Why was Dragon Skin armor rejected by the U.S. Army?

The Dragon Skin armor, developed by Pinnacle Armor, was rejected by the U.S. Army for several compelling reasons:

Failure in Ballistic Testing

The Army conducted extensive testing on the Dragon Skin armor, which revealed significant failures. During these tests, the armor failed to meet the required ballistic standards, with multiple instances of complete penetrations and severe back-face deformations. Specifically, the Army's tests showed 13 penetrations or severe back-face deformations out of 48 shots, including a full penetration on the second shot of the first test vest345.

Environmental Testing Failures

The armor performed poorly under various environmental conditions. The epoxy glue that held the disc plates together would delaminate at high temperatures (up to 150°F or 66°C), causing the discs to dislodge and rendering the armor ineffective. Similar failures were observed in low temperatures, exposure to diesel fuel, oil, saltwater immersion, and other extreme conditions35.

Manufacturing Issues

There were significant quality control problems with the Dragon Skin vests. For example, the Air Force returned over 200 of the 380 vests acquired due to faulty manufacturing, including improperly manufactured armor disks. This led to the termination of the USAF contract, which Pinnacle Armor appealed but lost35.

Non-Compliance with NIJ Standards

The Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) determined that Dragon Skin did not comply with the NIJ's 2005 Interim Requirements for a Level III armor system. The evidence provided by Pinnacle Armor was insufficient to demonstrate that the body armor would maintain its ballistic performance over its six-year declared warranty period3.

Army Ban and Safety Concerns

In March 2006, the Army banned all privately purchased commercial body armor, specifically mentioning Dragon Skin due to concerns that its advertising implied superior performance to the issued Interceptor Body Armor, which the Army disputed. This ban was prompted by the inadequate and untested nature of commercial armor, including Dragon Skin13.

In summary, the rejection of Dragon Skin armor by the U.S. Army was due to its consistent failure in ballistic and environmental testing, manufacturing defects, non-compliance with NIJ standards, and the subsequent safety concerns these issues raised.