NSG shops for 360-degree bulletproof vests

In a key lesson from the 60-hour long anti-terror operation during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks,the elite National Security Guard (NSG) is planning to procure bulletproof jackets that provide 360-degree all-round upper torso body protection.....

In a key lesson from the 60-hour long anti-terror operation during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks,the elite National Security Guard (NSG) is planning to procure bulletproof jackets that provide 360-degree all-round upper torso body protection. The present ones just cover the front and back,leave a gap at the sides.

NSG sources said the decision was prompted by the manner in which NSG commando Havaldar Gajendra Singh was killed at Nariman House,despite wearing a bulletproof jacket. The bullet that hit Gajender found its way through the gap that the normal bulletproof jackets have on the sides of the torso. Learning from this,we have now decided to procure bulletproof jackets that cover the upper torso fully and leave no gap for a bullet to sneak in, said a senior NSG official.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is learnt to have cleared these quality requirements for bulletproof jackets,allowing all the central paramilitary forces to go in for similar equipment.

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Meeting the USs National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Level III and IIIA standards,the new bullet proof jackets will have add-ons like throat protectors,upper arm protectors,collar protectors and shoulder protectors.

While the basic bulletproof jacket will weigh 10 kilograms at the most,the optional add-ons will increase the weight by another two kilograms. Adding ultra light weight hybrid insert plates in the front and back sides of the jacket will take the total weight up to 14.5 kilograms.

We are looking at jackets that offer complete upper body protection to our men without hindering their flexibility,body movement and the use of arms, said an officer. Keeping the wearers comfort in mind,the new bulletproof jackets will distribute the weight over the waistline and shoulders. The use of a special fabric in the inner lining of the jacket will enhance sweat absorption and air circulation.

The new jackets will also have a special provision for being discarded in one swift pull. The idea is that the jacket should be easily opened when the commando is in a sitting position,and it must split into two in order to provide faster access to wounds, said the official.