Military Rejects Dragon Body Armor...

[bridgit]

Run time: 05:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTrTrsJu3pk   Posted on YouTube: May 18, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 19, 2007 By DU Member: bridgit Views on DU: 2771

 
Dragon Skin

'Once again the US military proves that it can care less about the safety of our men and women in uniform. Dragon Body Armor has been tested by the FBI, CIA, many police forces and everyone in the world agrees that it is the best, except of course the US military.

In a test for the History Channel's military show, "Mail Call", the vest repelled nine rounds of pointed steel ammunition from an AK-47 and 35 rounds of 9 mm, all fired into a 10-by-12-inch configuration on the vest. In "Test Lab", also on the History Channel, the vest withstood a total of 120 rounds, fired from both an AK-47 (7.62 × 39 mm) and MP5 (9 x 19 mm). In another demonstration on the Discovery Channel series "Future Weapons", a Dragon Skin vest withstood numerous rounds from an AK-47, an MP5, and an M4 carbine (5.56 x 45 mm), and a point-blank detonation of an M67 grenade. While the vest was heavily damaged (mainly by the grenade), there was no penetration of the actual armor.

On December 7, 2006 a demonstrational shoot for the following departments took place on a 10" x 12" SOV-2000 Level III panel: Saint Charles Parish Sheriff's SWAT, Saint John's Parish Sheriff's SWAT, Gretna PD, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's SWAT, LaCruz Parish Sheriff's SWAT, Ascension Parish Sheriff's SWAT, Coast Guard Investigative Services, US Navy.

A total of 17 rounds was fired into the panel without penetration. * 3 @ 7.62x51mm Federal Match * 3 @ 7.62x39mm Military Ball * 3 @ 5.56x45mm M193 Ball * 3 @ 5.56x45mm M193 Ball at 45 degrees * 2 @ 5.56x45mm M855 Green Tip * 2 @ 5.56x45mm Bonded M193 * 1 @ 7.62x51mm Federal Bonded

So why does the military refuse military men and women to wear this? Even if they purchase it themselves?'

[itsrobert]

1. KICK AND RECOMMEND (FOR THE TROOPS)

SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

[Monkeyman]

2. Number 4 kick

[idgiehkt]

3. great find bridg!

thanks for posting this. :hug:

[bridgit]

4. thanks darlin, hope your TGIF evening & weekend to come are good'nz...

:hi:

[kster]

5. Heres another test

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w0ngLMU_6J0

[Sanctified]

6. Either Dragon Skin costs more than a GI's Death Benefits or...

someone has a lot of pork invested in the current body armor.

[bridgit]

7. i was thinking the designer wasn't on bush's no-bid crony contract list...

:shrug:

[Monkeyman]

8. If they wear the skin they do not get death benefits orders of DOD

[bridgit]

9. so you must die by bfee sanctioned ways & means...

that is odd

[Monkeyman]

10. Yep DOD orders are odd and hell they fine you if they find you have it on

[DarkTirade]

17. Why choose just one reason?

It could be both... :\

[MLFerrell]

11. Y'Know...

It's funny... I started a fund raiser to earn enough money to purchase Dragon Skin for my brother (for those of you who don't know, he's going back tIraq, and right soon). I was told, by my seemingly omniscient uber-GOP step-father (head research chemist at PPG... Look it up if you want to know) that the Interceptor armor that the DOD provides to SOME troops was far superior to Dragon Skin. Looks like that sonofabitch was either ill-informed, or out and out lying. What's your money on?

I'm not surprised, as it were, I'm just very, very disappointed. If Ryan does die or get severely maimed whilst fighting the "enemy", then I know what I'm going to do... No, Agent Mike, not THAT...

If my brother dies or comes back a fucking vegetable, all bets are off. You DUers might find out just what one of we "pussy liberals" are capable of... I'll leave it at that.

Remove it, mods. After all, we wouldn't want the rabble to spout some meaningful and/or effective rhetoric, now would we?

[JoeySoCal]

13. May god bless you and your brother, Ryan, ML.

Not crazy evangelical schizophrenic god, just whatever benevolent godlike force may exist. May that force bless you both.

[CGowen]

19. victim of brainwashing n/t

[provis99]

12. it speaks volumes when the Interceptor designer himself prefers Dragonskin

obviously what is happening is one of Cheney's cronies has a contract for body armor, and wants to squeeze out the competition by misusing government regulations, just as the old robber barons did in the 19th century when they bribed Congress to give them government-sanctioned monopolies on steamboat lines. They care more about a few bucks than whether soldiers die. Scum.

[Adsos Letter]

14. If I remember rightly, James Fallows took on just this kind of

subject in a book form the early 1980's, "National Defense". As I recall, he reported on the fact that the Stoner Rifle (precursor to the M-16) functioned as an excellent weapon for use in Vietnam but; because it wasn't developed by DoD their techs were pissed and decided they had to have "input" on it. So they changed the powder used in the rounds to something from one of their suppliers, just to get their hand in. Totally screwed up the weapon's performance for awhile, and placed troops using it in greater "harm's way" by clogging and jamming. Finally, enough GI's started complaining to the home folks that they put the pressure on to remedy the situation. Anyway, it went something like that (the book is sitting atop an 11' bookcase and I'm to tired/lazy to get up and fact-check my own post :hide: )

But, once again, it involved putting troops at greater risk because of bureaucratic infighting.

[formercia]

23. The original Stoner ammunition used a single-base extruded powder

but the people in Ordnance wanted to use the double-base ball powder because it was the 'thing' at the time and it gave a few more FPS. The problem was that the ball powder was heavily coated with graphite which clogged the gas tube and fouled the action. There were even reports of misfires due to graphite powder settling in the bottom of the case and preventing proper ignition. Another problem was the lack protective plating in the early M-16 chamber. In the tropical climate of Viet Nam, rounds would literally rust in place if left chambered too long. The Russians had solved the problem by chrome plating the bores and chambers. This allowed them to use corrosively primed ammunition in tropical settings with few problems. Not invented here in play again.

[Guaranteed]

15. This is true. Saw it on Future Weapons.

They put the Dragon Skin on top of a grenade. The grenade blew up. There was absolutely no penetration through the inner skin of the armor.

[19jet54]

16. Brother-in-law effect

... somebody is on the kick-back payroll system - Retired General or brother-in-law, something?

[mduffy31]

18. The General is a mealy mouthed little bastard

Probably never been under fire in his whole career.

[PegDAC]

26. Jealousy.

Talks about 3-star generals making mistakes, but he is only a one-star.

[intaglio]

20. Before I get flamed - Dragonskin is probably better

but I can see weaknesses.

In many ways it is like the armoured Jack of Elizabethan times ( http://www.royalarmouries.org/extsite/view.jsp?sectionId=3001 please note this may take a little while to load). The plates overlap in a manner like armour found at Visby ( http://ask-vikingekampgruppe.dk/uk0017.html ) The tests conducted by the news report the armour was tested vertically. I suspect that the army may have tested at an obliquely / which would allow penetration down the plates, the tests may even have been prone. In any event the tests would have been heavilly weighted in favour of the cheaper armour

[stompk]

27. didn't see it mentioned

I read in another article that it weighs 20 lbs MORE than the current gear.

seems like the same argument we had with the HUMVEEs, do you want more security, or more mobility ?

of course, since the "more security" part is still being debated, that's not the main issue, but
20 lbs is ALOT.

[wakeme2008]

21. Soldiers for Truth have been fighting this for a long time

Here is their page on this subject http://www.sftt.org/bodyarmor.html

:)

[bridgit]

22. thank you for the link...

:)

[whistle]

24. No bid contracts for the army official body armour means they want a monopoly

...corruption and payoffs help the cause also

[BrklynLiberal]

25. Manufacturer did not donate to BushCo..so no deal.

That is my theory.