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Armoured suits are 'too
goofy' say US troops
By Francis Harris, in
Washington
(Filed: 09/05/2006)
American troops have complained
that a new armoured body suit designed to be
worn in Iraq makes them look "goofy".
The water-cooled "alien
spacesuits" are being handed out to turret
gunners in their notoriously vulnerable Humvee
vehicles.
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| The new suit
is designed to protect against roadside
bombs but has had mixed reviews from
soldiers |
The protective suit, based on
those worn by bomb disposal officers, was
intended to cut spiralling casualties for one of
the most dangerous jobs in modern warfare.
But some troops have complained
that the armour and headgear is inelegant.
Others say the water-cooling system, designed
for the soaring temperatures of an Iraqi summer,
regularly breaks down.
Nonetheless, the suits being
tested in combat by US military police units in
northern Iraq have produced good results.
Capt Larry Bergeron told the
military newspaper Stars and Stripes that the
armour was credited with saving the lives of
three men sprayed with shrapnel from roadside
bombs.
"One soldier's visor stopped a
piece of shrapnel that hit dead centre," he
said. "If he had not had that suit on, the
effects could have been catastrophic."
Gunners on Humvees have high
casualty rates. While newly-installed armour
protects those inside, the gunner stands with
the upper half of his body exposed, making him
far more vulnerable to roadside bombs and
gunfire. Others have been crushed as vehicles
overturn.
But Specialist Michael Floyd,
19, said: "I am not a big fan of this thing. It
is really hot and hard to move around in. I do
feel safer, but only in an explosion. I would
not feel safer in a rollover or in small-arms
fire."
Critics say the heavy suits
also restrict movement during combat. |
