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Get plate carriers moving

Soldiers in Afghanistan were now to have begun receiving the first of 100,000 lightweight armor plate carriers — an alternative to the heavier, bulkier Improved Outer Tactical Vest.

The IOTV weighs 30 pounds; the new gear is supposed to cut that by half, enabling greater mobility in the rugged Afghanistan landscape and potentially reducing injuries caused by the heavy combat loads soldiers carry.

But the new gear still isn’t ready to go, and Army leaders either can’t or won’t explain why — or when — it will be.

What’s baffling is that this is not new gear. Program Executive Officer Soldier announced in May a plan to evaluate, select and field one of four such carriers in August.

One of the competing designs, Eagle Industries’ Modular Body Armor Vest, already is standard issue for Special Operations units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment. The Marine Corps has outfitted thousands of Marines with lightweight Eagle “scalable plate carriers” in Afghanistan since 2008.

Reviews from the field are positive. So what’s the holdup?

It could be that the Army is, once again, holding out for a perfect solution that may not be ready for years.

In the meantime, combat in Afghanistan is intensifying, with the past month being among the worst for American casualties there since the war begun. The Army needs to move ahead quickly with solutions to soldier requirements that are the best available now. there will be time and opportunity later to improve on those solutions, but soldiers should not be left to suffer while others seek perfection.

Troops in Afghanistan need a lightweight plate carrier now. And the Army should get it to them.