Armoured Suits Are 'Too Goofy' Say US Troops

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-9-2006 | Francis Harris

[blam]

Armoured suits are 'too goofy' say US troops

By Francis Harris, in Washington
(Filed: 09/05/2006)

American troops have complained that a new armoured body suit designed to be worn in Iraq makes them look "goofy".

The water-cooled "alien spacesuits" are being handed out to turret gunners in their notoriously vulnerable Humvee vehicles.

The new suit is designed to protect against roadside bombs but has had mixed reviews from soldiers

The protective suit, based on those worn by bomb disposal officers, was intended to cut spiralling casualties for one of the most dangerous jobs in modern warfare.

But some troops have complained that the armour and headgear is inelegant. Others say the water-cooling system, designed for the soaring temperatures of an Iraqi summer, regularly breaks down.

Nonetheless, the suits being tested in combat by US military police units in northern Iraq have produced good results.

Capt Larry Bergeron told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes that the armour was credited with saving the lives of three men sprayed with shrapnel from roadside bombs.

"One soldier's visor stopped a piece of shrapnel that hit dead centre," he said. "If he had not had that suit on, the effects could have been catastrophic."

Gunners on Humvees have high casualty rates. While newly-installed armour protects those inside, the gunner stands with the upper half of his body exposed, making him far more vulnerable to roadside bombs and gunfire. Others have been crushed as vehicles overturn.

But Specialist Michael Floyd, 19, said: "I am not a big fan of this thing. It is really hot and hard to move around in. I do feel safer, but only in an explosion. I would not feel safer in a rollover or in small-arms fire."

Critics say the heavy suits also restrict movement during combat.

[RandallFlagg]

Well, it was a red, "X," when I saw it last!
Dagnabbit!!

[M1Tanker]

Yeah, that suit too. There are as many designs as there are designers. The fundamental question remains: How does one wear this and conduct Peace Enforcement Operations effectively?

PE operations require a lot of negotiation and people skills. It turns out that US military members (Army/USMC especially) are actually really good at this. How does one conduct these "people focused" operations looking like the "Michelin Man" or while encased in powered armor with the strength to tear through a car? The Force Protection vs Mission Effectiveness debate in Peace Support/Enforcement Operations has been hotly waged since Bosnia. We don't want to lose soldiers, but we also know that if we cocoon soldiers in menacing armor, they are less able to conduct effective negotiations and less able to interface with the local public.

The truth is, Soldiers/Marines are doing a lot of non-aggressive community building and interfacing with the locals. This robs the terrorists/Baathists of support and safe areas. We don't go kicking in doors and shooting unless we know it is a safe house (like the one raided last week) or a terrorist cache or a bomb making facility. Yeah, the truth about what we are doing does run counter to statements of "atrocities" by Kerry and Murtha... As if that was breaking news...

[randita]

[Screamname]

I have a better suit, the AlGore suit. It will scare away anybody, even psycho Muslims. You wear a suit and tie and make a mask out of AlGores latest magazine cover....

"Who has sent the evil space monkeys to eat my brains? Was it you or you? Hmm? Hmmm?"