Merry Christmas to the Navy and Marine Aircrews that have to wear this vest. If it is lighter than the old vest, and more comfortable, then I am all for it. I also like the fact that it is made of Halo-Tech Fire Resistant material. If this material actually delivers in durability, we will see it in everything.
Using fire resistant clothing and equipment is a great direction for us to take. The only down side to focusing so much on FR based clothing and equipment, is the quality of those items. Do we lose warmth, gain weight, lose durability, drive up cost or limit mobility when we go to these materials? I hope not, and private industry can do a lot for us if we give them the proper direction of what we want.
I do not think we will see this vest for sale in the civilian market any time soon, but the design looks pretty basic. I think the only thing that makes it different than most is the use of Halo-Tech. We’ll see if this starts a trend with the other companies that make vests, and Halo-Tech might be the next big thing in equipment design. –Matt
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The PRU-70/P22P-18 (V) Armored Survival Vest (ASV).
Press Release Number: EAIR10200812181 18-Dec-08
NAVAIR develops new Aircrew Armored Survival Vest
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, MD. – NAVAIR’s Human Systems Division, working under the Aircrew Systems program office Life Support Systems Fleet Support Team, has developed a new aircrew armored survival vest for helicopter and non-fighter aircraft aircrew.
The new system, designated the PRU-70/P22P-18 (V) Armored Survival Vest (ASV), will be fielded in three sizes and replace the current PRU-60B system that is available in only a “two sizes fits all” configuration.
“The development of this new vest is a direct result of working with and listening to our warfighters,” said Martin Ahmad, Aircrew Systems program manager, PMA202. “This new vest could not have been developed without the involvement of the Fleet and our joint engineering/aircrew systems team.”