PBPV-II-AAF Body Armor...Is it RBA ?

[summersdogs]

Hello to all,

 

I've just finished reading the "Ranger Body Armor" thread in the Reference->Protective Clothing->

Holding/Sorting Area and didn't see the acronym "PBPV-II-AAF" mentioned. So can anyone tell

me anything about our vest ? There are no hard plates with it although there are inside pockets

front and rear for plates. The vest label itself isn't readable on the bottom where the manufacturing

info is located but you can still see most of "PBPV-II-AAF". I've included a photo of the label on the

groin protector ballistic insert which matches the vest label. Mfg date on this item, as well as the front

and back soft ballistic inserts in the vest, is 01/98. Can't figure why there is a strip of velcro around the

inside of the neck area (not comfy, I'll bet) unless this was for a ballistic neck protector like the

Interceptor vests have.

 

Thanks,

Lynne

[P-E]

Hello to all,

 

I've just finished reading the "Ranger Body Armor" thread in the Reference->Protective Clothing->

Holding/Sorting Area and didn't see the acronym "PBPV-II-AAF" mentioned. So can anyone tell

me anything about our vest ? There are no hard plates with it although there are inside pockets

front and rear for plates. The vest label itself isn't readable on the bottom where the manufacturing

info is located but you can still see most of "PBPV-II-AAF". I've included a photo of the label on the

groin protector ballistic insert which matches the vest label. Mfg date on this item, as well as the front

and back soft ballistic inserts in the vest, is 01/98. Can't figure why there is a strip of velcro around the

inside of the neck area (not comfy, I'll bet) unless this was for a ballistic neck protector like the

Interceptor vests have.

 

Thanks,

Lynne

 

Hello,

 

yes, i write my article about the Ranger Body Armor but you've right, there's some derivated models. The vest you have, the PBPV-II-AAV, is a current model inspired from the RBA, like Spear and Balcs body armor. It's made by Point Blank (and not ceradyne as Spear and Balcs).

 

In fact, there's official models of body armor (as by example IBA, RBA,...) and a big quantity of private purchase body armor. It's difficult to find some informations about all variants of them, specialy because they were used by "non-conventionnal forces".

 

Sgt. Amber Johnson, a psychological operations non-commissioned officer assigned to 6th PSYOP battalion, helps Tateanna Lyerly try on an Individual Body Armor (IBA) vest during military day at Camp Rockfish Operation Purple. Lyerly quickly came to the conclusion that it was “too hot” and “too heavy” to wear the vest in the 96 degree heat. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Andrea M. Candlish, 4th POG PAO)

 

 

 

 

This body armor was principaly used by psychological operations troops.

 

You have some chance to find one, I search it from years for my collection of body armor...

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

P-E

[summersdogs]

Hello, P-E. Thank you so much for the great information and the photos. Although we aren't collectors of this type item, it will be a nice display item in our store for a while. Coincidentally, my husband was an instructor in the PsyWar School at JFK Center at Ft. Bragg - but well before the 1990s. (We're both old people. :yucky: )

 

Lynne

[JKin]

Here are some pics of my desert camo PBPV (dated 11/96)

 

 

 

 

 

Pouches located under the cummerbund (4 total, 2 on each side). Each pocket can hold two M4 mags, or a PRC 148 MBITR.

 

 

Armored shoulder pads

 

That ring of black velcro around the top is for a collar attachment. There are two types of this vest. There is the one that I just posted which is the earlier model. It has velcro on the front, pouches under the cummerbund, velcro and parachute harness webbing sewn onto the back, two snap loops on the top of the front and back. A pouch panel was made for this version.

 

 

From what I understand, those pouches are modular, and may use a velcro/snap attachment system. On the front portion of the pouch panel, there are 3 double M4 mag pouches, 4 frag pouches, and apparently 3 smaller pouches, likely for surefire handheld lights, multitools, chemlights and pistol mags. On the back panel, there is a radio pouch, 4 flashbang pouches, NVG pouch and medical pouch. Im not really sure who made the pouch panel, but it might have been AWS. This pattern of the PBPV was made for direct action missions/CQB/urban combat. The AWS DA trauma armor came out later and resembles this.

 

The second version is the one posted above by P-E. They omitted all the features I described above. Its a bit more streamlined, probably better if you want to wear a vest or chest rig over it.

[JKin]

Sorry for the double post, but here are some additional pics that I wasnt able to put into my previous post.

 

These vests were used often used by SF and CAG guys back in the day.

 

http://www.specwargear.com/images/armor&am...20armor%203.jpg

 

 

(external cummerbund removed)

 

 

(display at Dayton Air Force Museum. The manequin on the right has a PBPV II with AWS load bearing vest)

[Nkomo]

Very cool information, guys.

[P-E]

Thanks for all pictures of desert model. Is that possible you add a picture of the label ?

 

And there's another version of the desert, without the 4 pouches for M16 magazine ;

 

 

(picture from http://strykersurplus.wordpress.com/).

 

And here's bad quality pictures of the woodland version (with pouches for M16 magazine, the same than yours, but in woodland) ;

 

 

[P-E]

And the last one, the woodland PBPV without pouches for M16 magazine ;

 

http://www.specwargear.com/images/armor&am...20armor%201.jpg

 

(From : http://www.specwargear.com/armor&vest.html)

 

PS : Sorry, I see the picture have a problem and I can't insert it directly. You've to open the link to see it. Sorry about that.

[JKin]

P-E, that desert camo one that you just posted is the same version as mine. It originally had all those features, but the guy who used it removed the pouches and snap loops.

 

And that woodland one from specwargear is also the same version, but again, the guy probably removed the pouches that go under the cummerbund.

 

Removing parts to the PBPVs were pretty common. A lot of used vests have that done to them. I think that the pouches werent that popular, because the fastex buckle/strap retention was kinda crude and they were hard to undo and fully access with the external elastic cummerbund attached.

[Mercenary25]

Hey y'all! I'm interested in buying one of PBPVs with soft inserts. Not necessary to have hard plates. Know where I can find one? Thanks in advance.

[JKin]

On occasion they come around on ebay. For the most part they are very rare. I see them come around here and there on gear forum sale pages.

 

I would suggest checking out this guy's blog and sending him an email.

http://strykersurplus.wordpress.com/

 

He is on ebay and gets them every now and them. Back in November he had a couple modified woodland camo ones that he offered to me. If you can arrange a private deal with him, his prices are generally pretty reasonable.

[1965econoline]

Looks a lot like the AirSave body armor I wore the first time I was in Iraq... front Sapi plate would always fall out of the pouch if you bent over without Airsave vest on...

 

 

 

 

 

Hello to all,

 

I've just finished reading the "Ranger Body Armor" thread in the Reference->Protective Clothing->

Holding/Sorting Area and didn't see the acronym "PBPV-II-AAF" mentioned. So can anyone tell

me anything about our vest ? There are no hard plates with it although there are inside pockets

front and rear for plates. The vest label itself isn't readable on the bottom where the manufacturing

info is located but you can still see most of "PBPV-II-AAF". I've included a photo of the label on the

groin protector ballistic insert which matches the vest label. Mfg date on this item, as well as the front

and back soft ballistic inserts in the vest, is 01/98. Can't figure why there is a strip of velcro around the

inside of the neck area (not comfy, I'll bet) unless this was for a ballistic neck protector like the

Interceptor vests have.

 

Thanks,

Lynne

[Nkomo]

I know this an old post, but thought I'd add a photo of one of my modified PBPV II vests.

 

This is a tan spray painted PBPV II with a London Bridge Trading Company Assault Panel. This particualr set up was popular with AFSOC (CCT/JTAC) personnel.

[Nkomo]

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