Posted on 05/18/2007 2:50:24 PM PDT by Sleeping Beauty
Apparently, this is going to be the next big "investigation" in congress -- sponsored by Webb and Hitlary.
Is there any there, there?
BTW, can civilians buy this stuff?
I have experience with Government contracting and it is never a good thing to call your Government customer a “liar”.
They had this on one Discovery channel show and it seemed pretty impressive..
They then took it out on an explosives range and stuck the dummy on top of a grenade and popped it off. It tore through the outer lining, but when they took it off there was zero penetration through the vest, the inside of the thing still looked brand new. I haven't seen the Army's stuff tested like that, but to me it sure looked like it did a heck of a job stopping everything thrown at it.
I saw Dragon Skin on future weapons. They shot one full of rounds and had a grenade go off under another with no penetration.
The Army tests must be hell.
Notice you’ve never seen a single malfunction on “Future Weapons” of ANYTHING.
Call in the ‘Myth Busters’, they’ll prove one way or another if the claims are true.
According to the news (and the congressional inquiry) the Army banned Dragon Skin two months BEFORE they tested it.
Parents of several soldiers purchased it for them, but the soldiers are not allowed to wear it in Iraq.
Oh gee, only 20 pounds heavier, too? Sorry, I’ll take my chances with the ESAPIs...
Sounds like quality control might be an issue for Dragon Skins.
.. how do I get a job on Myth Busters??? that would have been my dream job when I was a kid.. I blew up all my GI Joes and Star Wars action figures with fireworks.. I learned it takes 3 bottle rockets to send a GI Joe flying hundreds of feet in the air..
I saw this too. The rounds were always coming straight towards the armor, not at an angle. If a round came from an angle that was aligned with the overlap axis, I just bet it would penetrate.
May 18, 2007The Honorable David M. Walker Comptroller General of the United States United States Government Accountability Office 441 G Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20548
Dear Mr. Walker:
We are writing to request that the Government Accountability Office conduct an investigation that would reassess body armor systems currently being issued by all the military services and the Special Operations Command for effectiveness and reliability against the threats facing our troops in combat.
Recent media reports suggest that the Pinnacle Dragon Skin Body Armor system may offer better protection than Interceptor Body Armor currently being used by our service members. Additionally, we have received constituent inquiries describing service members and government personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan wearing alternative body armor systems because of concerns about performance shortcomings with body armor procured by the Department of Defense.
We owe it to our men and women in uniform serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hazardous regions to provide them with the best possible body armor. Continuing allegations that superior body armor may be available but is not being acquired by the Department of Defense warrant an independent assessment.
In light of these revelations and constituent concerns we request that the Government Accountability Office reassess the various body armor systems currently being employed by all branches of the armed forces and the Special Operations Command for effectiveness and reliability against the threats facing our troops in combat. The scope of this review should include: (1) a comparison and testing of the Interceptor Body Armor system with other commercially available products including the Pinnacle Dragon Skin Body Armor system and the Special Operations Forces Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) to determine if our troops are currently issued the best available body armor system; (2) a determination of the necessary procurement steps required to obtain and field the best body armor systems for the armed forces; and (3) a review to confirm compliance and applicability of current body armor system policies and Safety-of-Use Messages for wear that apply to conventional forces and special operations forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We look forward to your prompt response. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton James Webb
CC: Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense; Senator Carl Levin, Chairman, Senate Arms Services Committee
Good grief, it’s a wonder you didn’t harm yourself.
We need someone like you running the DOD.
Myth Busters is pure entertainment and has no rigourous scientific controls in any of their so-called experiments. It is fun to watch, but that’s about it. I’ve seen them get it wrong a number of times because their test conditions were completely flawed. Then again you can’t expect too much from hollywood.
I thought the same thing too. This guy apparently lacks marketing skills!
Would it have killed you to post a picture?
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