Dragon Skin (body armor)
Encyclopedia
Dragon Skin is a type of ballistic vest made by Pinnacle Armor
. It is currently produced in Fresno, California
. Its characteristic two-inch-wide circular discs overlap like scale armor
, creating a flexible vest that allows a good range of motion and can allegedly absorb a high number of hits compared with other military body armor. The discs are composed of silicon carbide
ceramic
matrices and laminate
s, much like the larger ceramic plate
s in other types of bullet resistant vests. This armor has been known to withstand grenade blasts and up to 40 rounds of ammo.
The armor is available in three basic protection levels: SOV-2000, which has previously had certification to Level III protection; SOV-3000, which is rated as Level IV by the manufacturer, but has not officially certified as such; and a rating-unspecified "Level V" variant not available to the general public.
Dragon Skin has been worn by some civilian contractors
in Iraq
, some special operations forces
in Iraq and Afghanistan
, some SWAT
teams, nine generals in Afghanistan, bodyguard
s tasked with protecting generals, and U.S. Secret Service
personnel. The Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) has also purchased Dragon Skin.
textile cover. Different layout configurations with variations in coverage are available.
AMI level III plates are fabricated using an outer 3 millimetre (0.118110236220472 in) MARS steel layer bonded to a compressed Dyneema backing, with a linex coating for spall reduction, resulting in a total plate thickness of approximately 1 inches (25.4 mm). AMI level III 12 inches (304.8 mm) × 14.5 inches (368.3 mm) plates weigh about 10 lb (4.5 kg) and 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm) plates are about 9 lb (4.1 kg).
SOV-2000 is made of overlapping approximately 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) × 2 inches (50.8 mm) ceramic discs encased in a fabric cover. In evaluating the Dragon Skin system, it is important to note that while the external measurements of the Dragon Skin panel are 11.5 inches (292.1 mm) × 13.5 inches (342.9 mm), the area of level III coverage provided by the encased ceramic discs is 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm); the fabric edges are not intended to provide ballistic protection. Weight of the SOV-2000 armor providing 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm) of level III protection was approximately 5.5 lb (2.5 kg).
, the vest repelled nine rounds of steel-core ammunition from a WASR-10
(7.62×39 mm) and 35 rounds of 9x19mm from a Heckler & Koch MP5A3
, all fired into a 10-by-12-inch area on the vest. On Test Lab, also on the History Channel, the vest withstood 120 rounds fired from a Type 56 (7.62×39 mm) rifle and Heckler & Koch MP5
(9×19 mm). In another demonstration on the Discovery Channel
series Future Weapons
, a Dragon Skin vest withstood numerous rounds (including steel core rounds) from an AK-47
, an Heckler & Koch MP5SD
, an M4 carbine
(5.56×45 mm
), and a point-blank detonation of an M67 grenade
. While the vest was heavily damaged (mainly by the grenade), there was no penetration of the armor.
In 2007, NBC News
had independent ballistics testing conducted of Dragon Skin versus Interceptor body armor
. Retired four-star general Wayne A. Downing
observed the tests and concluded that although the number of trials performed was limited, the Dragon Skin armor performed significantly better.
In light of the May 2007 media investigations, senators Hillary Clinton and Jim Webb
requested that Comptroller General of the United States
David M. Walker
initiate a Government Accountability Office
investigation into the army's body armor systems.
After being confronted with conflicting information by lawmakers who questioned the NBC test results and provided Army-supplied data of vest failures from a May 2006 test, the technical expert solicited by NBC to certify its test backed away from his staunch defense of Dragon Skin and stated that the vests "weren't ready for prime time."
It was also featured on Time Warp
on the Discovery Channel.
, a police department commissioned the purchase of Dragon Skin for its officers after a vest stopped all the bullets fired during a test, including .308 rounds from a sniper rifle and 30 rounds from a 9mm MP5 fired from five feet away. Ninety-eight federal, state, and local law enforcement officers witnessed the SWAT test. The armor also stopped 40 rounds of PS-M1943 mild steel-core bullets from an AK-47 along with 200 9 mm FMJ military ball bullets
fired from a submachine gun.
. Each armor system was shot a minimum of 20 times with five rounds of each ammunition type fired against each armor system—one 90 degree perpendicular shot, two shots at 60 degrees obliquity, and two shots at 30 degrees obliquity, using each of the following loads fired at a distance of 10 feet (3 m):
All of the above ammo was successfully stopped by both armor systems in this testing, with no armor failures or penetrations, even after receiving multiple hits.
over testing it against its Interceptor body armor. The Army claimed Pinnacle's body armor was not proven to be effective. In tests run for the Air Force
there were multiple failures to meet the claimed level of protection. This coupled with poor quality control (over 200 of the 380 vests delivered to USAF OSI were recalled due to improperly manufactured armor disks) and fraudulent claims of official NIJ rating which Pinnacle had not actually obtained at the time of purchase led to the termination of the USAF contract. Pinnacle attempted to appeal this decision, but courts found in favor of the USAF.
On April 26, 2006 Pinnacle Armor issued a press release to address these claims and a product recall instigated by the United States Navy
. The company stated that although vests were returned due to a manufacturing issue, a test on the Dragon Skin Level III armor was conducted by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations
at a U.S Army Aberdeen Test Center in Aberdeen, Maryland
in February 2006, which concluded that it did not fail any written contract specifications set forth by the navy, which was further stated by Pinnacle Armor to require high ballistic performance due to the hostile environments in which AFOSI operates.
Weapon review website Defense Review also published an article similarly dissenting, noting that in their test and review of the Dragon Skin armor, they had found that it was "significantly superior in every combat-relevant way to U.S. Army PEO Soldier's and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC)/Soldier Systems Center's Interceptor Body Armor"
The Pentagon stated that the test results were classified and neither side could agree to terms on another, more comprehensive test. The Army wanted to hold and inspect the vests for 1–2 weeks before shooting at them, and Pinnacle wanted them shot at right away from out of the box because they said they feared the Army tampering with them in order to save their currently cheaper body armor program.
On May 19, 2006 it was announced that the dispute had been resolved and the vests were going to be retested again by the Army to clear the dispute. On May 20, 2006 it was announced by the Washington Post (and other newspapers) in an article titled "Potential Advance in Body Armor Fails Tests" that the Dragon Skin vests had failed the retest according to their anonymous source. Official results of these tests were classified at the time but have since been released by the Army.
On June 6, 2006 in comments posted on an online discussion forum, Karl Masters, director of engineering for Program Manager - Soldier Equipment, said he recently supervised the retest and commented on it. "I was recently tasked by the army to conduct the test of the 30 Dragon Skin SOV-3000 level IV body armor purchased for T&E [tests and evaluation]," Masters wrote. "My day job is acting product manager for Interceptor Body Armor. I'm under a gag order until the test results make it up the chain. I will, however, offer an enlightened and informed recommendation to anyone considering purchasing an SOV-3000 Dragon Skin—don't. I do not recommend this design for use in an AOR with a 7.62x54R AP threat and an ambient temperature that could range to 120 F. I do, however, highly recommend this system for use by insurgents..."
In response to these claims, Pinnacle Armor released a press release on June 30, 2006. Official results of these tests are classified.
According to the Army, the vests failed because the extreme temperature tests caused the discs to dislodge, thus rendering the vest ineffective. Pinnacle Armor affirms that their products can withstand environmental tests in accordance with military standards, as does testing by the Aberdeen Test Center.
In response to claims made by several U.S. Senators, Dragon Skin and special interest groups, on Monday, May 21, 2007, the Army held a press conference where they released the results of the tests they claimed Dragon Skin failed.
Congress held a hearing on the matter. While calling the failure of his vest to stop a round on the second shot of the Army test a "once in a while" occurrence, the Pinnacle Armor CEO denied Army claims that a dozen more rounds penetrated his Dragon Skin vests. He argued x-ray photos of one vest the Army claims failed showed the Dragon Skin disks had stopped the round. "The bullet did not go through the armor," Neal said flatly. Army officials responded by showing lawmakers a video clip of Neal inspecting the same vest after a test shot, watching engineers dig the penetrating round out of ballistic clay backing. "Are you telling me if you were wearing this vest ... and that round hit you in the chest, would that have killed you or not?" a skeptical Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) asked Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal. "No," he replied.
In April 2008 one of the Dragon Skin vests, with serial number that identify it as a one of 30 vests bought by Department of Defense for U.S. Army for testing in 2006, was listed and later bought from eBay
. The seller, David Bronson, allegedly was connected to U.S. Army testing facility. The U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GOA), the U.S. Department of Justice
and the F.B.I.
are investigating the matter as of May 2008.
that the ban order was prompted by concerns that soldiers or their families were buying inadequate or untested commercial armor from private companies. The Army ban refers specifically to Pinnacle's Dragon Skin armor saying that the company advertising implies that Dragon Skin "is superior in performance" to the Interceptor Body Armor
the military issues to soldiers. The Marine Corps
has not issued a similar directive, but Marines are "encouraged to wear Marine Corps-issued body armor since this armor has been tested to meet fleet standards." NBC News
learned that well after the Army ban that select elite forces assigned to protect generals and VIPs in Iraq
and Afghanistan
wore Dragon Skin. General Peter W. Chiarelli
made a statement that, "he never wore Dragon Skin but that some members of his staff did wear a lighter version of the banned armor on certain limited occasions, despite the Army ban."
On December 20, 2006, Pinnacle Armor received the official letter from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that they had passed the Level III tests, and that Dragon Skin SOV-2000 was now certified for Level III protection.
The Air Force, which ordered the Dragon Skin vests partially based on claims it was NIJ certified at a time when it was not, has opened a criminal investigation into the firm Pinnacle Armor over allegations that it had fraudulently placed a label on their Dragon Skin armor improperly stating that it had been certified to a ballistic level it had not yet been. Murray Neal, the Pinnacle Armor chief executive, claimed that he was given verbal authorization by the NIJ to label the vests although he did not have written authorization.
On August 3, 2007, the Department of Justice announced that the NIJ had reviewed evidence provided by the body armor manufacturer and has determined that the evidence is insufficient to demonstrate that the body armor model will maintain its ballistic performance over its six-year declared warranty period. Because of this, Dragon Skin has been found not in compliance with the NIJ's testing program and has been removed from the NIJ's list of bullet-resistant body armor models that satisfy its requirements. Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal responded that this move was unprecedented, political, and not about the quality of the vests because they are not saying they have failed any ballistics. He says it is about a dispute with the paperwork to deal with a warranty issue instead, in which the warranty period of Dragon Skin is longer than that of most other commercial vests.
On August 20, 2007, at the United States Test Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas
, nine Dragon Skin SOV-2000 (Level III) body armor panels were retested, for the purpose of validating Pinnacle Armor's six year warranty. The panels tested were between 5.75 years old to 6.6 years old. All items met the NIJ Level III ballistic protection, confirming Pinnacle Armor's six-year warranty for full ballistic protection. Pinnacle resubmitted the SOV-2000 vest to the NIJ for certification based on this successful testing, but this application was rejected because the test had not been properly documented. As of November 2007, Pinnacle is suing to force the NIJ to recertify the SOV-2000 vest.
Pinnacle Armor
Pinnacle Armor is a United States-based armor manufacturing company. While they are best known for their Dragon Skin body armor, they also produce reinforced materials for use on vehicles and buildings. Pinnacle armor only sells body armor to military, law enforcement, government agencies, and...
. It is currently produced in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. Its characteristic two-inch-wide circular discs overlap like scale armor
Scale armour
Scale armour is an early form of armour sometimes erroneously called scale mail consisting of many individual small armour scales of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. Scale armour was worn by warriors of many different cultures as well...
, creating a flexible vest that allows a good range of motion and can allegedly absorb a high number of hits compared with other military body armor. The discs are composed of silicon carbide
Silicon carbide
Silicon carbide , also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive...
ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
matrices and laminate
Laminate
A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
s, much like the larger ceramic plate
Ceramic plate
Ceramic plates are commonly used as inserts in soft ballistic vests. Most ceramic plates used in body armor provide National Institute of Justice Type III protection, allowing them to stop rifle bullets. Ceramic plates are a form of composite armor...
s in other types of bullet resistant vests. This armor has been known to withstand grenade blasts and up to 40 rounds of ammo.
The armor is available in three basic protection levels: SOV-2000, which has previously had certification to Level III protection; SOV-3000, which is rated as Level IV by the manufacturer, but has not officially certified as such; and a rating-unspecified "Level V" variant not available to the general public.
Dragon Skin has been worn by some civilian contractors
Private military company
A private military company or provides military and security services. These combatants are commonly known as mercenaries, though modern-day PMCs refer to their staff as security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and refer to themselves as private military...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, some special operations forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
in Iraq and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, some SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
teams, nine generals in Afghanistan, bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s tasked with protecting generals, and U.S. Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
personnel. The Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) has also purchased Dragon Skin.
Structure
SOV-2000 armor is made of an imbricated overlapping configuration of high tensile ceramic discs encased in an aramidAramid
Aramid fibers are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in bicycle tires, and as an asbestos substitute. The name is a portmanteau of "aromatic polyamide"...
textile cover. Different layout configurations with variations in coverage are available.
AMI level III plates are fabricated using an outer 3 millimetre (0.118110236220472 in) MARS steel layer bonded to a compressed Dyneema backing, with a linex coating for spall reduction, resulting in a total plate thickness of approximately 1 inches (25.4 mm). AMI level III 12 inches (304.8 mm) × 14.5 inches (368.3 mm) plates weigh about 10 lb (4.5 kg) and 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm) plates are about 9 lb (4.1 kg).
SOV-2000 is made of overlapping approximately 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) × 2 inches (50.8 mm) ceramic discs encased in a fabric cover. In evaluating the Dragon Skin system, it is important to note that while the external measurements of the Dragon Skin panel are 11.5 inches (292.1 mm) × 13.5 inches (342.9 mm), the area of level III coverage provided by the encased ceramic discs is 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm); the fabric edges are not intended to provide ballistic protection. Weight of the SOV-2000 armor providing 10 inches (254 mm) × 12 inches (304.8 mm) of level III protection was approximately 5.5 lb (2.5 kg).
Television
In a test for the History Channel's military show, Mail CallMail Call
Mail Call was a television program appearing on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, . The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup...
, the vest repelled nine rounds of steel-core ammunition from a WASR-10
WASR series rifles
The WASR series rifle is an export-oriented, semi-automatic version of the PM md. 63, itself the Romanian variant of the AK series of rifles originally from Russia. They use a Romanian made receiver, but lack the dimple above the magazine well the SAR series has...
(7.62×39 mm) and 35 rounds of 9x19mm from a Heckler & Koch MP5A3
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, all fired into a 10-by-12-inch area on the vest. On Test Lab, also on the History Channel, the vest withstood 120 rounds fired from a Type 56 (7.62×39 mm) rifle and Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
(9×19 mm). In another demonstration on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Future Weapons
Future Weapons
Future Weapons, sometimes also written as FutureWeapons and Futureweapons, is a documentary television series that premiered on April 19, 2006 on the Discovery Channel. Host Richard "Mack" Machowicz, a former Navy SEAL, reviews and demonstrates the latest modern weaponry and military technology...
, a Dragon Skin vest withstood numerous rounds (including steel core rounds) from an AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
, an Heckler & Koch MP5SD
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, an M4 carbine
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
(5.56×45 mm
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
), and a point-blank detonation of an M67 grenade
M67 grenade
The M67 grenade is a fragmentation hand grenade used by the United States Military and Canadian Forces, where it is referred to as the C13. The M67 is a replacement for the M61 grenade used during Vietnam and the older Mk 2 "pineapple" grenade used since World War II.-Composition:The M67 Grenade...
. While the vest was heavily damaged (mainly by the grenade), there was no penetration of the armor.
In 2007, NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
had independent ballistics testing conducted of Dragon Skin versus Interceptor body armor
Interceptor body armor
Interceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...
. Retired four-star general Wayne A. Downing
Wayne A. Downing
Wayne Allan Downing was a retired four-star United States Army general born in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962 and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Tulane University.-Military career:*Sep 62 - Feb...
observed the tests and concluded that although the number of trials performed was limited, the Dragon Skin armor performed significantly better.
In light of the May 2007 media investigations, senators Hillary Clinton and Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
requested that Comptroller General of the United States
Comptroller General of the United States
The Comptroller General of the United States is the director of the Government Accountability Office , a legislative branch agency established by Congress in 1921 to ensure the fiscal and managerial accountability of the federal government...
David M. Walker
David M. Walker (U.S. Comptroller General)
David M. Walker served as United States Comptroller General from 1998 to 2008, and is now the Founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative.- Career as Comptroller General :...
initiate a Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
investigation into the army's body armor systems.
After being confronted with conflicting information by lawmakers who questioned the NBC test results and provided Army-supplied data of vest failures from a May 2006 test, the technical expert solicited by NBC to certify its test backed away from his staunch defense of Dragon Skin and stated that the vests "weren't ready for prime time."
It was also featured on Time Warp
Time Warp (TV series)
Time Warp was a popular science-themed television program produced for the Discovery Channel in the United States, in which Jeff Lieberman, an MIT scientist, teacher, and artist, along with high speed camera expert Matt Kearney, turn their high speed camera on everyday occurrences and singular...
on the Discovery Channel.
Law enforcement
In Fresno, CaliforniaFresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, a police department commissioned the purchase of Dragon Skin for its officers after a vest stopped all the bullets fired during a test, including .308 rounds from a sniper rifle and 30 rounds from a 9mm MP5 fired from five feet away. Ninety-eight federal, state, and local law enforcement officers witnessed the SWAT test. The armor also stopped 40 rounds of PS-M1943 mild steel-core bullets from an AK-47 along with 200 9 mm FMJ military ball bullets
Full metal jacket bullet
A full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
fired from a submachine gun.
Academic
Dragon Skin SOV-2000 level III armor was also tested the week of October 2, 2006 by Dr. Gary Roberts, LCDR, USNR, Stanford University Medical Center. These tests were conducted for a local law enforcement agency, as a control sample a stand-alone Armored Mobility Incorporated (AMI) level III steel composite plate armor was used for comparison. Both types of armor were conditioned for 12 hours at 170 °F (76.7 °C), then moved to ambient air for approximately 90 minutes prior to being shot. The problems associated with the use of inelastic clay backing material have been well documented; as such, the armor was secured to a life-size curvilinear torso replica made of Perma-GelBallistic gelatin
Ballistic Gelatin is a testing medium scientifically correlated to swine muscle tissue , in which the effects of bullet wounds can be simulated. It was developed and improved by Martin Fackler and others in the field of wound ballistics. Ballistic gelatin is a solution of gelatin powder in water...
. Each armor system was shot a minimum of 20 times with five rounds of each ammunition type fired against each armor system—one 90 degree perpendicular shot, two shots at 60 degrees obliquity, and two shots at 30 degrees obliquity, using each of the following loads fired at a distance of 10 feet (3 m):
- 5.56 mm 40 gr LeMas Urban Warfare (using a moly coated Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet) with a 3718 feet (1,133.2 m) per second average velocity.
- 5.56 mm M855 62 gr FMJ with a 3054 feet (930.9 m) per second average velocity.
- 7.62x39 mm M43 123 gr steel-core FMJ with a 2307 feet (703.2 m) per second average velocity.
- .30-06 M2 150 gr FMJ with a 2736 feet (833.9 m) per second average velocity.
All of the above ammo was successfully stopped by both armor systems in this testing, with no armor failures or penetrations, even after receiving multiple hits.
Military testing
Dragon Skin became the subject of controversy with the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
over testing it against its Interceptor body armor. The Army claimed Pinnacle's body armor was not proven to be effective. In tests run for the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
there were multiple failures to meet the claimed level of protection. This coupled with poor quality control (over 200 of the 380 vests delivered to USAF OSI were recalled due to improperly manufactured armor disks) and fraudulent claims of official NIJ rating which Pinnacle had not actually obtained at the time of purchase led to the termination of the USAF contract. Pinnacle attempted to appeal this decision, but courts found in favor of the USAF.
On April 26, 2006 Pinnacle Armor issued a press release to address these claims and a product recall instigated by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The company stated that although vests were returned due to a manufacturing issue, a test on the Dragon Skin Level III armor was conducted by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations , is a Field Operating Agency of the United States Air Force that provides professional investigative services to commanders throughout the Air Force...
at a U.S Army Aberdeen Test Center in Aberdeen, Maryland
Aberdeen, Maryland
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...
in February 2006, which concluded that it did not fail any written contract specifications set forth by the navy, which was further stated by Pinnacle Armor to require high ballistic performance due to the hostile environments in which AFOSI operates.
Weapon review website Defense Review also published an article similarly dissenting, noting that in their test and review of the Dragon Skin armor, they had found that it was "significantly superior in every combat-relevant way to U.S. Army PEO Soldier's and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC)/Soldier Systems Center's Interceptor Body Armor"
The Pentagon stated that the test results were classified and neither side could agree to terms on another, more comprehensive test. The Army wanted to hold and inspect the vests for 1–2 weeks before shooting at them, and Pinnacle wanted them shot at right away from out of the box because they said they feared the Army tampering with them in order to save their currently cheaper body armor program.
On May 19, 2006 it was announced that the dispute had been resolved and the vests were going to be retested again by the Army to clear the dispute. On May 20, 2006 it was announced by the Washington Post (and other newspapers) in an article titled "Potential Advance in Body Armor Fails Tests" that the Dragon Skin vests had failed the retest according to their anonymous source. Official results of these tests were classified at the time but have since been released by the Army.
On June 6, 2006 in comments posted on an online discussion forum, Karl Masters, director of engineering for Program Manager - Soldier Equipment, said he recently supervised the retest and commented on it. "I was recently tasked by the army to conduct the test of the 30 Dragon Skin SOV-3000 level IV body armor purchased for T&E [tests and evaluation]," Masters wrote. "My day job is acting product manager for Interceptor Body Armor. I'm under a gag order until the test results make it up the chain. I will, however, offer an enlightened and informed recommendation to anyone considering purchasing an SOV-3000 Dragon Skin—don't. I do not recommend this design for use in an AOR with a 7.62x54R AP threat and an ambient temperature that could range to 120 F. I do, however, highly recommend this system for use by insurgents..."
In response to these claims, Pinnacle Armor released a press release on June 30, 2006. Official results of these tests are classified.
According to the Army, the vests failed because the extreme temperature tests caused the discs to dislodge, thus rendering the vest ineffective. Pinnacle Armor affirms that their products can withstand environmental tests in accordance with military standards, as does testing by the Aberdeen Test Center.
In response to claims made by several U.S. Senators, Dragon Skin and special interest groups, on Monday, May 21, 2007, the Army held a press conference where they released the results of the tests they claimed Dragon Skin failed.
Congress held a hearing on the matter. While calling the failure of his vest to stop a round on the second shot of the Army test a "once in a while" occurrence, the Pinnacle Armor CEO denied Army claims that a dozen more rounds penetrated his Dragon Skin vests. He argued x-ray photos of one vest the Army claims failed showed the Dragon Skin disks had stopped the round. "The bullet did not go through the armor," Neal said flatly. Army officials responded by showing lawmakers a video clip of Neal inspecting the same vest after a test shot, watching engineers dig the penetrating round out of ballistic clay backing. "Are you telling me if you were wearing this vest ... and that round hit you in the chest, would that have killed you or not?" a skeptical Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) asked Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal. "No," he replied.
In April 2008 one of the Dragon Skin vests, with serial number that identify it as a one of 30 vests bought by Department of Defense for U.S. Army for testing in 2006, was listed and later bought from eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. The seller, David Bronson, allegedly was connected to U.S. Army testing facility. The U.S. Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
(GOA), the U.S. Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and the F.B.I.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
are investigating the matter as of May 2008.
U.S. Army bans privately purchased body armor
On March 30, 2006 the Army banned all privately purchased commercial body armor in theater. Army officials told the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that the ban order was prompted by concerns that soldiers or their families were buying inadequate or untested commercial armor from private companies. The Army ban refers specifically to Pinnacle's Dragon Skin armor saying that the company advertising implies that Dragon Skin "is superior in performance" to the Interceptor Body Armor
Interceptor body armor
Interceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...
the military issues to soldiers. The Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
has not issued a similar directive, but Marines are "encouraged to wear Marine Corps-issued body armor since this armor has been tested to meet fleet standards." NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
learned that well after the Army ban that select elite forces assigned to protect generals and VIPs in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
wore Dragon Skin. General Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli is a United States Army General who is serving as the 32nd and current Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He previously served as commander, Multi-National Corps—Iraq under General George W. Casey, Jr. He assumed his current assignment on August 4, 2008...
made a statement that, "he never wore Dragon Skin but that some members of his staff did wear a lighter version of the banned armor on certain limited occasions, despite the Army ban."
Certification and subsequent decertification
In an interview with KSEE 24 News, an NBC affiliate, on November 14, 2006 and November 16, 2006, Pinnacle Armor detailed the five year process that the NIJ and Pinnacle Armor went through to establish a test protocol and procedure for flexible rifle defeating armor, and then pass it for the certification.On December 20, 2006, Pinnacle Armor received the official letter from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that they had passed the Level III tests, and that Dragon Skin SOV-2000 was now certified for Level III protection.
The Air Force, which ordered the Dragon Skin vests partially based on claims it was NIJ certified at a time when it was not, has opened a criminal investigation into the firm Pinnacle Armor over allegations that it had fraudulently placed a label on their Dragon Skin armor improperly stating that it had been certified to a ballistic level it had not yet been. Murray Neal, the Pinnacle Armor chief executive, claimed that he was given verbal authorization by the NIJ to label the vests although he did not have written authorization.
On August 3, 2007, the Department of Justice announced that the NIJ had reviewed evidence provided by the body armor manufacturer and has determined that the evidence is insufficient to demonstrate that the body armor model will maintain its ballistic performance over its six-year declared warranty period. Because of this, Dragon Skin has been found not in compliance with the NIJ's testing program and has been removed from the NIJ's list of bullet-resistant body armor models that satisfy its requirements. Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal responded that this move was unprecedented, political, and not about the quality of the vests because they are not saying they have failed any ballistics. He says it is about a dispute with the paperwork to deal with a warranty issue instead, in which the warranty period of Dragon Skin is longer than that of most other commercial vests.
On August 20, 2007, at the United States Test Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, nine Dragon Skin SOV-2000 (Level III) body armor panels were retested, for the purpose of validating Pinnacle Armor's six year warranty. The panels tested were between 5.75 years old to 6.6 years old. All items met the NIJ Level III ballistic protection, confirming Pinnacle Armor's six-year warranty for full ballistic protection. Pinnacle resubmitted the SOV-2000 vest to the NIJ for certification based on this successful testing, but this application was rejected because the test had not been properly documented. As of November 2007, Pinnacle is suing to force the NIJ to recertify the SOV-2000 vest.
External links
- Dragon Skin at Pinnacle ArmorPinnacle ArmorPinnacle Armor is a United States-based armor manufacturing company. While they are best known for their Dragon Skin body armor, they also produce reinforced materials for use on vehicles and buildings. Pinnacle armor only sells body armor to military, law enforcement, government agencies, and...
- U.S. Army's Program Executive Office Soldier
- Official results of the Army's Dragon Skin test.
- www.EASARMOR.COM