Corps to field two new body armor vests - Marine Corps News, news from Afghanistan - Marine Corps Times

Corps to field two new body armor vests

The Corps is seeking replacements for both kinds of body armor it commonly issues, and could have new vests on Marines late this year.

The Improved Modular Tactical Vest and the Improved Scalable Plate Carrier will be sought through separate competitions this summer, said Lt. Col. A.J. Pasagian, program manager of Infantry Combat Equipment at Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico, Va. They will replace the bulky MTV commonly in use in Iraq and the SPC, which was first fielded widely last year in Afghanistan as a lighter alternative, helpful in mountainous terrain.

While the IMTV will be the main body armor system for Marines, the Corps plans to order about 70,000 of the improved plate carriers, far more than the estimated 10,000 to 14,000 plate carriers in use today, Pasagian said. Many Marines in Afghanistan are now issued both the MTV and SPC.

“We are looking at expanding [production of the plate carrier] because it’s a really valuable alternative for commanders whose units are going into areas where mobility is important, like mountainous areas, or into areas with a hot, jungle environment,” Pasagian said. “A good amount of Marines are wearing the scalable plate carrier successfully in Afghanistan, and we’re getting a lot of good feedback on that.”

There are about 108,000 MTVs in use Corpswide — at a cost of about $1,000 each, Pasagian said — that the Corps plans to fully replace with the IMTV. The plate carriers cost $400 to $500 each.

The development of the IMTV grew out of complaints from troops in Iraq about the weight and discomfort of the MTV, which can weigh up to 30 pounds when filled with its associated armor plates.

In the past few months, SysCom Marines have traveled as far as Japan to seek out a grunt’s-eye view on the MTV’s shortcomings, Pasagian said. Infantrymen and other Marines in the fleet reported problems with everything from the vest’s opening at the neck, where it rubs skin raw, to its cumberbund, where the lack of padding can lead to chafing.

Reducing the weight of the vest is a key issue. But Marine officials also anticipate a new neck hole on the IMTV that is up to a ½-inch larger than the current version, a move that compromises protection but cuts down on chafing and allows Marines to more quickly turn at the neck, Pasagian said.

The Corps also will redesign the MTV’s shoulder area, although what changes will be made remains uncertain, Pasagian said. Marine officials acknowledge something must change, as some Marines have loosened straps on the MTV to better shoulder their weapon and avoid being hammered in the face when rifle butts slip during recoil.

“Were Marines doing that? Yes. Is it acceptable? No,” Pasagian said. “The MTV has multiple adjustment points, and it’s set up that way so that you can bear the weight and load evenly.”

The MTV was approved for use in 2006, and was lauded at the time for offering improved protection and a lighter design than a variation of the Army’s Interceptor Outer Tactical Vest that Marines were wearing at the time. The Army later rejected issuing the MTV to soldiers, saying it was too bulky, and instead sent out the Improved Outer Tactical Vest.

Pasagian said the Corps and Army also are working together on a vest that could eventually “stabilize the line” for body armor. That vest would likely have a different name and draw on lessons learned by both services, with production beginning no earlier than 2012.