Infantry: June 9, 2003

Archives

The new IBA (Interceptor Body Armor) was a big hit with the combat troops in Iraq. But there were some drawbacks. When troops got down on the ground (in the prone position) during a firefight, they found that the bulkiness of the armored plates on the back of the IBA, plus the neck guards and the low back of their kevlar helmet, make it difficult for a soldier in the prone position to raise his head in all directions. Even removing the neck guard (which many troops don't like to do) doesnt help much. The troops are asking for a redesign of the IBA to eliminate this problem.