"Protect the Force, a fast-growing tech firm in Boston"
Like the lobster’s tail, the interconnected armor components in the Flex9Armor shirt protect body areas that plate carriers don’t: the arms, shoulders, neck, and torso.
Weighing in at 3.2 pounds, the large size shirt is 30 percent lighter than the Interceptor Body Armor components it replaced, which were loathed by U.S. ground forces for their restrictive, uncomfortable fit and weight.
Though lighter, the Flex9Armor can still stop a .44 Magnum bullet.
“Instead of having to take apart your plate carrier so you can attach a DP and yoke and collar assembly, you can just put on a shirt,” said Robert DiLalla, an Army engineer at Natick and co-inventor of the ballistic combat shirt. “You don’t need a buddy to help you put it on, and it’s form fitting, so it moves comfortably.”
When the research was complete, 90 percent of soldiers who tested it said they wanted it, a remarkably high acceptability rate for a new technology.
Together, the Army and Protect the Force filed for and received a patent on the technology.
Jacksboro, Tennessee, is now home to Protect the Force’s 22,000-square-foot manufacturing plant.
“Any innovative product takes time to take hold, and with our in-house production we’ve been able to provide samples to SWAT teams across the country where we’re starting to see sales,” Martinez said.
Flex9Armor will necessitate an expansion of Protect the Force’s manufacturing capacity, hiring more employees, and likely contracting with other U.S. companies.
Now, Protect the Force is leveraging their capabilities to adapt and develop new armor products for the U.S. Marine Corps. And talks are moving forward on the adoption of Flex9Armor by the armed forces of U.S. allies, Martinez said.
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