CBA

Mk 1 Combat Body Armor

Origin: United Kingdom

Developed: 1990s

In service: 1991-2006

Wars: Gulf War (Operation Granby), War in Afghanistan (Op Veritas, Op Herrick),                 Iraq War (Op Telic)

Patterns: '85 pattern DPM, Desert DPM

Replacement: Mk 1 Osprey Body Armor

Above: Mark 1 lightweight Combat Body Armor in DPM and DDPM.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the British Army looked into the possibility of a new design for body armor that would offer better protection against fragmentation. In the early 1970s, soon after the Army started Operation Banner, its three-decade-long deployment to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, soldiers there were issued American-made M69 flak jackets, which had seen use in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. These saw use for about a decade until the late '70s and early '80s, when they were replaced by the 1979 pattern body armor, an updated version of the M1952 vest. Issue of the Improved Northern Ireland Body Armor started in the mid-late 80s, with the vest, made out of kevlar and containing two ceramic plates, typically worn concealed beneath the soldier's DPM smock. However, it would only see limited issue as the flak vests for soldiers in Northern Ireland were replaced by a set meant for wear by all soldiers. 

Research showed that around 75% of injuries were caused by fragments; the Army would then develop Combat Body Armor, made with Kevlar filler to reduce severe wounds. Combat Body Armor (CBA) was introduced in 1991 for general use, just prior to the Gulf War and initial models were made in woodland DPM. Shortly before the UK began its participation in the conflict, thousands of sets of body armor were quickly rushed to the Middle East, and covers in the Desert DPM pattern (DDPM) were made. Combat Body Armor consisted of a sleeveless vest made with kevlar lining with two large pockets on the front, secured by velcro and running through plastic loops. The ballistic plates were made from ceramic tile and were located in the front and rear pockets, the one on the front being secured by two velcro strips and a zipper and the one on the back being stitched onto the vest itself. While it was effective at stopping fragments, it had zero protection against bullets. Below the label inside of the vest was a velcro opening for removing the filler. Soldiers that took part in Operation Granby typically wore their 1990 pattern Personal Load-Carrying Equipment (PLCE) over the vest in combat.

Enhanced Combat Body Armor (ECBA) was introduced immediately after the Gulf War, developed as a result of concerns that the wearer's heart would not be adequately protected. The design was overall very similar to the original version, but ceramic plates that could better withstand projectiles were made available in place of the ballistic filler. The ECBA system completely replaced the older CBA by the late 1990s, and had become standard issue when the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) began, first seeing widespread use during the intervention in Sierra Leone. Two months after 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan, and the UK would join American forces in toppling the Taliban government there. Initial operations in Afghanistan commenced with Operation Veritas, which lasted for a year until Operation Herrick began as part of the counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban. In 2003, coalition forces invaded Iraq and the Army initiated Operation Telic with 46,000 soldiers taking part. A mix of PLCE webbing and the Load Carrying Tactical Vest with MOLLE webbing were worn over the vest in Afghanistan and Iraq. Beginning in 2006, ECBA started to be replaced by the Osprey Body Armor system, which used hard armor plates that could stop bullets in their tracks. The older equipment in DDPM and DPM camo, including CBA and the Osprey system, would remain in service through to the early 2010s until it and the no.8 smock and Mk 6 helmet were replaced altogether by new versions in the Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP).