Pentagon: Army improperly tested body armor plates

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DONNA CASSATA

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Army improperly tested new bullet-blocking plates for body armor and cannot be certain that 5 million pieces of the critical battlefield equipment meet the standards to protect U.S. troops, the Defense Department's inspector general found.

The Pentagon report focused on seven Army contracts for the plates, known as ballistic inserts, awarded between 2004 and 2006 and totaling $2.5 billion. The inspector general's audit, carried out over a two-year period ending in March, found the tests were incomplete, conducted with the wrong size plates or relied on ballistic test rounds that were inconsistent. Due to the demands of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tests under certain temperatures and altitudes were scrapped altogether.

"Consequently, the Army cannot be sure that ballistic inserts meet ... requirements," the report said. "As a result, the Army lacks assurance that 5.1 million ballistic inserts acquired through the seven contracts provide appropriate protection."

The inspector general said it did not conduct its own tests so it couldn't say whether the plates were defective.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110817/D9P5PGP01.html

[Dogtown]

1. I suspect profiteering and collusion by the army.

Of course, it could just be incompetence. My recollections of military service support both.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[on point]

3. If I recall correctly this is by repub manufacturer who spent lavishly on repub candidates

Someone who remembers this please expand and correct on this.

If I recall correctly, most of these contracts were given to a single hard right contractor who spent lavishly on himself and family, while also funneling large amounts of money into repub political coffers. Can't remember the name of the company, but it might have been a Michigan company???

[Archaic]

5. Brooks, the guy who had aerosmith play for his daughter

At her bat-mitzvah ?

I think that's the guy you're thinking of. Not sure if his company is connected, but I think that's who you're thinking of.

[on point]

8. Yes. That's the one. Enough info for me (and others) to research back history. Thanks.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Without the IG report it is hard to know if the failure was in the test command or acquisition

May go look for it later today

[russspeakeasy]

6. You can bet your underwater house that there is another

provider that has "exactly what is needed". and just happens to be open to a no compete bid. :spank: combatants be damned....that's why we have hospitals and casket builders..maybe it's just me, but I don't believe one damn word that comes out of any gov agency. They don't give a shit that a grandkid lost an arm and a leg, they don't give a shit that a nephew is dead....they care about money and power. And that's it. Period.:evilfrown:

[w8liftinglady]

7. time for the way back machine

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1455675&mesg_id=1460402

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1455675&mesg_id=1455711

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2154664&mesg_id=2154664

[No Elephants]

9. Wow. Thanks.

[No Elephants]

10. All My Sons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_My_Sons