Xena Body Armor Inspires New Military Combat Gear

The United States will soon have an entire arm of Xena: Warrior Princesses. Xena’s body armor has inspired new combat gear for women in the US Military.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, the US Military has been working to improve its female armor and the latest idea was inspired by Xena’s body armor.

Lt. Col. Frank Lozano, who helps develop female body armor, said that female soldiers need different armor than men because of the shape of their bodies. Lozano also said that poor fitting armor is not only uncomfortable, it can also hinder their performance.

Lozano said:

“It rubbed on the hips, and the vests were too long in the front, so that when you had female soldiers climbing stairs or climbing up a hill or a tree, or sitting for a long time in a vehicle, that would create pressure points that in some instances could impact blood flow and cause some discomfort.”

A study in 2009 found showed that ill-fitting armor “affects combat effectiveness,” and “made it difficult for [women] to properly aim their weapons and enter or exit vehicles.”

Since then, the military has been working on improving the armor for its female soldiers. And now, with the help of Xena: The Warrior Princess, they may have the answer.

Lozano said:

“Some people would like to eventually make plates so it’s like ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and conforms to the shape…. It became clear to us that there was a difference in torso length… The other point that we realized is that there is a significant difference in shoulder width. I read this data, and it seems so obvious.”

Female soldiers can currently choose from 11-different sizes of male body-armor. The military is now testing 8 new sizes specially fitted for women. The feedback, so far, has been great.

Lozano said:

“They say, ‘I could wear this all day,’ ‘I could run a marathon in this,’ and ‘It feels much lighter,’ even though it really isn’t any lighter.”

Our military soldiers won’t be wearing short skits into battle, but Xena’s Body Armor has gotten the military thinking in a new direction. Would you like to see our female soldiers look more like Xena. Wouldn’t it be terrifying to see thousands of Xena: The Warrior Princesses charge down the battle field.