IntroductionOSPREY personal armour has been issued to UK forces since 2005. From 2015, the VIRTUS personal armour and load carriage system have been progressively replacing OSPREY. In 2016, the ban on women in ground close combat roles throughout the UK’s Armed Forces was lifted. In anticipation of this, work has been ongoing to prepare future ballistic protection programmes for a potential increase in the number of female users.MethodA human factors questionnaire was provided to 150 female users of OSPREY body armour to complete while on combat operations in Afghanistan. The questionnaire asked the users to rate the comfort of their OSPREY body armour along with their ability to carry out basic tasks. Other background data such as size of body armour worn and bra size were also collected for the analysis.ResultsThe female participants reported various types of discomfort when wearing their OSPREY body armour, with 135 instances of discomfort experienced in the hip region, for example. Challenges were reported in the ability to carry out basic movements, with the tasks rated on a Likert scale as difficult or very difficult by between 29% and 59% of participants. In addition, a restriction in ability to access personal equipment worn on the person (including pouches, trouser pockets) was commented on by 39% of participants.ConclusionsFemale users reported challenges relating to the fit and function of OSPREY body armour. The VIRTUS body armour system for UK Armed Forces Personnel has already addressed many of the reported issues with OSPREY. Further optimisation for VIRTUS with regard to female users is planned and includes sizing of ballistic hard plates.
IntroductionSevere haemorrhage from the arm that is unresponsive to direct pressure necessitates the application of a tourniquet. Detachable arm protection, referred to as brassards, are used by the UK Armed Forces to protect the upper arm from fragmentation threats. However, the coverage they originally provided was based on limited medical evidence. Medical consensus has determined that the dimensions of arm protection should in future be related to how far up the arm a tourniquet can be applied.MethodCT scans of 120 male Armed Forces personnel were analysed to ascertain the vertical distances from acromion process to the point at which a tourniquet can applied, equating to the anterior axillary fold. These values were statistically compared with those derived from the 2007 UK Military anthropometric survey using a paired t-test. Additional distances were added to account for tourniquet width and slippage, with the total value compared with VIRTUS brassard length.ResultsNo significant difference (p<0.01) was found in mean acromion to axilla length (114 mm) compared with that found in the anthropometric survey confirming sample validity. The deltoid insertion lay 24 mm below the axillary fold for the 50th percentile value from CT. Essential arm coverage for the 99th percentile male in this study was calculated as 201 mm.ConclusionsBased on this research, a single new brassard for the VIRTUS body armour and load carriage system was recommended and manufactured based on the 99th percentile. This is over 30% shorter than the existing VIRTUS brassard, reducing the overall weight burden for the soldier and improving heat dispersion, integration and interoperability. The new brassard has been issued to Armed Forces personnel since October 2018. The reduced mass of ballistic protective material in conjunction with requiring only a single size of brassard has already saved the Ministry of Defence £20 000 in procurement costs.
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