PROTECTIVE ABILITY OF THE STANDARD UNITED-STATES MILITARY PERSONAL ARMOR SYSTEM, GROUND TROOPS (PASGT) FRAGMENTATION VEST AGAINST COMMON SMALL ARMS PROJECTILES

This study analyzes the ballistic protection provided by the standard U.S. Military Personal Armor System, Ground Troops fragmentation vest against threats from handgun and shotgun projectiles. Damage assessment was conducted using 10% ordnance gelatin, a tissue simulant which has been proven to have a close correlation with living tissue. The standard fragmentation vest was shown to provide protection from commonly encountered handgun bullets and shotgun pellets, but not from shotgun slugs or center-fire rifle bullets.