buglerbilly
16-06-10, 04:44 AM
Army Recalls More Than 13K Armor Plates
June 15, 2010
Military.com|by Christian Lowe
The Army has issued a recall of more than 13,000 bullet-stopping armor plates, saying the ballistic plates "were not made according to specification" and ordering Soldiers to inspect their armor and exchange any plates that are part of the recall.
According to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts being recalled were made by Chandler, Ariz.-based ArmorWorks and feature beveled edges that were not part of the specs outlined by the Army in its contract with the company.
But the Army is quick to say that the recalled plates do not represent a threat to Soldiers' safety and the design flaw does not affect overall ballistic resistance capability.
The flawed plates were discovered during routine inspections when Soldiers turned in their armor after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Fortunately, the recalled plates have passed all ballistic tests, so Soldiers who may have been using the plates were always properly protected," the Army said in a June 14 statement. "However, in order to receive replacement plates under the warranty, all the recalled plates must be turned in."
The service has contracts with ArmorWorks, Ceradyne, BAE Systems and Armacel to produce armor plates that are designed to stop multiple 7.62mm AK-47 rounds and resist armor-piercing bullets. The contract with ArmorWorks is worth more than $86 million, Cummings said.
The recall represents a small percentage of the more than 150,000 plates purchased from ArmorWorks, which has supplied the Army with about 10 percent of its 1.4 million ESAPI plate inventory, Cummings added.
The Army's recall of ArmorWorks plates comes on the heels of a similar action in May when the service pulled more than 44,000 combat helmets from the field. The Army said the ArmorSource-made helmets did not meet ballistic specs and instructed noncommissioned officers to make sure Joes checked their helmets against the recalled serial numbers.
Likewise, the Army issued guidance late last week on how to identify the ArmorWorks ESAPI plates that are part of the recall. Officials say Soldiers should examine the manufacturer's label attached to the back of the ballistic plate for contract number "SPM1C1-08-D-1023 along with one of two design codes -- DD3V2 or MP2" and turn in plates that match the recall to the Central Issue Facility for replacement.
"Just like with the ACH [helmets], we have plenty of plates in our inventory, made by the other manufacturers, to use as replacements," Cummings said.
© Copyright 2010 Military.com. All rights reserved.
June 15, 2010
Military.com|by Christian Lowe
The Army has issued a recall of more than 13,000 bullet-stopping armor plates, saying the ballistic plates "were not made according to specification" and ordering Soldiers to inspect their armor and exchange any plates that are part of the recall.
According to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts being recalled were made by Chandler, Ariz.-based ArmorWorks and feature beveled edges that were not part of the specs outlined by the Army in its contract with the company.
But the Army is quick to say that the recalled plates do not represent a threat to Soldiers' safety and the design flaw does not affect overall ballistic resistance capability.
The flawed plates were discovered during routine inspections when Soldiers turned in their armor after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Fortunately, the recalled plates have passed all ballistic tests, so Soldiers who may have been using the plates were always properly protected," the Army said in a June 14 statement. "However, in order to receive replacement plates under the warranty, all the recalled plates must be turned in."
The service has contracts with ArmorWorks, Ceradyne, BAE Systems and Armacel to produce armor plates that are designed to stop multiple 7.62mm AK-47 rounds and resist armor-piercing bullets. The contract with ArmorWorks is worth more than $86 million, Cummings said.
The recall represents a small percentage of the more than 150,000 plates purchased from ArmorWorks, which has supplied the Army with about 10 percent of its 1.4 million ESAPI plate inventory, Cummings added.
The Army's recall of ArmorWorks plates comes on the heels of a similar action in May when the service pulled more than 44,000 combat helmets from the field. The Army said the ArmorSource-made helmets did not meet ballistic specs and instructed noncommissioned officers to make sure Joes checked their helmets against the recalled serial numbers.
Likewise, the Army issued guidance late last week on how to identify the ArmorWorks ESAPI plates that are part of the recall. Officials say Soldiers should examine the manufacturer's label attached to the back of the ballistic plate for contract number "SPM1C1-08-D-1023 along with one of two design codes -- DD3V2 or MP2" and turn in plates that match the recall to the Central Issue Facility for replacement.
"Just like with the ACH [helmets], we have plenty of plates in our inventory, made by the other manufacturers, to use as replacements," Cummings said.
© Copyright 2010 Military.com. All rights reserved.