U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket - New protective blanket for explosive entries
by Eugene Nielsen
Courtesy of “S.W.A.T.” Magazine and US Armor, Inc.
Explosive entry capabilities have become necessary for many tactical teams. Faced with an increasing number of heavily fortified drug houses and more widespread use of booby traps by suspects, an increasing number of law enforcement agencies are incorporating explosive entry into their tactical tool box. When employed by properly trained and qualified operators, explosives are safe, reliable and effective. Aside from being an often essential breaching tool, explosive entry provides a tremendous shock effect, making it of great utility in many hostage rescue situations. To maximize the shock effects, explosive entry is often employed in conjunction with pyrotechnic distraction devices, chemical agents and specialty shotgun munitions in a mixed-shock technique, a technique that’s referred to as “programmed assault dynamics.” In an explosive entry, surprise is achieved at the time of detonation/breaching. Any delay from the time of breaching to entry will reduce the tactical effectiveness of the entry team. Safety concerns will dictate the distance from the breaching charge that the entry team is stacked. Increasing the distance from the point of entry will increase the time from breaching to entry. Obviously, it is desirable to have the entry team stacked as closely to the breaching charge as safety will permit. The Breacher Blanket
U.S. Armor has recently introduced a new means of protection, the Breacher Blanket, that allows operators to safely stand next to a door or window while it’s being breached, thus reducing the time from breaching to entry. The Breacher Blanket has been designed and field-tested in actual “live” dynamic entry environments by recognized experts from the US law enforcement beaching community.
Designed for ease of use, the Breacher Blanket is a lightweight, portable means of multi-purpose protection that can be easily carried and deployed by a single operator. It can also be used as an expedient stretcher in an emergency, with enough room to allow 6 persons to carry a wounded individual. Measuring a nominal 78" high and 32" wide, the U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket has an average weight of just under 15 lbs. The blanket folds easily for compact storage.
The ballistic panels of the U.S. Armor U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket are manufactured from multiple layers of air-entangled DuPont Kevlar aramid fabric. The ballistic panels are contained in a black, coated fire-retardant polyester outershell with reinforced stitching.
The outershell has reinforced ambidextrous forearm and handgrips on each end for rapid “no mistakes” deployment. Reinforced strap handles on all sides allow the blanket to be used as a litter. The outershell has durable Cordura strips on the top and bottom for added protection from wear. Channels at each end of the outershell allow the insertion of optional PVC stiffeners to provide rigidity to the blanket when it’s deployed. Large Velcro patches on both the top and bottom of the blast-face side allow the attachment of an agency logo or a generic identification patch, such as POLICE or SHERIFF. There are no metal snaps, zippers or parts to frag, spark or fail. Stiffening has been added to the top and bottom of the U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket to overcome problems with blow-back that became apparent during testing of the initial prototype. Blow-back occurs as a result of the blast wave from the detonation arriving before the frag wave. The blast wave hits the frag wave, causing the frag wave to curve around the blanket. The stiffening is designed to prevent this from occurring. The Breacher Blanket is durably constructed. The outershell is completely waterproof. The outershell seals the ballistic panels from the environment, allowing the Breacher Blanket to be used in all climatic conditions. The outershell is easily cleaned with warm, soapy water.
Protection from Fragmentation
The Breacher Blanket will provide fragmentation protection only. According to U.S. Armor, the Breacher Blanket will provide protection from fragmentation exceeding a V50 of 450 meters per second (m/s). V50 is a statistical test that was originally developed by the US military (MIL-STD662E) to evaluate armor used to protect vehicles. The V50 test tells researchers at what velocity (V) a specific projectile has a 50% probability (50) of complete or partial penetration a given piece of armor.
V50 testing is utilized primarily by manufacturers during the design phase of armor development to optimize the design of the armor for both ballistic protection and weight and or wearability. V50 testing is accomplished by firing a specific projectile at a sample of the armor at a velocity that has been determined to be just below that required for penetration. The velocity of successive shots is increased by small increments until penetration occurs. The velocity is then adjusted until half of the shots fired penetrate the sample and half don’t. The average velocity of the last few shots fired is the V50 number for the specific projectile and armor sample.
U.S. Armor performs all V50 testing using a standard 17-grain fragment, in accordance with NATO standards (STANAG 9290). Different methods are used by different manufacturers to determine the V50 for their armor. The number of shots fired also differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. Because manufacturers have developed their own V50 standards and procedures, V50 numbers cannot necessarily be used to compare the level of protection provided by one manufacturer’s product to another manufacturer’s product.
Protection from Blast Pressure
The U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket also acts as a shield from blast pressure. The standard safety rule-of-thumb for personnel engaged in explosive breaching operations is that if you have an unobstructed (unprotected) view of the charge, the charge and its effects have a view of you. The use of some sort of protective shield from the blast pressure is essential when engaged in explosive breaching operations. Standard rigid ballistic entry shields are commonly employed for this purpose but the coverage that they provide is limited. Standard ballistic entry shields don’t provide the degree of coverage provided by the U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket.
The US Army has conducted studies on the effects of short duration blast pressure on unprotected individuals. A peak blast pressure of only 5 pounds per square inch (psi) can produce eardrum rupture, although the chances of this occurring at this pressure are in reality very slight. At 15 psi there’s a 50% chance of eardrum rupture. At 30 to 40 psi there’s a chance of lung damage. Pressures higher than these may be potentially fatal. It should be noted that the pressures given reflect the highest incident, dynamic and reflected pressures.
When considering the potential effects of blast pressure, the distance from the charge needs to be factored in. The air is an inefficient mechanism for transmitting blast impulses. Blast pressure drops dramatically when traveling through the air, the drop being proportional to the inverse of the cube of the distance. However, if the pressure wave is near a solid barrier, such as a wall, the pressure wave exerted at the reflecting surface may be many times that of the incident wave.
Warranty
The U.S. Armor Breach Blanket is made in the U.S.A., providing faster delivery and servicing. The ballistic panels of the Breacher Blanket are warranted to be free of defects and materials for a period of 5 years from the date of manufacturer, as shown on the label. The outershell is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 18 months from the date of purchase. The warranty on the outershell is terminated if it has been abused or the laundry instructions aren’t followed.
Conclusion
The U.S. Armor Breacher Blanket is an innovative, much needed product. A great deal of thought obviously went into its design. According to Georg Olsen, General Manager of U.S. Armor, the Breacher Blanket evolved over several years, as the result of extensive field testing and the input of operators. If you engage in explosive entry operations, you should definitely give U.S. Armor a call and take a look at the Breacher Blanket.
SOURCE:
U.S. Armor, Inc.
11843 Smith Avenue
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670-0327
(562) 949-1737
www.usarmor.com
Eugene S. Nielsen
P.O. Box 6427
Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-6427
Tel. 805-492-0720
All Rights - Copyright 2001 - Eugene Nielsen