Bomb suit

A bombsuit or Blast Suit is a heavy suit of personal armor designed to withstand the force released from a bomb. It is also sometimes referred to as a Demon suit due to the amount of people who are killed in the suit.

In contrast to ballistic armors, which primarily focus on protecting the torso and head, a bomb suit must protect all parts of the body equally, since a bomb's force always impacts the entire body.

Being a suit designed to withstand explosive force, it is very heavy, bulky and difficult to maneuver in. These drawbacks make it unsuitable for combat situations. However, they are often used by explosives experts while attempting bomb disposal.

EOD technicians wear Bomb Suits during reconnaissance, 'render safe' or disruption procedures on potential or confirmed explosive threats. Such suits must provide a tremendous degree of protection from fragmentation, blast overpressure, thermal and tertiary effects should the threat device detonate. At the same time the suit cannot significantly hinder their mobility or situational awareness.

Multiple threats

The threats posed by an Improvised Explosive Device, commonly known as an IED, can also include chemical or biological agents. This has led to significant advancements since 1999 in the design of bomb disposal suits and helmets. For example, a modern bomb suit may address both conventional blast threats and chemical/biological agents by incorporating a chemical protective undergarment and a helmet compatible with a Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

See also

• Body Armour

External links

• Development of a Bomb Suit Standard, U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center
• EOD/IEDD Personal Protective Equipment
• 360° view of a Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver wearing a bombsuit at DefenceJobs.gov.au

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army.