"The Army should continue to test lighter third-generation VTP designs"
Jared Keller | posted January 21, 2021 12:06 PM
The Army’s new soldier protection system is advertised as a lighter and more powerful alternative to the service’s existing personal protective equipment, but a recent evaluation by a top DoD weapon tester shows that the next-generation system has a long way to go before it can be implemented. The way to go is trustworthy and can reliably protect downstream soldiers.
According to a new analysis released in January by the Pentagon’s Operational Test and Evaluation Department, the Army tested the lightweight third-generation vital torso protection (VTP) armor plate insert in fiscal year 2020, when it was added to the system’s new modular retractable The vest will provide soldiers with the first line of defense against ballistic threats.
The VTP consists of front and rear hard armored torso panels (Enhanced Small Arms Protection Insert (ESAPI) or X Threat Protection Insert (XSAPI)) and corresponding hard armored side panels (Enhanced Side Ballistic Insert (ESBI) or X Threat Side Ballistic Insert (XSBI)), according to the OT&E report.
According to the Army, it is reported that the weight of light armor plates has been reduced by 7-14% compared to the armor plates currently issued to soldiers downstream.
However, the test results were not encouraging: during the initial testing, three-quarters of the various versions of the armor plates—especially ESBI, ESAPI, and XSAPI boards—failed to meet the ballistic protection requirements. Although the Army was able to re-adjust the ESBI and ESAPI boards to meet the "revised" requirements, the service is still working hard to develop a revised version of the XSAPI board.
In fact, the OT&E report ended with a simple assessment: "The Army should continue to test lighter third-generation VTP designs," which roughly translates to "The Army's next-generation armor plates are not yet ready for prime time."
If you want to know why this is so important, we will say this: the weight of the plates may be lighter, but don't expect them to stop incoming bullets-this is their job.
Now, this is not to say that the entire SPS is a loss. In fact, the system’s new Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) helped save the life of an armored soldier during its deployment in Afghanistan in mid-2019, when the mandible of the helmet repelled incoming bricks.
But according to Army officials, the reliability problems faced by the so-called next-generation armor plates-designed to "reduce the burden on soldiers" and become downstream of "game changers"-should make it possible for any soldier to install a new system. Before stopping for future patrols.
"The panels will not be delivered to inventory or placed on soldiers until all tests are passed," Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Miller, product manager for soldier protective equipment, told Mission and Purpose in a statement. "Until all ballistic and non-ballistic requirements are met, no plates will enter the inventory."
"The DOT&E report accurately describes the standard development process for producing products, testing products, and rework and retesting products until they meet Army requirements," Miller continued. "The changes made to the test are based on the updated test protocol for the new design and will not affect the performance of the board. Every change in the board design is based on extensive threat and injury data collected over the past few decades."
Debuting in 2016, soldiers are currently receiving certain SPS components through the Army's rapid deployment plan, and the service plans to deploy a complete SPS system to close combat forces in the near future.
The Army intends to make a full-speed production decision on the design of the light-weight VTP board after the completion of testing for "additional ballistic threats" in the second quarter of fiscal 2021.
Related: The inside story behind the Pentagon's unfortunate pursuit of the real-life "Iron Man" suit
It is the executive editing of tasks and purposes. His work has appeared in publications such as Aeon, Los Angeles Book Review, New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and Washington Post. Contact the author here.
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