Navy, Marine Aircrews to Be Suited with Safer Vests

Ways to keep members of the U.S. Military safer in battlefield situations are constantly being developed.

Now comes word that the aircrews for both the U.S. Navy and Marines will be suited in safer, smarter-colored vests by 2016.

According to NavyTimes.com:

The new vest boasts more coverage of vital organs, a snugger fit and a better color, Dan Ratcliff, the aircrew systems program manager for Naval Air Systems Command, explained in a presentation Tuesday at the Sea-Air-Space expo outside Washington, D.C.

The color scheme is just as important as the materials the vests are made from. Ratcliff told NavyTimes.com that the former sage green and tan vests weren’t always optimal for desert and jungle conditions. To help with the coloring of the vest, NAVAIR developed a “coyote brown” vest, “a hue that camouflages in forests and deserts.”

The vest worn over the flight suit is designed to fit a multitude of body shapes, Ratcliff said, while reducing the fatigue that comes from moving around in a roomy vest. For added comfort, the armored back plate can be removed while seated.

The new vests are currently being tested by multiple squads and are expected to go fleet-wide by 2016.