U.S. Army equipment officials are working on a new lightweight, body armor system that combines a plate-carrier style vest with an armored Army Combat Shirt.
The new Soldier Protection System is being designed to provide soldiers with as much as a 14-percent weight savings than the current soldier protective equipment, according to Col. Dean Hoffman IV, the head of Army's Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment.
"This is a modular system; if you want to deal with weight, you have got to go super-low, light-weight, but we also have to be able to protect the soldiers," Hoffman said during recent interview with Military.com. "It gives commanders more flexibility, more options to choose the right level of protection to suit the mission."
The Soldier Protection System, or SPS, is a full ensemble that goes beyond torso protection and provides the soldier with improved protection for vital areas such as the head and face, Hoffman said.
Read the rest of the story at Military.com.
