Ranger Body Armor (RBA) is a US military-issue ballistic vest that was designed for, and used chiefly by, US Army 75th Ranger Regiment operators ("Rangers") in the 1990s and 2000s. The RBA system has since been replaced by other specialized body armor systems adopted by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Front and rear view of the Ranger Body Armor (RBA) made by Protective Materials Company in October 2003
Front and rear Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) plates of the Ranger Body Armor PS-930 that offer protection against Caliber .30, Ball
Detail of the label of the Ranger Body Armor PS-930 - dated October 2003
A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armour that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso by firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. The vest may come in a soft form, as worn by many police officers, prison officers, security guards, and some private citizens, used to protect against stabbing attacks or light projectiles, or hard form, using metallic or para-aramid components. Soldiers and police tactical units wear hard armour, either in conjunction with soft armour or alone, to protect against rifle ammunition or fragmentation.
The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) in MultiCam, as issued to United States Army soldiers
Ned Kelly's ploughboard ballistic suit
Test of a 1901 vest designed by Jan Szczepanik, in which a 7 mm revolver is fired at a person wearing the vest
World War I German Infanterie-Panzer, 1917