Army news service : soldiers soon to get side protection on Body Armor
Deployed troops will soon start getting side protection for their Interceptor Body Armor (IBA), thanks to the efforts of Program Executive Office Soldier. The IBA Deltoid Extension was one of dozens of pieces of equipment PEO Soldier officials showed off to the Pentagon press corps during a media briefing June 14.In the two years since the organization stood up, it has researched and fielded or is in the process of researching more than 350 pieces of equipment–everything from boots to parachutes to new rifles–in order to save soldier lives, improve their quality of life, and increase their effectiveness on the battlefield, said Brig. Gen. James Moran, PEO Soldier executive officer.
“Outfitting soldiers is just as important as [acquiring] a major piece of equipment,” Moran said.
At about 16 pounds, IBA is lighter than the 25-pound Vietnam-era flack jacket it replaced, and it offers better protection, Moran said. The Deltoid Extension will add about another five pounds and protects the sides of the ribcage and shoulders. However, the extension comes with a price for the soldier. Moran explained that it can limit movement and block air from circulating under the body armor–decreasing the soldier’s ability to cool off in a hot environment.
“Everything we do is a balance,” Moran said. “We want all soldiers to come back without any injuries. At the same time, we want them to be combat effective. Nothing can be made to be indestructible.”
Despite the weight of IBA, Moran said he has no doubt that the new body armor has saved lives. In the past 18 months, the Army has purchased about 300,000 full sets of IBA.
The current Army budget buys 50,000 Deltoid Extension sets this fiscal year, all of which will be shipped to selected troops by the end of September, according to Col. John Norwood, program manager for PEO Soldier -Equipment. The Army plans to request enough funding in next year’s budget to equip all 132,000 soldiers in the Central Command area of operations with the extension.
“We have a clever enemy, an adaptable enemy, so we must be clever and adaptable,” Moran said.