US Army tests female body armor in Afghanistan

Sometime in July earlier this year, we ran a story on how the US Army was working on a new body armor that was specially developed to fit the female body, which is definitely a good idea since the male and female physiological make-up are different in their own unique ways. Having said that, female soldiers from Fort Campbell who are deploying to Afghanistan will have the honor of field testing the first Army body armor which was specially tailored to fit women’s physiques, being shorter in nature.

The latest generation of female-centric Army tactical vests is shorter in length so that it can accommodate smaller torsos, while being tailored to fit closer to women’s chests. It will also do away with the gaps between the material and the body, where it can be fitted with smaller side ballistic inserts for small waist sizes. Not only that, it feels lighter since it will not rest on the female soldier’s shoulders, unlike the male counterpart. In fact, one is able to perform a cartwheel in this without having the body armor fall right off, which is something that could happen if a female were to wear the old armor.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: The U.S Army $5B pixel pattern is a FAIL, i-Tactical Wheeled Vehicle inspired by iPhone,

What Is This Secret Weapon the US Has Been Hiding for 30 Years? [Past Perfect]

In 1981, the White House released a secret memo regarding the stockpiling of a certain weapon. What kind of weapon? Now that it’s been declassified, we still have no idea: the title remains censored. More »

Britain’s Brand New £1 Billion Battleship Is a 152-Meter Mobile Missile Shield [Monster Machines]

With all the iPhone 5 hoopla lately, you might not have heard the news—Israel and Iran are fixing for a fight that could wipe both countries off the map. Twenty-six Western allies have already dispatched a flotilla of warships to the region to guard the Strait of Hormuz—among them is the brand new HMS Diamond. This floating missile shield is the Royal Navy’s most capable destroyer ever. More »

Panzer Tank Knit Slippers Battle Cold Toes

I normally don’t wear slippers on my feet, but if I had a pair of these Panzer Tiger tank slippers, I’d wear them every day. Heck, I’d wear them when I head out of the house  to the grocery store, and to the Starbucks, and to the park, and to the movies… you get my drift.

miligurumi panzer tank slippers

What you’re looking at are simply the most epic slippers ever created. Designed by Miligurumis, these comfy knit slippers look just like a pair of Panzer tanks. While they don’t actually fire ammo, they’ll definitely scare off any other footwear – unless your significant other happens to be wearing a pair of Landkreuzer Monster slippers on the other side of the room.

miligurumi panzer tank slippers 1

Unfortunately, if you want a pair of these awesome slippers, you’ll have to knit them for yourself. And the intersection between people who like tanks and people who knit is probably a pretty tiny demographic group. But if you happen to fit that profile, head on over to Etsy now and order up the PDF of the pattern for $6.99 (USD).

[via Ian Brooks]


Superior armor being researched for the US Army

Every single day, there are members of the US Army around the world who get in the line of fire while fulfilling their duty for the country, and needless to say, some of these encounters result in serious injury or even death. The US Army intends to cut down on the mortality rate by handing over $90 million to Johns Hopkins University so that a team of researchers at Rutgers University, the University of Delaware and the California Institute of Technology, accompanying private companies and the military, will work on a new kind of protective armor which has the final goal of reducing body armor weight by 30% while ensuring it is 50% more efficient.

At the end of the day, the ‘perfect’ body armor would be a careful balance of ratio between weight, mobility and protection. Of course, there are some projects in the past that relied on spider silk to create a “bulletproof skin”, but if you are talking about protection from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), then it is safe to assume that nothing at this point in time will be able to protect a soldier as even a tank can be done in by an IED. Of course, Captain America’s fictional vibranium shield does seem to be able to handle anything thrown at it, so until that day arrives, we will just have to keep our fingers crossed that the “superior armor” the US Army is looking for will be conjured up in labs, soon.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: CTA Digital milks partnership with US Army, Argus drone with 1.8-gigapixel camera ,

Murphy’s Law and the Rocket Sleds That Love It [Design]

Exactly what part of “rocket sled” sounds like a good idea to you? I’ll give you a hint: none of it. Separately sure, rockets and sleds can be slightly hazardous. But slap them together and you’ve got yourself a fuel-injected suicide machine. Just look at the carnage wrought this collection assembled by our friends at Oobject. More »

This Unmanned Patroller Guards Israeli Borders for Days on End [Video]

Given Israel’s precarious position within the Middle East, border security is of paramount importance. Problem is—it’s also labor-intensive and really quite dangerous. That’s why the IDF puts a fleet of autonomous off-roaders between its human forces and the front lines. More »

Raytheon JLENS swarm boat weapon touted

Raytheon, one of the active defense companies out there that have seem to made their fair share of waves in the news recently, has touted the successful testing of their Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) against naval swarm boats sometime in the middle of this year. The JLENS’ ability to target swarm boats in the Great Salt Lake were put to a drill, and it passed the test with flying colors, using the radar’s ability to track multiple fast and high speed vessels while giving a ship commander the situational awareness of all possible threats which he might face in the open seas.

The JLENS system is comprised of a couple of aerostats which can float up to 10,000 feet off the ground, delivering radar and communication capabilities so that one has a bird’s eye view on over-the-horizon threats, while delivering details and information to a gamut of weapons systems. When will JLENS be able to see action on the battlefield? It is rather hard to tell, but I do wonder what kind of defense mechanisms that JLENS has against attacks from missiles and RPGs.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Raytheon High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile tested successfully, Law Enforcement In-Car Laptop Computer Systems debut,

DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3)

What you see above is definitely not new, but it shows off other capabilities of the upcoming DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3) that we have not been privy to before. The ultimate goal of the LS3 program is to demonstrate the usefulness of a legged robot which is capable of helping squad members carry their gear, following them autonomously through rugged terrain without missing a beat. Heck, the LS3 is also said to be able to interpret verbal and visual commands, and you can be sure that it will follow orders unquestioningly. I would assume that there might be the possibility of a remote controlled option just in case the situation does not make it possible for you to perform hand signals or shout out a command. I am sure the troops on the ground will be more than pleased to see the DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3) being operational soon, considering the amount of gear that they have to tote around is no laughing matter. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: DARPA’s Sea Shadow stealth ship on sale from $50,000 onwards, Cheetah robot achieves new land speed record,

Confirmed: AT&T offers complimentary unlock of in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel

Finally. A bit of closure. AT&T has confirmed the long-lived speculation of its policy to unlock in-contract iPhones for our military men and women deployed overseas. To qualify for the complimentary service, active military members must have an account in good standing and provide the carrier with deployment verification — that’s it, no other hoops to jump through.

The revelation was made today as part AT&T’s new Device Unlock Portal, which allows off-contract iPhone owners to apply online to have their handsets unlocked. Previously, this unlock service was available only through the carrier’s retail outlets, online chat support or by dialing 611. As a quick rehash of the non-military policy, all users — either current or former AT&T subscribers — must have completed their contractual obligations to AT&T, and the phone cannot be flagged as lost or stolen. All those eligible should certainly apply for the service, as an unlocked iPhone is infinitely more useful when traveling abroad — a reality that deployed military members know all too well.

[Military photo via Shutterstock]

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Confirmed: AT&T offers complimentary unlock of in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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