Lightweight armour occupies defence sector

Have you ever complained at having to walk to work in summer in a suit and tie, carrying a moderately heavy bag with your laptop and a few files?

Imagine what life is like for a soldier, marching for hours on end through desert in countries such as Iraq, in blistering temperatures of 60˚C or higher.

Just to keep moving in this heat must be almost unbearable, but you also have to carry equipment such as a heavy weapon and ammunition, a radio and batteries, and your water.

To make matters even worse, you are wearing a heavy helmet and body armour designed to keep you safe from ballistic impact, which add even more weight to your load.

To reduce the burden on infantry soldiers, the Ministry of Defence recently announced it will be introducing a new body armour system, known as Virtus, to replace the existing Osprey system.