New Delhi: A bulletproof jacket is meant to stand between life and death. In Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare's final moments, the loose and ill-fitting jacket proved to be no match for the terrorist's fire. Karkare's loose fitting and sub-standard bulletproof jacket shocked the nation but sadly security personnel engaged in counter insurgency operations across the country are in no better shape.
CNN-IBN has access to copies of letters written by the Rashtriya Rifles and HQ 16 Corps dating as far back as 2004 in which soldiers have complained that the jackets are heavy, cumbersome and sag towards the front.
Even with the protective gear the Army says it has suffered fatal casualties. Twenty eight per cent men died taking shots in the chest region, 11 per cent in the head and almost 14 per cent died because their face and neck region was exposed.
The design of the old jackets is part of the problem. Add to it that most of the bulletproof jackets are more than 15 years old and weigh about 10 kg. It is in sharp contrast to the ones which are available in the market and weigh about 6 kg giving a high level of protection.
Former Army Chief General (Retd) VP Malik said, "We face a 40 to 50 per cent shortage in a non-technical item like the bulletproof jacket. These delays are merely on account of the procedures."
In 1998 the Army first put out a requirement for bulletproof jackets it was looking at protection from weapons like a 9 mm carbine. That requirement or what is called a General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) in technical parlance was modified in 2001 to include further upgradations. The 1998 GSQR included protection from 7.62 mm at 50 metres and 9 mm Carbine at 5 metres. This was later upgraded to protection from 9 mm Carbine from 10 metres and 7.62 mm AK-47 from 15 metres in 2001.
Now, eight years later in the light of fresh threat perceptions and a more lethal enemy weapon, the Army is thinking afresh.
The procedure is such that even if the Army was to make up its mind tomorrow and due processes followed, it could be years before the solider on the ground gets to wear it.
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