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Testing of Body Armor Materials Phase III (2012) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix F Committee Responses to the Government Accountability Office Report
Pages 274-279

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From page 274...
... . In the report, the GAO recommended that "the Army should provide for an independent ballistics evaluation of the First Article Testing results," that "the Army should assess the need to change its procedures based on the outcome of the independent experts' review and document these and all other key decisions made to clarify or change the testing protocols," and that "the Army provide for an independent external peer review of Aberdeen Test Center's body armor testing protocol, facilities and instrumentation" (GAO, 2009, p.
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From page 275...
... As defined in the new DOT&E protocol, "a complete penetration of the test plate sample occurs on any fair record test shot impact in which the projectile, any fragment of the projectile, or any fragment of the armor material is ejected from the rear of the plate and passes into the first ply (minimum of one complete yarn broken) of the soft armor (ballistic package)
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From page 276...
... Participation in this study should include, at a minimum, ATC, NIJ-certified private testing labs, and body armor manufacturers. Another finding in the Phase III report that relates to this issue is that there needs to be a single measurement standard to determine the ability of any system to measure a representative BFD regardless of different labs, measurement instruments, and operators.
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From page 277...
... As a rule of thumb, experienced test operators at NIJ -certified commercial testing laboratories, who have decades of experience with clay, reported to the committee that the clay has had to be heated about an additional 1°F each year to achieve calibration standards. Currently, there is an informal experimental effort at both ATC and the commercial labs to attempt to restrict the temperature of the clay boxes to about 105°F.68 (Interestingly, for the Phase I body armor testing demonstrations at ATC in December 2009, the temperature goal was approximately 104°F.)
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From page 278...
...  Investigate the effects of box size and shape on calibration results. Action Item 1: Determine whether those practices that deviated from established testing protocols during First Article Testing will be continued during future testing and change the established testing protocols to reflect those revised practices The committee chair was told by senior Army staff members that the Army would appoint a knowledgeable person to conduct an independent assessment of the practices mentioned in the GAO report.
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From page 279...
... 2010. Phase II Report on Review of the Testing of Body Armor Materials for Use by the U.S.
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Key Terms

  • armor testing
  • clay calibration
  • evaluation item
  • armor community
  • testing protocols

  • government accountability
  • test operators
  • phase iii
  • laser scanner
  • standard practice

  • laser scan
  • laser scanning
  • commercial testing
  • using significant
  • complete penetration

  • testing process
  • independent assessment
  • test plate
  • armor materials
  • significant digits

  • gao report
  • soft body
  • software modifications
  • iii report
  • action item

  • material formulation
  • established testing
  • armor test
  • armor manufacturers
  • clay boxes


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