British Army NI Flak Vests

[Braith-Wafer]

Just asking, Are these vests still in use?

I know the filler is thicker than the ones issued now, Does it have a higher level of protection?

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3565/flakjacketuw5.jpg

[killjoy77]

this was the vest used up until late 2004 by the british military
Woodland DPM

http://www.flectarn.co.uk/dppfj1ua.html
Desert DPM

http://www.flectarn.co.uk/dppfj3ua.html

They then swiched to ceramic body armor a vest called the Osprey

http://www.flectarn.co.uk/dppcv4ua.html

[Braith-Wafer]

Was there anotherpattern of it?, This one seems to have bigger recoil pads and no FFD pocket.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5554/fjpn2.jpg

[sapper1]

Just asking, Are these vests still in use?

I know the filler is thicker than the ones issued now, Does it have a higher level of protection?

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3565/flakjacketuw5.jpg

This was a UK manufactured jacket. When in NI during the late 70,s we were also using US manufactured flak jackets that were identical to the US army / marines issue during the Vietnam war.

This other very similar jacket was sourced from he USA when the troubles started as no UK version was then available.

The pictured jacket featured two front pockets. The left for your personnal radio, the right for spare SLR mags or field dressings. The large vertical plastic bars on the two plastic panels were not fror positioning the butt of your personnal weapon - i.e. SMG, SLR, FRG etc as I have heard discussed, rather they are to assist positioning of the wearers 58 pattern webbing front straps.

Most troops used the SLR and as such each person was issued his own individual, numbered weapon and it was fitted with a butt length size suitable to the idividual - i.e. short, med, or long stock rear extension. If you tried to mount and fire a SLR using the plastic area of the jacket as the butt stop area - well, it was almost impossible to aim and hit your intended target as the eye relief from rear sight to eye was totally wrong ! When wearing flak jackets, your weapon was operated with the butt snuggly into your shoulder as if you were not wearing one.

The next issue to the above pictured UK issue jacket was the under jacket that was worn under your DPM combat jacket. This jacket was slipped on over your head and then velcro fastened on one sholder and one side. It had removable ceramic plates fitted friont and rear positioned over the heart area only. The plates were only about 150mm x 200mm square and about20mm thick. They were for protection from high velocity rounds.

The previous, earlier two jackets mentioned above did not offer any protection from HV rounds and in fact only offered protection from low velocity rounds if fired from some distance. Close up the LV round was able to penetrate the jacket, abet much reducing the physical injury the round/s may cause. In conclusion, the early, non ceramic jackets were basically blast protection wear. I hope this information is of help.

REgards

Sapper1