Defense Tech received a video clip released by the Army showing part of its May 2006 test shoot on Dragon Skin. The video is purported to be from the vest M-01-Front shot (if youre following along in the Army briefing document, its on page 12 and shows an x-ray of the back panel penetration with the front, back and side shot profiles) in which the second shot had a complete penetration.
Youll see the HP White staffers mounting the vest on the bracket, then Pinnacle President Murray Neal inspecting the mounting. Two shots are fired, and then the vest is removed to inspect the shot in the clay backing.
After the vest is removed, the curved clay backing representing the exact area of ESAPI coverage can be seen, and photos are taken by another ballistics expert hired by the Army for the test, Jim Zheng. This belies Neals contention that the Dragon Skin was tested on non-rifle defeating areas.
Notice the first shot is on the edge, as the ESAPI FAT test protocols call for, and shows a deep indentation though it is unclear whether that back face deformation is within ESAPI specs. The second shot, just up and to the right of the first, is the complete penetration. You can see Neal come in and inspect the hole and the HP White engineers dig the round out.
This is not on the high-heat tested vest Neal claims had an adhesive anomaly.
The debate gets more and more curious.
-- Christian
