Luckily I served NS

• Ponders

  9 Oct 07, 10:41

  Good luck to those going to serve NS...
  

  
  
  Life-saving body armour for all army units
  It will be used not only during operations but also when soldiers train
  By David Boey, Defence Correspondent
  
  LOCAL troops will be better protected against bullets and shell fragments, with the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) planning to introduce body armour to all units.
  
  Mindef has asked defence companies for information on the armour, worn as vests to protect the body from the neck down to the waist and groin area.
  
  The Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) - the national authority that buys weapons and equipment for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) - will assess what is available in the market, after which Mindef will progressively equip all army units with body armour.
  
  Colonel Darius Lim, Mindef's director of public affairs, explained that the body armour will be used not only during operations, but also for training purposes such as during route marches, live-firing and urban warfare exercises.
  
  Body armour is not new to the SAF, but it has been issued mainly to crack units, such as the Commando Special Operations Force, or SAF units involved in hazardous operations such as peace-keeping duties with the United Nations.
  
  Armies worldwide have found that body armour and better military medical care save lives. Statistics kept by United States medical units indicate that some 30 per cent of all injured American troops died during World War II.
  
  Better medical care saw that figure drop to 24 per cent in Vietnam but in Iraq, just 9 per cent of the injured lose their lives.
  
  Body armour is usually made of soft bullet-resistant fabrics, or hard plates made of ceramics or resins. Such armour is numbered with Roman numerals from I to IV according to the protection they offer. Smaller numbers indicate lighter protection.
  
  For the SAF troops, DSTA said the body armour should comprise:
  
  # The basic vest - built of tough and lightweight fabrics like nylon, the vest is designed to hold armour panels. DSTA said it should be 'inert to saltwater and mud' and 'printable with camouflage patterns'.
  
  # Removable soft ballistic armour panels - lightweight and water-repellent, the panels should repel 9mm rounds fired from submachine guns like the MP5.
  
  # Removable hard ballistic armour plates - these should resist 7.62mm bullets fired by general purpose machine guns.
  
  # Detachable soft protection pads for the neck and shoulder, and the groin - made of the same material as soft armour, the pads should be fitted when needed.
  
  To ensure the vests work fine in Singapore's environment, DSTA said the vests should be able to withstand 98 per cent humidity and tolerate 'heavy rain conditions'.
  
  Military equipment suppliers told The Straits Times they are steeling themselves for fierce competition when DSTA issues the body armour tender.
  
  [email protected]

• sLeEpWaLkErInG

  9 Oct 07, 10:43

  i hope the Nsmen no need to wear these..
  
  imagine wearing these and wearing the MILES set for ATEC.. u haven fight, u oreadi half dead..
• mhcampboy

  9 Oct 07, 10:43

  u know how heavy tat is?
• ArdusKane

  9 Oct 07, 10:51

  Oh fark.
• Ponders

  9 Oct 07, 10:57

  Originally posted by mhcampboy:

  u know how heavy tat is?

  as far as i know. based on today's technology..
  
  those that block 9mm bullets are about 3-4 kg.
  
  those that block 7.62mm bullets... 9+ 10kg.
  
  I dun really see why a soft groin protection is needed. Not like enemy is going to kick you there. And if it is soft, how much protection is it giving from a 5.56mm?
  
  hmm. it's quite funny to imagine with soldiers in body armour charging at enemy, and enemy can't seem to shoot them dead. reminds me of opening scene of Terminator 1 (if you are are already born then)
• turbo_drift

  9 Oct 07, 10:59

  I'm skinny leh..
  
  Around 45-50kg only leh. Mati liao..
• Ponders

  9 Oct 07, 11:04

  Originally posted by turbo_drift:

  I'm skinny leh..
  
  Around 45-50kg only leh. Mati liao..

  then you will be issued the one protection from paper bullet one.
• turbo_drift

  9 Oct 07, 11:06

  Originally posted by Ponders:

  then you will be issued the one protection from paper bullet one.

  How heavy?
• blitzonic

  9 Oct 07, 12:15

  Waited a long time for this, so I'm keeping an open mind. Should be able to see them at the next AOH, maybe earlier.
  
  I'll be surprised if they issue the armor as personal equipment. IMO More likely as part of operational logistics. Still, we'll probably hear future stories of running the SOC in full metal jacket ~lol~
• kenn3th

  9 Oct 07, 12:19

  shatz! but at least i m not the first batch using it, maybe the future variations
• allentyb

  9 Oct 07, 12:20

  Originally posted by turbo_drift:

  How heavy?

  
  
  i can't believe you actually ask this, where in the world, got paper bullet
• eagle

  9 Oct 07, 12:20

  dun think recce will need in operation, just like we don't use helmets during missions
  
  Main thing for us is to travel as light and as fast as possible because load is already near 20kg for the lightest field pack.
• turbo_drift

  9 Oct 07, 12:21

  Originally posted by allentyb:

  
  
  i can't believe you actually ask this, where in the world, got paper bullet

  purposely one cannot arh?
  
  
• Cro-Magnon

  9 Oct 07, 14:24

  Whaaa, want to resist a 7.62mm round, think they planning to acquire a class III armour at least. Get a good class IV armour and you will see our grunts go BA LONG LONG walking towards our enemy, no need to take cover liao.
  
  You guys think SG will follow the US and get the Interceptor? Hmmm... I think Dragon Scale sounds quite good.
  
  Hahahah... One more reservist to go, so maybe i do not even get to touch it. HEAVY!!!
• Rockhound

  9 Oct 07, 15:04

  wah cheebye.....25kilo alice pack...SAR21....now this?ccb
• dumbdumb!

  9 Oct 07, 15:12

  wah, how, how????
  
  oh wait. i'm in scdf.
  
  oh wait. ORD ALREADY OH~!!!
• caleb_chiang

  9 Oct 07, 15:25

  Training by the turtle way... Add load to oneself when training...
• Fatum

  9 Oct 07, 15:28

  
  how is the average skinny SAF beng going to be able to wear that and fight ? ...
• crimean

  9 Oct 07, 15:33

  this is madness!!!
  
  
• Ponders

  9 Oct 07, 15:40

  Originally posted by Cro-Magnon:

  Whaaa, want to resist a 7.62mm round, think they planning to acquire a class III armour at least. Get a good class IV armour and you will see our grunts go BA LONG LONG walking towards our enemy, no need to take cover liao.
  
  You guys think SG will follow the US and get the Interceptor? Hmmm... I think Dragon Scale sounds quite good.
  
  Hahahah... One more reservist to go, so maybe i do not even get to touch it. HEAVY!!!

  Ba Long Long? i think they just deploy a Bush Master and see if you still can ba long long.
  
  or just a platoon of snipers aiming at your face.
• Xcert

  9 Oct 07, 15:45

  seems like generally folks here dun like the idea of wearing body armour...
  
  I think its a good idea...just that the fitness of the individual soldier will have to be higher...which the process of getting there is what people dun like...
• crimean

  9 Oct 07, 15:46

  wear body armour sure will kenna heatstroke more easily....
  
  maybe should make a body armour cum air con suit
• ouchtthurt

  9 Oct 07, 17:11

  They wont be using it for jungle warfare right? Cant see the purpose for armor to be used in the jungle.
  
  Quite zai lah, dun complain. Got LBV, SAR, 3G and now armor. Last time no one gives two hoots about all these nonsense.
  
  Heard that getting heat rash is common too.
• LazerLordz

  9 Oct 07, 17:14

  Hmm...
  
  Why now..
• mr_sotong

  9 Oct 07, 17:39

  lucky.. ORD loh..