Joseph Osterman and Farrell Sullivan USMC-110129-M-4471M-022

The Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) is a

plate carrier A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso from firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. The ...

used by the

United States 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 ...

as an alternative to the heavier

Modular Tactical Vest The Modular Tactical Vest (MTV or MoTaV) is a ballistic vest originally adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 2006. The MTV was designed as a solution to shortcomings in the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) and was selected after a rigorous ...

(MTV).

History

Design

It is a lightweight plate carrier intended to supplement the Modular Tactical Vest. Key issues with the previous MTV, specifically ergonomics, have been remedied with the addition of new features such as adjustment buckles and improved padding on the shoulders. These new improvements are intended to make the vest much more comfortable to wear in comparison to the MTV. It resembles the Eagle Industries MBAV and has staggered MOLLE webbing on the chest.

First generation

The SPC was fielded to combat units operating in the War in Afghanistan in 2008 as a lightweight alternative to the MTV, where it has proved popular because of the region's mountainous terrain. Marines now typically deploy with both the MTV and SPC, with commanders setting the requirements for which vest should be worn based on threat levels. The Scalable Plate Carrier was analyzed for the U.S. Army's Soldier Plate Carrier System demonstration.

Improved Scalable Plate Carrier

The Improved Scalable Plate Carrier (ISPC) was introduced in 2011; it is expected that the Improved Modular Tactical Vest (IMTV) will replace the ISPC.

References

{{Types of armour Plate carriers Ballistic vests Body armor Military equipment introduced in the 2000s