"We did the human-factors testing and everybody loved it" The most noticeable feature of the SPS is the new Ballistic Combat Shirt, or BCS, which has been updated with soft armor on the neck, shoulders, high chest and high back to protect against 9mm rounds and shrapnel, Hoffman said. The lower part of the shirt is still a breathable, fire-resistant material.
"It is just a soft armor, almost like a concealable-body-armor-type material," Hoffman said, describing how this latest version of the combat shirt is designed to be worn beneath the vest to eliminate the need for the Deltoid Axillary Protectors, or DAP.
The Army developed the DAP system early in the Iraq war to protect the shoulder and upper arm from shrapnel wounds many soldiers were receiving from enemy improvised explosive devices.
But the DAP is also bulky and prone to snagging when exiting Strykers and other vehicles.
"So when you would come out, those [DAPs] would catch on something, it would pull you down and rip off," Hoffman said. The armor on the combat shirt "is all smooth, contoured … it gives you much more flexibility and maneuverability," Hoffman said.
The new shirt also features a partial zipper closure and a mandarin-style color that is much softer than the IOTV collar that tends to rub and chafe on the neck, Hoffman said.
"We did the human-factors testing and everybody loved the shirt," Hoffman said. "At the end of the day, we want to provide protection to the soldier, but we also got to make sure he has the performance that he needs."
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/02/11/army-plans-to-field-new-protective-vest-armored-shirt-in-2019.html