# Does the Russian army give bullet proof vests to it's army?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 6, 2014, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533 "2014-10-06T10:27:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/1 "2014-10-06T10:27:00Z")
I noticed from footage of Russian army troops who invaded Chechnya and Georgia that most did not appear to be wearing bullet proof vests, the ones who invaded Crimea, it looked like some one them might have been and some did not, it is hard to tell with the type of tactical webbed vests they were wearing over their uniform to hold ammunition, and none of the Russian troops sent into ukraine to fight “undercover” have bullet proof vests, which makes me wonder if the Russian army gives bullet proof vests to all troops like the US army does.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/2 "2014-10-06T12:24:38Z")
Terminology nitpick / education: Nobody, not even the US, issues troops “bullet proof vests.” Troops are issued “body armor.” Body armor stops some / most shrapnel. And attenuates most bullets at least a little. But in no practical sense is it “bullet proof” against the kinds of bullets a trooper is likely to face.
As to current Russian practice, I have no clue.
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/3 "2014-10-06T13:23:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Terminology nitpick / education: Nobody, not even the US, issues troops “bullet proof vests.” Troops are issued “body armor.” Body armor stops some / most shrapnel. And attenuates most bullets at least a little. But in no practical sense is it “bullet proof” against the kinds of bullets a trooper is likely to face.
> As to current Russian practice, I have no clue.
Since we’re nitpicking, let’s be clear about it. Modern body armor issued to the US Military will stop M2 AP armor piercing 30-06 (7.62 x 63) ammunition containing a steel or tungsten penetrator. That is a serious round well beyond what the enemy commonly uses or even what a soldier is likely to come up against unless engaged by specialized snipers. Nothing is “bullet-proof” as you mention. A round can easily impact a part of the body that is not protected by the vest. But the ESAPI plates inside the armor cover a majority of the front, back and sides of the Soldier and they _will_ stop serious small arms fire, not just shrapnel.
Previous versions were only rated to stop M80 Ball (7.62x51, non armor piercing) ammunition. That is still a formidable round when the enemy is mostly using 7.62x39 Ball ammo.
Body armor issued before _that_ more closely resembles your description. But it hasn’t been used for several decades. Even in Somalia, soldiers wore RBA which was rated to stop .30 Cal Ball ammunition.
The soft portion of the armor is only equal to an NIJ Level IIIa rating which will not stop rifle rounds, but it isn’t fair to say that the vest cannot stop rounds without the plates, because it is not designed or intended to be worn without the plates.
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/4 "2014-10-06T15:13:01Z")
According to several sources, not only does Russia issue modern body armor but they are developing something more advanced for 2015. Here are some links for further reading:
> **[Russia Upgrades Soldiers' Standard Combat Gear](https://www.military.com/kitup/2014/02/russia-upgrades-soldiers-standard.html)**
>
> The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian soldiers will be outfitted this summer with an ensemble of futuristic gear including firearms, body armor, communications equipment and other technologies, according to the Russian news service Ria Novosti.
> **[Tactical advantage: Russian military shows off impressive new gear](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/20/tactical-advantage-russian-military-shows-off-impr/)**
>
> Elite Russian troops are displaying a new arsenal of body armor, individual weapons, armor-piercing ammunition and collar radios — a menu of essential gear that gives them a big tactical advantage against a lesser-equipped Ukrainian army.
> **[Russian Nano-Armor Coming in 2015 for Future Soldier ‘Warrior Suit’, and...](https://defensereview.com/russian-nano-armor-coming-in-2015-and-russian-spetsnaz-military-special-forces-already-running-improved-6b43-composite-hard-armor-plates-new-plate-carriers-ak-riflecarbines-gm-94-grenade-launch/)**
>
> By David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com The following article is property of DefenseReview.com (DR) and is copyrighted material. If you are reading this article on another website other than DefenseReview.com, please email us the website...
> **[Russian Military to Receive Nano-Armor by 2015 - Report](https://sputnikglobe.com/20130813/Russian-Military-to-Receive-Nano-Armor-by-2015---Report-182733426.html)**
>
> A Russian company is developing nanotechnology that would allow production of light-weight ceramic armor for the military and police as early as by the end of 2015, the Izvestia newspaper said Tuesday.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/5 "2014-10-06T15:18:46Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#):
>
> Since we’re nitpicking, let’s be clear about it. …
Thanks for the updated education. I knew the stuff was pretty good with the plates installed, but I was under the impression many folks didn’t wear the plates in many circumstances. And as I understood it the unplated gear was OK against pistols and shrapnel and that was about it.
Thanks again.
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/6 "2014-10-06T16:18:13Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Thanks for the updated education.
That’s what we’re all here for!
> [@](#):
>
> I knew the stuff was pretty good with the plates installed, but I was under the impression many folks didn’t wear the plates in many circumstances.
This is strictly forbidden. Leaders would be relieved if their Soldiers were operating without plates. Side plates are optional though.
> [@](#):
>
> And as I understood it the unplated gear was OK against pistols and shrapnel and that was about it.
A bit more than okay. It will stop every common handgun round. The soft portion is tested to withstand the following: “.357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets with a specified mass of 8.1 g (125 gr) and a velocity of 448 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1470ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and with .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets with a specified mass of 15.6 g (240 gr) and a velocity of 436 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s)” (US Department of Justice Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, 2008)
pdf: [Redirect Notice](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncjrs.gov%2Fpdffiles1%2Fnij%2F223054.pdf&ei=wb0yVKTANsn-igLi8YCQDA&usg=AFQjCNHe-bJh0WrJN7WA6h4GUEIn1_sxLw&sig2=sdBSX_h7WmJ9CHAfy2gxZg&bvm=bv.76802529,d.cGE) It will stop even more than that, but that gives you an idea of the performance criteria. That isn’t even the point at which something penetrates, either. To test the armor, it is placed against a clay block. After impact, the crater left in the clay behind the vest is measured. There is a certain allowable depth for the crater to be considered a pass. So a hotter round, or a different bullet altogether could still fail to penetrate, but might cause too big of a dimple in the clay which translates to blunt trauma in the person wearing it. But that’s just blunt trauma, not a penetrating gun shot round. The vests are top of the line, state of the art and far superior than flak vests of the past!
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/7 "2014-10-06T17:10:10Z")
They’re also the reason there have been far fewer U.S. servicemembers have been killed in combat over the past decade than in similar conflicts in the past.
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/8 "2014-10-06T17:38:46Z")
I don’t know if this is correct, but I’ve heard that body armor is increasing the number of veterans who are missing limbs. The armor is not causing it per se. It’s just that the armor is helping more soldiers to survive attacks like IEDs that tend to remove limbs.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/9 "2014-10-06T18:19:39Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> They’re also the reason there have been far fewer U.S. servicemembers have been killed in combat over the past decade than in similar conflicts in the past.
I’m sure Bear has more stories but I know a guy who took an AK round to the chest while clearing a room and just walked away a little sore. Those plates really do work. Once anyway. But they modern body armor has cut down on individual maneuverability by quite a lot.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/10 "2014-10-06T18:55:48Z")
My cousin’s stepson was taken down (but not out, so to speak) in Iraq by a bullet to the leg. So I guess snipers are told not to make torso shots.
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### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/11 "2014-10-06T19:11:01Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> My cousin’s stepson was taken down (but not out, so to speak) in Iraq by a bullet to the leg. So I guess snipers are told not to make torso shots.
Would make a certain kind of sense, kinda like not firing small anti-tank weapons at the front armor of a tank of you have the option of side or rear shots.
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### Author:  [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/12 "2014-10-06T19:27:41Z")
Few people can shoot to that fine degree of judgement in the heat of action, especially when presented with a fleeting target.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/13 "2014-10-06T19:29:00Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> My cousin’s stepson was taken down (but not out, so to speak) in Iraq by a bullet to the leg. So I guess snipers are told not to make torso shots.
Or more likely he was aiming at the head of the guy next to him. The Iraqi insurgents were notoriously bad shots.
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### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/14 "2014-10-06T19:54:01Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#):
>
> This is strictly forbidden. Leaders would be relieved if their Soldiers were operating without plates.
It took me a minute to realize that “relieved” here means “fired” and not “reassured, grateful, relaxed”. I had this image of a higher-up getting a casualty report and saying, “Phew, thank god they didn’t wear the full armor.”
Carry on.
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### Author:  [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/15 "2014-10-06T19:58:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Terminology nitpick / education: Nobody, not even the US, issues troops “bullet proof vests.” Troops are issued “body armor.” Body armor stops some / most shrapnel. And attenuates most bullets at least a little. But in no practical sense is it “bullet proof” against the kinds of bullets a trooper is likely to face.
>
> As to current Russian practice, I have no clue.
Yes I am aware it is called body armor, I thought I would say bullet proof vest so more people knew what I was talking about. If russia gives it’s army body armor how come most of the troops seen in combat are not wearing it?
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/16 "2014-10-06T20:13:51Z")
> [@Bayard](#):
>
> It took me a minute to realize that “relieved” here means “fired” and not “reassured, grateful, relaxed”. I had this image of a higher-up getting a casualty report and saying, “Phew, thank god they didn’t wear the full armor.”
>
> Carry on.
Sometimes it’s hard to translate from Army into English. How can you survive with so few acronyms?
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/17 "2014-10-07T03:17:38Z")
When did it become fashionable to capitalize the word “soldier”? It’s not a proper noun.
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/18 "2014-10-07T03:23:45Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> When did it become fashionable to capitalize the word “soldier”? It’s not a proper noun.
When people in the US army branch saw that the Marines got mileage out of it, status and budget-wise.
The 75th Rangers do it too.
Ordinary soldiers don’t feel special enough, even after Shinseki gave them their black beret which was supposed to make them feel all special forces-y, so they have to capitalize to turn “soldier” into a proper noun.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/19 "2014-10-07T06:51:01Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#):
>
> Few people can shoot to that fine degree of judgement in the heat of action, especially when presented with a fleeting target.
True, but people laying in ambush have the privilege of having the time to pick their targets and aim at the part they want to shoot at before the balloon goes up.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-russian-army-give-bullet-proof-vests-to-its-army/700533/20 "2014-10-07T06:53:48Z")
> [@sara20](#):
>
> Yes I am aware it is called body armor, I thought I would say bullet proof vest so more people knew what I was talking about. If russia gives it’s army body armor how come most of the troops seen in combat are not wearing it?
We had flak jackets. They were hot, heavy, and uncomfortable.
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