Improved Outer Tactical Vest - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Improved Outer Tactical Vest, or IOTV, is an enhanced version of, and a replacement for, the older Outer Tactical Vest variant of the Interceptor body armor

Interceptor body armor

Interceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...

, as fielded by the United States Army. The IOTV is compatible with the Deltoid and Axillary Protector System (DAPS) components, E-SAPI (Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert), Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts (ESBI), as well as the OTV's groin protector.

The OTV design was considered insufficient and lacking in certain areas, which led to the IOTV's development and fielding. The IOTV is produced by Point Blank Body Armor, and BAE Systems.
The IOTV first saw action in combat with U.S. Army ground combat units in late 2007/early 2008, and currently remains the standard body armor type used by regular U.S. Army ground combat units overseas.

Technical details

A size Medium IOTV weighs 3.6 pounds less than a Medium OTV vest, while providing more coverage. However, a fully equipped IOTV, complete with all its components (soft armor panel inserts, four ballistic plate inserts (front and back plates and two side plates), collar, and groin protectors) still weighs 30 pounds (13.6 kg), with a Large IOTV weighing about 35 pounds (15.9 kg). The functionality of the enhanced side ballistic inserts, which provide coverage under the arms and down the sides of the torso, is built-in to the IOTV.

The IOTV provides the ability to don the vest in two ways. The first is to simply place the vest over the head and pull down, and the second is to remove fasteners on the wearer's left shoulder, sliding into the vest to the right. To complete the procedure for both methods the wearer then lifts up the front panel of the vest and fastens the waistband, which takes the weight of the vest off the shoulders somewhat, and then fastens the side protection modules.

A key design feature for the IOTV is that the entire armor system is able to be released with the pull of a hidden lanyard. The armor then falls apart into its component pieces, providing a means for escape in case the wearer falls into water or becomes trapped in a hazardous environment. The hidden release lanyard also allows medical personnel easier access to the casualty, which was one concern that was not addressed with the old Interceptor armor.

It also features a grid of PALS webbing on the front, back, and sides for the attachment of modular pouches and accessories.

The US Army is looking into supplementing the heavy IOTV with a new lightweight Modular Body Armor Vest

Modular Body Armor Vest

The Modular Body Armor Vest is a bullet-proof vest made by Eagle Industries and used by the United States Military. The vest is standard issue for many members of the United States special operations forces including the 75th Ranger Regiment. 10,000 vests are being deployed on an an interim basis...

(MBAV), and Soldier Plate carrier system

Soldier Plate Carrier System

The Soldier Plate Carrier System or SPCS is a lightweight ballistic vest developed for the U.S. Army as an alternative to the Improved Outer Tactical Vest.-History:...

which already in service in Ranger and Airborne

Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...

units. The MBAV does provide less protection, but is more suitable for patrol in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

than the IOTV. The first units should begin receiving body armor on May 11, 2009.

Features

The IOTV is designed to take the weight of the vest off the shoulders and move it to the lower torso. The vest is also equipped with a mesh inner cover that is designed to improve airflow inside of the armor. There is also a back pad in the lower back area of the vest, which is designed to defeat fragmentation impacts to the lower back/kidney areas. The back pad does not provide ballistic protection however. The vest can withstand a direct impact from a 7.62 millimeter (both NATO and ex-Soviet types) on the front or rear plates (SAPI NIJ standard III), however, the new E-SAPI plates will increase protection to armor-piercing rounds (NIJ standard IV). The IOTV provides, without the ballistic ceramic plates inserted, protection from small caliber rounds (i.e. 9mm) and fragmentation. The soft kevlar panels have been tested to stop 9 mm 124 grain full metal jacket bullets at 1,400 ft/s (426 m/s) with minimal deformation and has a V-50 of roughly 1,525 ft/s (465 m/s). This means that the bullet has to be traveling faster than 1,525 ft/s for it to have more than a 50% chance of breaking through the soft armor panel. These specifications are similar to the NIJ standard level III-A certification, however, military standards do not require their vests to be NIJ certified. Much improvement over the PASGT vest (flak jacket) and the Vietnam era fragmentation vest (which was made of nylon). Both only offer protection against fragmentation.

External links

Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) Factsheet
Army to Field Improved Body Armor at United States Army Official Homepage
Army to Field Improved Body Armor at United States Army Program Executive Office homepage
Official IOTV page by Point Blank

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Technical details

Features

See also

External links