Army: Privately-Sold Armor Failed Tests

Results Released To Stop Families From Buying Dragon Skin Body Armor For Soldiers

(AP)  The U.S. Army, in a rare move Monday, released a barrage of test results showing that a privately-sold flexible body armor that some families have sought for their soldiers failed extensive military testing.

Pieces of the hefty Dragon Skin armor, with ragged holes torn through its yellow inner skin, were propped up on the floor in the Pentagon, as Army officials systematically detailed the battery of ammunition and temperature testing the armor failed.

Although the tests were done nearly a year ago, the Army declined to release details until Monday, after recent NBC News reports suggested that the Dragon Skin may be better than the Army-issued Interceptor armor.

As a result of the reports, some members of Congress have asked for an investigation into the matter, and others have asked the Army for more information.

U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., signed an April 25th letter with 41 House members about their concerns over the body armor, a spokesman said. John Grant of Pearcy, Ark., led the charge for a congressional investigation over the body armor, saying he wanted the best possible protection as his 20-year-old son prepared to serve a second tour of duty in Iraq.

"We take this personally," said Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, executive officer for the Army's armor testing program. "One third of the general officers in the United States Army have either a son or daughter either in theater (at war) today or (who) has been to theater."

Holding up an armor-piercing bullet, Brown showed video of the tests, including footage of officials peering into the bullet hole in the Dragon Skin armor. "At the end of the day, this one disc has to stop this round. It didn't. Thirteen times," he said.

In response, Murray Neal, president of Pinnacle Armor which produces Dragon Skin, suggested that the Army lied about some of the testing, and he questioned why the Army was counting shots that "were fired into the non-rifle defeating areas."

The body armor debate has raged almost since the Afghanistan and Iraq wars began, as the Army struggled at times to get all of the needed equipment to its soldiers — both active and reserve. At times, family members around the country were raising money, having bake sales, and spending thousands of dollars of their own cash to buy armor and equipment for their loved ones going to war.

In some of those cases, families were considering buying Dragon Skin armor because they believed it would provide better protection. The Army on Monday said it was releasing the test details to help prevent families from spending money on body armor that is not as good as the protection already issued to the soldiers.

Brown described "catastrophic failures" by the Dragon Skin armor, and said that in 13 of 48 shots, lethal armor-piercing rounds either shattered the discs that make up the armor, or completely penetrated the vest.

"Zero failures is the correct answer," he said. "One failure is sudden death and you lose the game."

Brown added that the armor failed to endure required temperature shifts — from minus 20 degrees to 120 above zero — which weakened the adhesive holding the discs together. And he said that the Dragon Skin's heavy weight was also a problem for soldiers who need to carry a lot of gear.

The Dragon Skin, he said, weighs 47.5 pounds, compared to the Army-issued Interceptor armor, which weighs 28 pounds.

After seeing the latest television reports, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., sent a letter to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey asking for more information and expressing concern that the Army may not be providing better body armor to the soldiers as quickly as possible. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., also sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office, a government watchdog agency, seeking an investigation to assess the body armor being used by the military.

Army officials said they would be going to Capitol Hill this week to talk to lawmakers about the armor issue.

[red1530]

I have seen two shows that demonstrated dragon skin in action. On the show Future Weapons they tested it with a grenade at point blank rang without penetration. On the show Mail Call they shot the same vest with different calaber weapons without penetration. I think the Army is using the same tactics it used against the M - 16.

[jetranger7]

Ya, well you should see what they gave us for protection,, over in Iraq, while working as Civilians for the contractors,, it was pathetic !! But,, the American public did manage to foot the Bill,,, for 17-truck loads of River Gravel,, at $10,000 - dollars a truck load, but we couldn't get decent vests or protection,, doesn't make sense does it ??? I guess that Gravel was more Important, than human lives ???? ohh well just more of your US Tax payer dollars wasted by the good ol' "Corrupt-BUSH / CHENEY" Regime !!!!

[sevenveils]

At no point in this article did the army state its issue armor passed the tests the dragon armor failed nor has it commented whether or not its issue armor can stop an armor piercing round.

[toldyouso21]

So how good is the interceptor or dragonskin armor at standing up to 2000 degree+ heat? Since most of our deaths are due to IEDs and bombs from the insurgents--we just might want to focus on that question*

*the correct answer is neither can protect from that kind of damage.

[bm6005]

briannorwood: The Kickback is most likely going to the Good Senator Kennedy.
Posted by gunnerv1

F*ck off Gunner!!

[toddpw01]

Ask the Secret Service which armor they use!

[toolmangler-2009]

Immediate and simultaneous testing of BOTH armours same time, same place and same test.
Posted by NYCKATE at 01:29 PM : May 22, 2007

No way! That would make sense, something Gvnmt intelligence never did.

[bareemperor]

To paraphrase Rumsfeld..."We go to war with the armor we have, not the armor that works..."

[mikealford3]

I saw this product demonstrated on the Discovery Channel's Future Weapons program. The host of the program is a former Navy Seal and he was impressed with the aumour.

REGARDLESS OF THE ARMY'S TESTING THE MAIN SHAME IN THIS STORY IS THAT FAMILY MEMBERS ARE HAVING TO PURCHASE BODY ARMOUR FOR SOLDIERS IN COMBAT AREAS. WHY ARE FAMILIES HAVING TO PROVIDE THESE PRODUCTS TO THE ARMY'S SOLDIERS. WHAT'S NEXT, SOLDIERS PROVIDING THEIR OWN WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION?

[mainemade]

Of course the "ARMY" claims the dragon skin failed tests! They don't cost enough to pass the tests, and they work so much better. If you believe the NBC Dateline story. The difference is astonishing! But only the U.S government goes and spends hundreds of dollars on such trivial stuff like screwdrivers and toilet seats!

[starleo146]

stevej2112 Why do you except at least as you say if there is something better to save there life they should have it . The men in Iraq prefer dragon skin because it goes around the body better and it isn't as cumbersome and it is effective. Just like the humvee's why is this stryker humvee not doing the job either probably another buddy contractor. don't you get tired at everything they do in wash. and the Pentagon as well they are collecting federal pay for what.

[starleo146]

The point of the post is he canceled the testing on dragon skin gave the contract to lead contractor of interceptor and retired and went to work for a defense contractor that handles body armor duh!! all at the expense of our military using inferior equipment this isn't the only thing our troops are being shortchanged. I've been screaming to anyone that will listen if you keep our troops there make da** sure the equipment is the best and no shortchange on anything The troops were piecing there humvee's together so the body of it could withstand these IED's better.

[annabanana-1]

Dear stevej2112 at 01:00 PM

It is a disgrace that no one has gone to jail over your deployment with those crummy Vietnam era leftovers.
Here is the story:
From 2003 until his retirement in the summer of 2006, Col. John C. Norwood was project manager for soldier equipment at Program Executive Officer (PEO) Soldier. He was in charge of testing for body armor.

Norwood was in charge of the testing of Pinnacle Armor%u2019s Dragon Skin body armor in May 2006. You will remember that that testing was abruptly halted midway through the process without explanation, and never resumed. If the testing found Dragon Skin to be superior to the standard-issue Interceptor, Armor Holdings, the lead contractor for Interceptor, might have seen its huge government contracts for body armor %u2013 contracts which totaled more than $360 million in 2006 alone - disappear overnight.

So %u2013 testing cut short, Dragon Skin "off the table," Armor Holdings%u2019 body-armor franchise safe. Just like that.

Col. Norwood retires from the Army a month or two later. Almost immediately, he is hired as a VP for the a Very Large Defense Contractor. That Very Large Defense Contractor manufactures body armor for the U.S. Army.

That Very Large Defense Contractor happens to be - Armor Holdings.

"Shouldn%u2019t something like that be, umm, illegal, or something?" Well, as a matter of fact %u2013 that is illegal.

[sstuff3]

OK, no doubt that this type of body armor didn't pass the tests... but did the Army-issued vests pass? Where is the comparison figures? Propaganda?? You decide....

[bareemperor]

I will bet it works better than the non-armor originally given to our troops...

[old_fogey44]

Great, the Dragonskin didn't survive temperature shifts from -20 degrees to +120 degrees. When was the last time it was -20 degrees in Baghdad?

[nyckate]

There is an quick solution to this controversy:

Immediate and simultaneous testing of BOTH armours same time, same place and same test.

[nyckate]

gunnerv1 - STOP peddling your insane rants. Fact is that the pentagon official that made the decision to purchase not the Dragon armour later went to work for the company he gave the contract for.

[random_radar]

The armor may have failed tests, but it was better than nothing--which was what the Army offered.

[stevej2112]

In no way, shape, or form am I sticking up for the current administration... but... when my Army unit convoyed from Kuwait to the middle of Iraq in early 2003, we didn't even have the interceptor armor. We had flak vests that couldn't even stop a 9mm round. Also, our humvees had only vinyl doors. We ended up with the interceptor armor about 3/4 of the way through our 18 month deployment. At least the interceptor is better than flak vests.