The modern tactical vest provides soldiers with the means of carrying large amounts of equipment and ammunition in the most comfortable way possible. Beyond that capability, the vest plays an important protective role by incorporating body armor into a load-bearing system. The tactical vest has gone from a way to carry equipment to a modular protective garment designed to provide maximum protection to the soldiers who wear them.
Base Vest Assembly
The base vest assembly is the starting point for the modular tactical vest. From this assembly the wearer can customize the armor to cover certain parts of the body. A soldier standing in a foxhole may choose to leave off lower portions of the vest, as the lower potions of the body are protected by the ground. The base vest assembly comes in five sizes: X-small, small, medium, large and X-large.
Yoke and Collar Assembly
The yoke and collar assembly are designed to attach to the rear of the base vest assembly and provide protection to the neck of the wearer. When incorporated with the modern battle helmet, this assembly provides excellent protection for the neck from shrapnel and indirect bullet strikes. The assembly is available in five sizes: X-small, small, medium, large and X-large.
Throat Protector
The throat protector attaches to the front of the vest and acts as an extension of the breast protection. In older versions of body armor and tactical vests, the throat was often left unprotected. The throat protector has been incorporated to provide maximum ballistic protection to the throat and comes in one size.
Lower Back Protector Assembly
The lower back is a crucial area for the soldier. A lower back injury can mean paralysis and even death; the lower back protector assembly is designed to provide maximum ballistic protection to that vital area. As a side benefit to the ballistic protection, this assembly also helps to support the lower back when a soldier is carrying a heavy load. This lower back support results in less pain and more effective soldiers on the battlefield. The lower back protector assembly is available in one size.
Groin Protector Assembly
The groin is a vital area of the body regardless if the soldier is male or female. There are many blood vessels in that region of the body, and groin wounds are often fatal. Until the advent of the modular tactical vest, this area was left vulnerable during battle. The groin protector assembly attaches to the front of the vest with a strap to secure it to the rear, providing maximum protection. The groin protector assembly is available in two sizes: X-small to medium and large to X-large.
Cummerbund Assembly
Just as the name indicates, the cummerbund assembly fits around the belly of the soldier and is designed to provide protection for vital internal organs. It attaches to the sides of the rear of the base vest assembly and comes in three sizes: X-small to small, medium and large to X-large.
Side Plate Pockets
Body armor of the past had a weakness in that the sides of the wearer were often left uncovered and vulnerable to damage. The sides of the human body provide a direct point of entry to many vital organs, including the heart. The modular tactical vest is equipped with removable pockets to protect the sides of the wearer. Body armor plates can be inserted into these pockets for maximum ballistic protection. The pockets come in one set of one size for every base vest assembly unit.
Tags: lower back, base vest, vest assembly, ballistic protection, base vest assembly
