New body armor under production

EDEN, N.C., March 14 (UPI) -- KDH Defense Systems Inc. of North Carolina is in production of a new lightweight ballistic pack for the U.S. Army's improved outer tactical vest.

"Lighten the load has been the resounding command from the military for more than a decade," said retired Army Sgt. Maj. William T. (Butch) Hancock, Jr., Military Program Development for KDH.

"The Afghan surge, which requires more foot patrols than were carried out in Iraq, has fueled the need to make our soldiers more agile in their protective gear by reducing the weight of their armor systems. KDH's new IOTV lightweight ballistic pack, Convergence, is one of the lightest and most flexible packages ever selected by the United States Army."

The company said the company's product is nearly 10 percent lighter than specification.

"The emphasis to increase the ballistic protection of the soldier has increased his survivability while hindering his mobility and endurance," said David Herbener, president and chief executive officer of KDH. "We know what we have today works but the challenge is reducing the weight while maintaining or exceeding the identical amount of protection (of current systems). We are pleased that the U.S. Army has chosen KDH's new, lightweight Convergence ballistic package and we continue to look beyond the current soldier protection systems in an effort to protect against threats that soldiers haven't yet encountered."

KDH manufactures custom body armor for the military and law enforcement agencies.