The U.S. Marines want their infantry to move faster in the field by shedding weight on the gear that they wear. One of these is armor plates that they can use in counter-insurgency operations or low intensity conflict areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
In a report by Kaitlyn Kelly at CHIPS, the Department of Navy’s Information Technology Magazine the USMC have issued an RFI (Request for Information) for lightweight armor plates to lessen the weight carried by the Marines and allow commanders to adapt to the environment, mission and threat on the battlefield.
The lighter body armor will serve more as a complement, not replace, the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert, or the ESAPI plates, that is already being used by the Marines. The armor should provide protection for two rounds of non-armor piercing rounds that are more in use in COIN and LIC areas.
“Our current ESAPI plates do an amazing job of protecting Marines and have saved many lives,” said to CHIPS by Nick Pierce, Individual Armor team lead, Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment (PM ICE) at Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). “The only problem is Marines are currently given a binary choice between taking on 15 pounds to be protected or zero pounds and very little protection. This new lightweight plate would protect Marines and give commanders the choice of what plate to use based on the specific mission.”
Photo: Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 274 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Brosilow)
The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Team of the MCSC has conducted some tests of selected prototypes Marine Corps Load Effects Assessment Program. The tests revealed that lightweight armor plates can increase the mobility of the Marines by 8%.
“Without revealing too much information, I can state unequivocally that the new plates will significantly lighten the load from the Marine, and increase their mobility” said Pierce. “This increased capability can save lives and win battles by enabling Marines to engage the enemy or move to cover and concealment more quickly.”
The PM ICE team will insure that the armor plate will fit in the current Plate Carrier as well as the new PC Gen III which will be introduced in 2019. The MCSC will assess the industry’s capability to produce the new plate with vendors being able to produce 40,000 plates within a year of First Article Test approval. The contract will be done through a full and open competition by end of 2019 and they expect fielding to be done as early as 2020.
Top photo:LAR 11MEU (U.S. Marine Corps photo)