Improved body armour - for some

Interesting article at http://www.captainsjournal.com/2007/01/04/more-investigation-on-snipers-and-body-armor/
Seems that the USMC will get the better specced version of the new issue.
The claimed rise in insurgent sniper action may have arisen frrom USMC operations back in Fallujah when their sharpshooters exacted a great toll from the defenders. I use the term sharpshooters. The marine 'snipers' did not seem to adopy the three days 'squatting on top of a flagpole disguised as a flag' approach but were troops who could be guaranteed to hit what they aimed at.
Anyone interested in the shambles that was Fallujah might be interested to get hold of No True Glory by Bing West http://tinyurl.com/ydlf8q

 

I think that the reason the Yanks are loosing so many men to snipers has nothing at all to do with Body Armour,it´s about posing(sitting half-way out of armoured vehicles) and not using basic infantry drills like getting behind cover and not moving around to upset the snipers aim.

Probably the weight of existing systems stops the wearer from moving around much in a hot enviroment,but watching the news makes me cringe watching the soldiers just standing around and begging for somebody to take a pot at them.There will always be casualties but Body Armour should be used as an aid and not an excuse to think that you are invunerable,or don´t need to take cover.

Our Flak-Jackets in NI were shite and were never taken as a serious defense against snipers-in fact they were a danger against rifle fire as the stuffing tended to make wounds worse!

 

Midnight, so true.

Wound contamination from ballistic nylon and shattered Doron plates was a major headache for any surgeon. Lots more wound debridment and post op infections.

Flak jacket do what it says on the tin. They protect you from shrapnel(low velocity) and basic dockyard confetti. Low velocity handgun and shotgun blast might be stopped or reduced.


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