§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether units of the British armed forces are equipped with full body armour based on ceramic plates; and what distribution of body protection(a) has been made and (b) is planned. [52125]
§ Mr. IngramUnits of the United Kingdom armed forces, in operational theatres, are issued with the general service combat body armour (CBA), which is a vest designed to provide protection to the chest and much of the abdomen. There is also an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suit that provides head-to-toe protection for EOD units. Both are manufactured from textile ballistic fabric. Two ceramic plates can be added to the CBA vest, for extra front and back protection, if required. The current EOD suit does not have ceramic plates but a new lightweight EOD suit, which like the CBA would have ceramic plates to the front and back, has recently been trialled.