I was a little surprised to learn that the standard issue G.I body armor isn’t really designed to stop the sort of attacks our soldiers are suffering in modern-day battle. It makes sense, I suppose, since vests designed to stop bullets doesn’t do much to deflect “superheated … tiny liquid balls of metal that melt the skin, muscle and tendons right off.” Fortunately, Sandia National Labs and the Army are testing out new body armor add-ons (sort of like aftermarket ground effects, minus the neon lights) that are designed to protect exposed soldiers’ extremities against rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs.
DefenseTech has a full story on the armor peripherals, including a lovely anecdote about a dead pig’s leg encased in an armored gauntlet, then placed two-and-a-half feet away from an exploding anti-tank shell. Now that’s good eatin’.
Read – In the Pod House [DefenseTech]
