If you want to choose army body armor, there are a lot more options that you will need to consider than the protection levels of the armor itself. Unlike civilian situations where both you and the enemy fall under the same jurisdiction, the enemy if the field will try to use any type of advantage, they can harm you and your brothers in arms.
Because of that, you will need to consider four aspects when it comes to choosing both your army body armor layout and the additional attachments and gear that you will need to carry:
- Type of terrain
- Size of your force
- Enemy numbers and equipment
- Length of the mission
Additionally, there might be other factors that you will need to insert into the calculation if you want the best results.
Ideally, you will seek the optimal solution between protection, weight, and utility. In some cases, this choice will be simple as you will be able to use overwhelming force against your targets with as little fire returned as possible. But, in others, the possibility of an ambush or sniper fire will influence your decision considerably.
Balance the Company
The smaller the force the greater the gear; this is always the case.
If you are only operating on the level of a fire team, you will need to carry everything that you might need and be protected from various types of injuries.
For instance, something like the SBAM™ Shoulder and Biceps Armor Module would not be needed in 98% of civilian or domestic situations where you have a dedicated medic just minutes away. But, in a team of two or three, you don’t want 25% of your arms to be injured from a random IED.
As the force grows up to the company level, the amount of gear and protection any soldier will need to carry will diminish. But, even here every soldier will be required to have at least an NIJ Level III+ hard plate inside their plate carrier every time they are in the field.
Stay Versatile
In any combat situation, it is essential for army body armor to be versatile and adaptable. For instance, models like the FRPC™ Fast Response Plate Carrier not only have the possibility to relatively quickly exchange a Level III+ plate for a Level IV but allow for a full range of modules and attachments.
The possibility to add extra protection for vital organs and arteries, as well as keep your ammo and grenade pouches at the ready are very important when you need to maneuver quickly and make different squads perform dual duties.
Stay Frosty for Explosives
In the field, explosives are usually a much bigger threat than bullets. Unlike directed fire, a piece of shrapnel can lodge itself from any direction and are especially dangerous for the head and the leg arteries. Because of this, it is mandatory to cover as much of the soldier in soft IIIa armor to protect from these injuries.
Thankfully, with new technology from https://uarmprotection.com/, these modules became relatively light, drastically increasing both the response time and the survivability of soldiers.