Body armour
SELF-DEFENCE: Wearing his new 'load-bearing' vest, a soldier shows
off the new body armour. -- LIANHE ZAOBAO
NEW body armour is now being issued to Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
soldiers on special peacekeeping missions abroad,
or for emergency operations here at home.
Weighing about 4kg, it is designed to protect the
chest, back and neck from small-arms fire and shell fragments.
Using a combination of armour, the vest can stop anything from a
9mm handgun bullet to a 7.62mm machine gun round.
'Load-bearing' vests
WHILE the body armour is only for special missions, all SAF troops
are being given new 'load-bearing' vests, much like the ones worn
by photographers, to carry their hand grenades, ammunition for
their weapons, and other essential gear.
The new vests replace the 20-year-old belts, pouches and straps
soldiers now use to tote their equipment. Made from a flexible
polyester nylon fabric, which is soft yet high in tensile strength,
the vest also has the ability to dissipate body
heat.
The broadened shoulder straps also allow soldiers to take greater
loads without tiring as easily.
Lightweight Kevlar helmets
TOPPING off the change in wardrobe will be new lightweight
Kevlar helmets.
First introduced to the SAF in mid-1990, to replace the steel
versions, it has since undergone a number of upgrades. It has lost
weight - down from 1.6kg to 1.25kg - and been made
more comfortable and secure with an added inner cushion and
improved support system.
--ST
