ABSTRACT
The modern battlefield contains a wide variety of ballistic threats that military personnel may encounter, and these threats may change depending on the conflict and as a conflict matures. In the modern military context, the term personal armour includes body armour, helmets, face and eye protection, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suits and ballistic shields. Body armour typically comprises soft and hard elements. The soft element of body armour is the familiar waistcoat or vest-like garment worn by the military and police, and is manufactured from high-performance man-made synthetic polymer fibres. A typical military body armour is the UK OSPREY system, which is a tabard style armour, such as a sleeveless garment with front and back pieces and a hole for the head. OSPREY comprises layers of water repellent treated (WRT) para-aramid fabric encased in a water- and light-resistant cover to prevent ingress of water and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and placed in a Cordura outer carrier.
