New Armor Collars for Joes

One of the most innovative military equipment designers in the country has been awarded a $17 million contract for one of its body armor components.

(Photos from Crye Precision)

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Crye Precision has developed one of the most impressive body armor vest designs available today. Its a technological leap in terms of wearability, coverage and comfort beyond any designs I am aware of. The armor chassis,

as Crye terms it, harkens back to the Spartan cuirass and later Roman chest plates worn in combat, and the Army is tinkering with Cryes design for its Future Force Warrior development up at Natick labs in Massachusetts.

The institutional Army has taken notice and decided to purchase Cryes nape neck protector, presumably for its humvee gunners who are more exposed to a roadside bomb blast and sniper fire than the passengers. The neck protector has a higher profile than the standard body armor neck protector and incorporates a small ballistic plate in the back of the collar.

Its a big victory for a small company on the cutting edge of body armor design, and it will be interesting to see how far Cryes designs go in the future for all the services continuing body armor development.

-- Christian