Armor plating on Humvees would seem to have no drawbacks, but in fact, overheating becomes an issue for the soldiers riding inside. In the Iraqi sun, Humvee interior temperatures can apparently rise to 130 degrees. In response, the US Army is testing cooling vests for those stationed in Iraq:
…The vests are worn under body armor and a hose from each vest is plugged into the Humvee’s on-board air-conditioning system. Liquid from the vehicle’s AC system circulates through the vest, cooling its wearer…
…Each Humvee cooling kit consists of four water-filled vests known as Air Warrior Microclimatic Cooling Garments or MCGs. Fungicide-treated water is chilled by the AC system in the Humvee and circulated through the garment
A rapid-release system allows Soldiers to quickly disconnect the hoses so they can jump out of the vehicle and keep the vests on.
We’ve known some surgeons who use cooling vests for long hours under the hot lamps in the OR… but this sounds like a leap forward in terms of mobility and miniturization. The soldiers are very pleased with them and are reportedly asking for more (as well as more armor…)
Via Engadget…