confortable, and has better feature such as being able to easly come off.
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