The Modular Body Armor Vest (MBAV) is a

bullet-proof vest Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles (e.g. Fragmentation (weaponry), shrapnel). The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials ...

made by Eagle Industries and used by the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

. The vest is standard issue for many members of the United States special operations forces including the

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as the United States Army Rangers, Army Rangers, is the United States Army Special Operations Command's premier light infantry and direct-action raid force. The 75th Ranger Regiment is also part of Joint S ...

. 10,000 vests were deployed on an interim basis with the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

while it developed the Scalable Plate Carrier. The vest was also evaluated by the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Design

The vest has removable Small Arms Protective Insert plates. The MBAV does not offer as much coverage as the

Improved Outer Tactical Vest The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) is an enhanced version of, and a replacement for, the older Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) component of the Interceptor multi-threat body armor system, as fielded by the United States Army beginning in the mid-2 ...

(IOTV). The vest weighs , averaging about lighter than the IOTV. Lighter armor, which offers greater mobility, has become a priority due to the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. It is only meant to protect the vital areas with armored plates, instead covering non-vital areas with soft armor.

History

The vest has been standard issue for many members of the American SOF operators including the 75th Ranger Regiment. Those 10,000 vests were deployed on an interim basis with the

while it developed the Scalable Plate Carrier. 500 vests were intended to be evaluated by the

for two months beginning in April 2009 in Afghanistan. Army acquisition officials delayed the assessment to complete additional safety testing. Three-dozen airborne troops took part in Soldier Protection Demonstration VII at

Yuma Proving Ground Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a United States Army series of environmentally specific test centers with its Yuma Test Center (YTC) being one of the largest military installations in the world. It is subordinate to the U.S. Army Test and Evalua ...

in May 2009. The soldiers analyzed eight plate carrier vests including the MBAV. A different plate carrier was selected for procurement.

References

http://soldiersystems.net/2009/12/16/the-soldier-plate-carrier-system-a-journey/ {{US Army uniforms Plate carriers Military equipment introduced in the 2000s

Design

History

See also

References