The Modular Body Armor Vest (MBAV) is a bullet-proof vest made by

Eagle Industries Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, ju ...

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 The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as Army Rangers, is the U.S. Army's premier light infantry unit and special operations force within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgi ...

. 10,000 vests were deployed on an interim basis with the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

while it developed the Scalable Plate Carrier. The vest was also evaluated by the U.S. Army.

Design

The vest has removable Small Arms Protective Insert plates. The MBAV does not offer as much coverage as the

Improved Outer Tactical Vest The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) is an enhanced version of, and a replacement for, the older Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) variant of the Interceptor Body Armor, as fielded by the United States Army. The IOTV is compatible with the Deltoid and ...

(IOTV). The vest weighs , averaging about lighter than the IOTV. Lighter armor, which offers greater mobility, has become a priority due to the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. It is only meant to protect the vital areas with armored plates, instead covering non-vital areas with soft armor.

History

The vest has been standard issue for many members of the American SOF operators including the 75th Ranger Regiment. Those 10,000 vests were deployed on an interim basis with the

while it developed the Scalable Plate Carrier. 500 vests were intended to be evaluated by the U.S. Army for two months beginning in April 2009 in Afghanistan. Army acquisition officials delayed the assessment to complete additional safety testing. Three-dozen airborne troops took part in

Soldier Protection Demonstration A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

VII at Yuma Proving Ground in May 2009. The soldiers analyzed eight plate carrier vests including the MBAV. A different plate carrier was selected for procurement.

References

http://soldiersystems.net/2009/12/16/the-soldier-plate-carrier-system-a-journey/ {{US Army uniforms Plate carriers Body armor Ballistic vests Military equipment introduced in the 2000s

Design

History

See also

References