GAO Flunks Body Armor Tests

The standards by which the Army tests body armor received a failing grade last week.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The standards by which the Army tests body armor received a failing grade last week.

Congress’ chief investigators at the Government Accountability Office recommended that the new gear ought get a fresher look from an independent body.

So far, the Army has ordered 240,000 pieces of body armor plating, though its says the plates will be stored, not immediately issued to troops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Unnamed Defense Department officials told the Associated Press that while a few errors were detected during testing, the overall scope of the process is fine.

The Army has also rejected moves for independent reviews since it claims no soldiers had died in combat as a result of flaws in body armor.

The GAO suggested that Congress ought to push for reviews by private ballistics experts.

The leaders of the House Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee, however, have failed to say what would happen if Army Secretary John McHugh doesn’t comply with their urge for him to follow the GAO suggestions.