Not talking about concealable body armor. I'm talking about those of you who go into work in high-threat environments (military, PSC's, SWAT, ect.).

It seems like everywhere I look now plate carriers are all the rage. Some opt for side plates, some don't. But it seems the days of combination soft/hard armor have gone by the wayside.

Any input from those working in these fields, please chime in. I've been out of the military for a while now, and the last thing I remember was an Interceptor OTV with sideplates and Kevlar galore.

For stationary assignments or for running a convoy through contested area, I believe soft armor still has its place.  In addition to hard plates the soft armor just provides more coverage.   For humping in the mountains, you gotta trade protection for mobility.

My personal rule of saying FUCK THAT. PC over concealable? Sure. PC over IBA? Nope. No way.

Yeah...no.

Plenty of other great hard/soft armor integration solutions.

You must ask yourself what threats you will be facing. Threat assessment. There is no one answer.

To answer your question on the SWAT side of things (I'm a Medic for the PD's team) we are using IIIA BALCS style vests with level IV plates so soft armor is still very much in. Not much in the way of humping mountains or through deserts around here.

I know of a few guys in other specialty teams that are using the Mayflower LPAAC with or without plates.

Military is adding armor for static/mounted stuff and subtracting it for guys who work on foot. Some SWAT teams are overarmored lately--too many doodads in the bosses copy of the catalog I guess.

With more likelihood of seeing a dipshit shooting at you with a rifle, rather than a pistol, that pretty much kills a lot of entry team's use of soft.  Or at least the ones I know.

I think we see the lack of soft armor overseas in use with our troops is because everyone and their mother there has an AK and you'll probably have a greater chance of begin shot with that versus a handgun. And humping over terrain with all that just heats you up and adds bulk.

Now in CONUS, where it seems like everyone and their mother has a handgun (especially those not-so-savory folks), soft armor should definitely be considered.

Like what everyone says, your mission drives the gear. And the threats you will be facing.

RAF, if you look carefully at the very last line I wrote, you will find "at least the ones I know".  This is drawn off of the fact, of the last 3 swat/officer entries that I was involved in as a medic, that I got to see the aftermath.  Dipshit 1, Mosin nagant vs. 2 rounds out of a Benelli.  Dipshit 2, AR vs. AR, officer fired 15 rounds in about 3 seconds scoring 13 hits.  Talk about some impressive carnage!  I've seen a lot of shootings in the last 20 years, but that one took the freaking cake!  Dipshit 3, AR vs. 2 AR's.  In the end, 2 officers were wounded, none killed.  All three dipshits are worm dirt.  

This isn't 1986.  This is a time, that there are a LOT of rifles  out there.  These are in hands of good guys and bad guys, as I am sure we all know.  As far as your "stats", I would only offer a little common sense, and what I have personally seen.

My post was directly in reference to entry teams.  I am still of the fact that going in to somebody elses home turf, there will be a better chance of finding long guns in the fight.  Traffic stops?  Much different story.

Everybody wants to look like they are in Afghanistan, and still sleep in their own bed.

The question isn't whether plates make sense, we know the answer to that. The question rather is, should plated have kevlar between them?

And not have people shooting at them.  

Probably a lot of truth there.  LOL

I think a long time ago, (maybe still, just haven't seen any in a long time), they used to have some lighter plates that could be put into the front of soft armor.  I don;t think they were near what we have now, but seems like a decent idea now.  

As for my guess?  I wouldn't ever wear both.  Seems like a good way to kill mobility, and get to put all of your armor to the test.

Armor under plates is still the norm. I have a concealable setup like that. I can wear it under a hoodie and only someone who LOOKED at me (which is rare) would notice. That's with SAPIs not light plates.

For police work I'd be inclined to wear something with good soft armor coverage due to the number of handguns and shotguns. For military work a kevlar cummerbund and plates is plenty.

Thanks for clarifying bro.  Good to know....may be something to look at.

Interceptor is same as we used in Iraq right?  Why not just put the plates it it like they should be?

Yes, before the IOTV. Idk I guess he's going for some scaleable idea. But raf, have you ever worn an interceptor for lengthy periods of time? It sucks, and under a plate carrier, would suck even more. If we are talking value and concealability, BALCS is down in price or you can pick up a used concealable vest. No real reason to go with the interceptor.

Its all about mobility vs protection.

Police seem to love plate carriers because they can keep it in their trunk and quickly toss it on over their concealed vest without doubling up on soft armor like a plate carrier would do. The SWAT ive seen training usually use Armor Carriers as they arent doing long hikes, arrive on location in vehicles and know there is a high probability of being shot so they tend to wear as many plates as possible with a cocoon of soft armor filling the voids.

If you spend a lot of time on your feet on a regular basis walking the mountains of Afghanistan you want your gear as light as possible. Most Infantry in the Army and Marines are still requires to wear armor carriers but some ditch the side plates and soft armor to reduce weight. For those in a vehicle weight is of little concern and are basically riding in a bullet and IED magnet so they want as much protection as possible.

So really the only people who actually wear armor for their job that have gone away from soft armor is the infantry and even then its not being encouraged by officers.

As for why plate carriers are so much more popular among civilians and most arfcom members i would guess a combination of the following...

1) Price. Plate carriers are usually cheaper than armor carriers, plus you dont need to buy side plates or the soft armor. You see a lot of plate carrier paired with dirt cheap AR500 plates.
2) Weight. Its lighter and more comfortable at the range, especially for people who arent in the best shape (Sorry arfcom but you know its true).
3) Swag. The latest high speed plate carrier from Crye that all of the special forces are using is way cooler than the IOTV the grunts are wearing.