Posted on 02/07/2006 2:25:07 PM PST by John Jorsett
There's nothing else like it on the market currently. A local Marine who served in Iraq has designed a new facial armor system that could save lives. The equipment is already being tested in combat.
"There are a lot of facial injuries. I've had friends currently over there who have been injured in the face," said Ben Mahan, Mtek Weapon Systems.
Mahan is a Marine who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. "After I got back from Iraq in 2003 I noticed we were lacking face protection. So I went out and tried to find facial armor or something I could take because I had to return back with my unit. I wasn't able to find anything," he said.
Since Mahan returned home, he's been working to design a facial armor system that would protect servicemen and women in combat. "I want to save lives. That's my goal," he said.
"He went to the manufacturer of the helmet. They wanted an exorbitant amount of money to even make molds and lay it up and stuff like that," said Vanch Mahan, Ben's dad and business manager at Mtek.
Mahan took the idea to Mark Scott at Prototype Development, a company that concentrates on developing ideas, not for the military, but for racecars.
"We get a lot of e-mails, a lot of ideas, and this one really jumped out as being something special," said Mark Scott, Prototype Development.
"Of course our background is in motor sports so we have years of experience crashing cars into the wall at Indianapolis and other places. So we've tried to take our motor sports approach into the body armor field with some very different ideas," said Scott.
The "Predator" is a facial armor system made of Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests. Mahan has spent the better part of two years perfecting it.
"It's not saying that you're totally protected and aren't going to get injured but it's going to keep a lot of shrapnel from tearing off the lower extremities of your face," said Vance Mahan. "We've shot this with a 12-gauge shot gun from point-blank range which is about a meter or three feet. It stopped that. We've shot it with a 44-magnum point-blank range. It stopped that. We shot it with a .357 at point blank range and it stopped all of it."
The mask will attach to any existing government-issued military helmet. Mtek has already sent one over to Iraq. They’ve also designed a bulletproof visor. Now the trick is getting the government to see the same need they do.
Tank driver -- most drive with their head popped out of the tank. An M1 and it's crew was lost in Bagdad when it's driver was shot dead -- the tank drove off of a bridge an the other crew members died.
Guard duty -- protection against snipers. Right now body armour does great -- except for the face.
Who else knows.. I wonder how many of our soldiers have died form bullets to the face...
I wonder how many soldier have died because they couldn't see the badguy? Hard to tell from looking at it so you may be right but as an ex infantryman I don't think this is a real good idea. Would work for a take down since you got guys looking all ways when you go thru the door but it looks like it really limits the wearers vision to what is right in front of you. Doesn't do a lot of good to protect a tank driver from a 1 in 10,000 sniper shot and prevents him from seeing the smoke from a anti tank missle launch or a baddy lining you up for a RPG shot off to one side.
Yeppers. Do that.
Not as much as a protective mask cut the peripheral vision in combat.
You will NOT be able to shoulder your M-16 and line up on the sights with this thing on.
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