The most flexible ballistic packs now under production

23 Mar '11

3 min read

KDH Defense Systems Inc announced that the company is in production for the U.S. Army of its new, lightweight ballistic pack, "Convergence," for the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV). The lighter weight soft armor package has been put through rigorous Army testing at the system level to ensure that the new package met or exceeded all Army ballistic testing standards.

"Lighten the load has been the resounding command from the military for more than a decade," stated SGM (Ret) William T. (Butch) Hancock, Jr., Military Program Development for KDH. He continued, "The Afghan surge, which requires more foot patrols than were carried out in Iraq, has fueled the need to make our Soldiers more agile in their protective gear by reducing the weight of their armor systems. KDH's new IOTV lightweight ballistic pack, Convergence, is one of the lightest and most flexible packages ever selected by the United States Army."

"KDH Defense Systems continues to make significant advances in reducing the weight of Soldier borne protective technologies," stated Jeff Payne, Special Projects Manager, Research and Development, for KDH.

"This milestone marks the first actual weight reduction under the current soft ballistic requirement and the first considerable reduction since the 1.1 psf requirement was implemented in the late 1990s. With the Convergence IOTV lightweight ballistic pack nearly 10% lighter than specification, the Soldier can now much more easily accomplish his combat missions regardless of the enemy, the terrain, and the weather encountered."

"Reducing the weight of the armor system also provides for the opportunity to add other potential life-saving equipment such as additional ammunition to the load. This innovative, new technology has the potential to reduce the weight of every armor system under the current requirement regardless of style," Mr. Payne concluded.

"The emphasis to increase the ballistic protection of the Soldier has increased his survivability while hindering his mobility and endurance," stated David Herbener, President and Chief Executive Officer of KDH Defense Systems, Inc.

"We know what we have today works, but the challenge is reducing the weight while maintaining or exceeding the identical amount of protection. We are pleased that the United States Army has chosen KDH's new, lightweight Convergence ballistic package and we continue to look beyond the current Soldier protection systems in an effort to protect against threats that Soldiers haven't yet encountered. KDH remains steadfast in its commitment to developing solutions that will make Soldiers more agile in their protective gear by reducing the weight and bulk of the systems while making the design of such armor much more flexible and comfortable to wear."

KDH Defense Systems Inc is a leading manufacturer of American-made custom body armor solutions for military, law enforcement and federal agencies. Headquartered in Eden, North Carolina, a region with a rich history in the U.S. textile industry, KDH Defense Systems' ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facility currently consists of 139,000 square feet of armor cutting, sewing and ballistic design operations, as well as product development, sales and administration.

KDH Defense Systems Inc (KDH)

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