Kestrel Tactical Armor

Kestrel Tactical Armor, formally known as Personal Body Armor, Ballistic Plate, Kestrel Tactical Armor, is a combat armor system that combines conventional ballistics vest material with exterior poly-ceramic trauma plates.

Design
The armor consists of several layers, some of which include a ballistic shock-absorbing gel layer and a heat reduction gel layer to help reduce velocity and felt shock from ballistics, shrapnel, and explosives.

The armor is donned by pulling the vest down over the user's head, then affixing the pauldron and waist pieces. The armor also includes several attachment points for the addition of modular pouches and accessories.

Features
The Kestrel Tactical Armor is designed to take the weight off of the wearer's shoulders and evenly distribute it across the torso. It is equipped with an inner layer of mesh designed to improve airflow inside the armor.

The ballistic plate can withstand impacts from up to 7.62mm rounds, and has proven somewhat resistant to armor-piercing rounds as well. The soft kevlar beneath the plates alone can protect against small arms fire up to .45 caliber.

Disadvantages
The Kestrel Tactical Armor, though highly resistant to ballistics damage, is only used in high-risk heavy-resistance situations, as the armor is particularly heavy, weighing in at just over 18 kg. Also, being primarily constructed of hard poly-ceramic plates, the armor is rigid and restricts the movement of its wearer.