Modern Body Armor

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

I also see that people have started talking about foam armour again - I recall a lot of fuss about shear-thickening foam around the millennium and then it all went quiet again. Now metal foam seems to be the new great hope … but that may be something else. Anyone out there well informed?

From what I can find, there aren’t any body armors that are made of composite metal foam (CMF) on the market, so it’s not going to be available in Icelander’s campaign. A brief bit of research indicates roughly DR 36/in (a one-inch section passed NIJ IV testing), which isn’t that great. The weight is apparently 1/3rd that of RHA, and it’s stainless steel (which isn’t known for its protective value), so there’s that. It seems a better fit for vehicle (or building) armor than personal armor, and I suspect it may not do as well against impaling and cutting as it does against piercing, crushing, and burning.