Interceptor Body Armor is a Tactical Vest.

The Interceptor Body Armor consists of an outer tactical vest lined with finely woven Kevlar KM2 that will stop 9 mm round from a sub machine gun (up to 1400 feet per second) and other, slower moving fragments, and is also equipped with removable neck, throat, shoulder and groin protection.

Two small-arms protective inserts may also be added to the front and back of the vest, with each plate designed to stop up to three 7.62x51 mm rounds (also known as USA M80 .308 cal) with a muzzle velocity of 2,750 feet per second (838 m/s).

The plates are the most technically advanced body armor fielded by the U.S. military, and are constructed of boron carbide ceramic with a Spectra/Dyneema shield backing that breaks down projectiles and halts their momentum before reaching the wearer.

The Interceptor body armor

also has attachment loops on the front of the vest which accommodate the same type of pockets used in the Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) backpack/carry vest system. This allows a soldier to tailor-fit his MOLLE and body armor system to meet mission needs. While not specifically designed for it, the loops can also easily attach All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE)-based equipment, MOLLE's predessor, as well as many pieces of civilian-made tactical gear.

The Interceptor Body Armor system weighs a total of 16.4 pounds (7.4 kg), with the vest weighing 8.4 pounds (3.8 kg), and two plates inserted weighing four pounds (1.8 kg) each. This is considerably lighter than the previous body armor fielded in Somalia weighing 25.1 pounds (11.4 kg) that most troops complained was too heavy and unwieldy for combat operations.

The plates come in five different sizes and go into the front and back of the vest. The vest also has a quick-release feature in which a quick tug would drop the plates off the vest.

The vest proved its protection prowess in Afghanistan and Iraq in which many U.S. soldiers were saved by wearing them. In particular, it is credited with saving the lives of 29 American servicemen in Afghanistan, while the full figure for 2003 invasion of Iraq won't be available until March 2004.

Of President George W. Bush’s $87 billion package that Congress has recently approved for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, $300 million has been earmarked for body armor, including the ceramic plates, which currently cost about $500 each.

The New York Times reported on January 6, 2006, "a secret Pentagon study has found that at least 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had extra body armor." The problem lies in the decision by the US military not to equip soldiers with optional plates. But this was found to be taken out of context and was retracted 42 days after the original story. This figure was including those who died from non combat deaths.

Some military personnel have actively stated that increased armor is not only ineffective, but unwanted. Strain on the back and heat exhaustion are two of the more commonly mentioned reasons. Comprehensive body armor can actually hinder survivability due to slower movement, less flexibility and increased fatigue.
Source: Wikipedia

Continue searching for Tactical Vest