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X-ray of Dragon Skin Body Armor

Dragon Skin is a type of ballistic vest first-produced by the now-defunct company Pinnacle Armor, and was subsequently manufactured by North American Development Group LLC.[1] The vest manufacturer claimed that it could absorb a high number of bullets because of its unique design involving circular discs that overlapped, similar to scale armor.[2]

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced in 2007 that the armor did not comply with the OJP's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 2005 Interim Requirements as a Level III armor system.[3][4][5] This failure to comply with safety standards and additional testing[6][7] led to the U.S. military to ban it from active use.[8]

Pinnacle Armor

[edit]

Pinnacle Armor was a United States-based armor manufacturing company. It was founded in 2000 and was based in Fresno, California. Pinnacle acquired the patent rights Dragon Skin from Armor Technology Corp in 2000.[9] In addition to Dragon Skin body armor, they also produced reinforced materials for use on vehicles and buildings, along with related training materials. Pinnacle began producing Dragon Skin in the 2000s[9] and the armor was available to military members, law enforcement, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), U.S. Secret Service personnel, and civilian contractors.[10][11] Pinnacle filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 3, 2010.[12]

Structure

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Dragon Skin armor is made of overlapping, two-inch wide high tensile strength[13] ceramic discs, composed of silicon carbide ceramic matrices and laminates, that overlap like scale armor, encased in a fiberglass textile.

Testing

[edit]

Television and internet

[edit]

In a test for the History Channel's military show, Future Weapons, the vest repelled nine rounds of steel-core ammunition from an AK-47 and 35 rounds of 9×19mm from a Heckler & Koch MP5A3, all fired into a 10 by 12 in (250 by 300 mm) area on the vest. On Test Lab, also on the History Channel, the vest withstood 120 rounds fired from a Type 56 (7.62×39mm) rifle and Heckler & Koch MP5 (9×19mm). In another demonstration on the Discovery Channel series Future Weapons, a Dragon Skin vest withstood numerous rounds (including steel core rounds) from an AK-47, a Heckler & Koch MP5SD, an M4 carbine (5.56×45mm), and a point-blank detonation of an M67 grenade. While the vest was heavily damaged (mainly by the grenade), there was no penetration of the armor.[citation needed]

In 2007, NBC News had independent ballistics testing conducted comparing Dragon Skin against Interceptor body armor. Retired four-star general Wayne A. Downing observed the tests and concluded that although the number of trials performed was limited, the Dragon Skin armor performed significantly better than Interceptor.[11] It was also featured on Time Warp on the Discovery Channel.[citation needed]

NBC also interviewed retired USMC Colonel James Magee, who was a developer of the Army's then-current Interceptor body armor, stated "Dragon Skin is the best out there, hands down. It's better than the Interceptor. It is state of the art. In some cases, it's two steps ahead of anything I've ever seen."[14]

The Defense Review website also published a positive article, noting that in their test and review of the Dragon Skin armor, they had found that it was "significantly superior in every combat-relevant way to U.S. Army PEO Soldier's and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC)/Soldier Systems Center's Interceptor Body Armor".[15]

In light of the May 2007 media investigations, senators Hillary Clinton and Jim Webb requested that Comptroller General of the United States David M. Walker initiate a Government Accountability Office investigation into the Army's body armor systems.[16]

After being confronted with conflicting information by lawmakers who questioned the NBC test results and Army-supplied data of vest failures from a May 2006 test, the technical expert solicited by NBC to certify its test rescinded his previous support of Dragon Skin and stated that the vests "weren't ready for prime time."[17]

Law enforcement

[edit]

In Fresno, California, a police department commissioned the purchase of Dragon Skin for its officers after a vest stopped all the bullets fired during a test, including .308 rounds from a rifle and 30 rounds from a 9mm MP5 fired from five feet away. The armor also stopped 40 rounds of PS-M1943 mild steel-core bullets from an AK-47 along with 200 9mm full metal jacket bullets fired from a submachine gun.[18]

Military testing

[edit]
External image
image icon Official Army Test Results[19]

Dragon Skin became the subject of controversy with the U.S. Army over testing it against its Interceptor body armor. The Army claimed Pinnacle's body armor was not proven effective. In test runs for the Air Force there were multiple failures to meet the claimed level of protection. This coupled with poor quality control (over 200 of the 380 vests delivered to USAF OSI were recalled due to improperly manufactured armor disks) and accusations of fraudulent claims of official NIJ rating (Pinnacle had not actually obtained the rating at the time of purchase) led to the termination of the USAF contract. Pinnacle attempted to appeal this decision, but courts found in favor of the USAF.[20]

Dragon Skin armor did not meet military standards when subjected to various environmental conditions, including: high (150 °F (66 °C)) and low (−60 °F (−51 °C)) temperature, diesel fuel, oil, and saltwater immersion, and a 14 hour temperature cycle from −25 to 120 °F (−32 to 49 °C)). Military testing revealed that the epoxy glue that held its disc plates together would come undone at high temperatures, causing the discs to delaminate and accumulate in the lower portion of the armor panel. This exposed significant portions of the armor, resulting in Dragon Skin vests suffering 13 first or second shot complete penetrations.[21]

On April 26, 2006 Pinnacle Armor issued a press release to address these claims and a product recall instigated by the United States Navy.[22] The company stated that although vests were returned due to a manufacturing issue, a test on the Dragon Skin Level III armor was conducted by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February 2006, which concluded that it "did not fail any written contract specifications" set forth by the Air Force,[22] which was further said by Pinnacle to require high ballistic performance due to the hostile environments in which AFOSI operates.[22]

The Pentagon stated that the test results were classified and neither side could agree to terms on another, more comprehensive test.[23]

On May 19, 2006 it was announced that the dispute had been resolved and the vests were going to be retested again by the Army to clear the dispute.[24] On May 20, 2006 it was announced by The Washington Post (and other newspapers) in an article titled "Potential Advance in Body Armor Fails Tests"[23] that the Dragon Skin vests had failed the retest according to their anonymous source. Official results of these tests were classified at the time but have since been released by the Army.

On June 6, 2006, Karl Masters, director of engineering for Program Manager - Soldier Equipment, said he recently supervised the retest and commented on it. "I was recently tasked by the army to conduct the test of the 30 Dragon Skin SOV-3000 level IV body armor purchased for T&E [tests and evaluation]," Masters wrote. "My day job is acting product manager for Interceptor Body Armor. I'm under a gag order until the test results make it up the chain. I will, however, offer an enlightened and informed recommendation to anyone considering purchasing an SOV-3000 Dragon Skin—don't. I do not recommend this design for use in an AOR with a 7.62×54R AP threat and an ambient temperature that could range to 49°C (120 F). I do, however, highly recommend this system for use by insurgents..."[25] In response to these claims, Pinnacle Armor released a press release on June 30, 2006.[26]

According to the Army, the vests failed because the extreme temperature tests caused the discs to dislodge, thus rendering the vest ineffective. Pinnacle Armor affirms that their products can withstand environmental tests in accordance with military standards, as does testing by the Aberdeen Test Center.[27]

In response to claims made by several U.S. senators, Dragon Skin and special interest groups, on Monday, May 21, 2007, the Army held a press conference where they released the results of the tests they claimed Dragon Skin failed.[28][29][30][31]

In April 2008, one of the Dragon Skin vests, with a serial number that identifies it as one of 30 vests bought by the Department of Defense for U.S. Army for testing in 2006, was listed and later bought from eBay. The seller, David Bronson, allegedly was connected to a U.S. Army testing facility. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the F.B.I. began investigating the matter in May 2008.[32] The buyer described the vest as having been shot at least 20 times, with not a single through-penetration.[33][32]

U.S. Army ban

[edit]

On March 30, 2006 the Army banned all privately purchased commercial body armor in theater. Army officials said the ban order was prompted by concerns that soldiers or their families were buying inadequate or untested commercial armor from private companies.[8] The Army ban refers specifically to Pinnacle's Dragon Skin armor saying that the company advertising implies that Dragon Skin "is superior in performance" to the Interceptor Body Armor the military issues to soldiers.[8] The United States Marine Corps has not issued a similar directive, but Marines are "encouraged to wear Marine Corps-issued body armor since this armor has been tested to meet fleet standards." NBC News learned that well after the Army ban, select elite forces assigned to protect generals and VIPs in Iraq and Afghanistan wore Dragon Skin.[11] General Peter W. Chiarelli made a statement that, "he never wore Dragon Skin but that some members of his staff did wear a lighter version of the banned armor on certain limited occasions, despite the Army ban."[11]

H.P. White Labs conducted tests on Dragon Skin in May 2006. Even under normal external and atmospheric conditions, model SOV 3000 Dragon Skin failed to stop the second impact of M2AP. Then when the other tests were run, SOV 3000 failed multiple times, with the exception of the Salt Water test.[7]

Certification and subsequent decertification

[edit]

In an interview with KSEE 24 News, an NBC affiliate, on November 14 and 16, 2006, Pinnacle Armor detailed the five-year process that the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and Pinnacle went through to establish a test protocol and procedure for flexible rifle defeating armor, which it passed and then received certification.[34][35]

On December 20, 2006, Pinnacle said that they received the official letter from the NIJ stating that they had passed the Level III tests, and that Dragon Skin SOV-2000 was now certified for Level III protection.[36][37][38]

The Air Force, which ordered the Dragon Skin vests partially based on claims they were NIJ certified at a time when they were not, opened a criminal investigation into Pinnacle over allegations that it had fraudulently placed a label on their Dragon Skin armor improperly stating that it had been certified to a ballistic level. Murray Neal, the Pinnacle Armor chief executive, claimed that he was given verbal authorization by the NIJ to label the vests although he did not have written authorization.[39]

On August 3, 2007, the Department of Justice announced that the NIJ had reviewed evidence provided by the body armor manufacturer and had determined that the evidence was insufficient to demonstrate that the armor model would maintain its ballistic performance over its six-year declared warranty period. Because of this, Dragon Skin was found to not be in compliance with the NIJ's testing program and was removed from the NIJ's list of bullet-resistant body armor models that satisfy its requirements.[3] Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal responded that this move was unprecedented, political, and not about the quality of the vests, because the NIJ were not claiming failure of any ballistics tests. Neal stated that the finding was motivated by a dispute regarding a warranty issue instead, in which the warranty period of Dragon Skin is longer than that of most other commercial vests.

Subsequent testing

[edit]

On August 20, 2007, at the United States Test Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas, nine Dragon Skin SOV-2000 (Level III) body armor panels were retested, for the purpose of validating Pinnacle Armor's six-year warranty. The panels tested were between 5.7 years old and 6.8 years old. All items met the NIJ Level III ballistic protection, confirming Pinnacle's six-year warranty for full ballistic protection.[40] Pinnacle resubmitted the SOV-2000 vest to the NIJ for certification based on this successful testing, but this application was rejected because the test had not been properly documented. In November 2007, Pinnacle sued to force the NIJ to recertify the SOV-2000 vest; their case was found to be without merit and summarily dismissed in November 2013.[41]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Dragon Skin

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Dragon Skin is a flexible body armor system developed by Pinnacle Armor Inc. in the early 2000s, comprising overlapping hexagonal tiles of silicon carbide ceramic discs, approximately two inches in diameter, bonded with epoxy resin and encased in high-tensile aramid fabric to mimic scale armor. This design aimed to defeat multiple armor-piercing rifle rounds, such as 7.62mm, while providing greater wearer mobility than traditional rigid ceramic plates integrated into vests like the Interceptor Body Armor. Introduced amid U.S. military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dragon Skin garnered media attention through televised demonstrations where it withstood bursts from assault rifles and even grenade fragments, prompting private purchases by some soldiers and temporary adoption by certain agencies. However, official evaluations exposed critical deficiencies: in 2006 U.S. First Article Testing at H.P. White , the armor suffered 13 complete penetrations out of 48 shots across various subtests, with discs shattering or adhesive failing under simulated combat loads. Environmental conditioning further compromised integrity, as extreme temperatures from -20°F to 120°F caused and shifting of tiles, creating vulnerabilities; the system's bulk and weight—47.5 pounds for an extra-large configuration—exceeded practical limits compared to the 28-pound Interceptor vest. These empirical shortcomings prompted the to ban privately procured Dragon Skin units in 2006 and discourage its fielding, affirming standardized rigid-plate systems as superior for reliability under diverse conditions. The revoked certification in 2007 after verifying non-compliance with ballistic and trauma standards, despite some non-standardized tests—like an NBC-commissioned —suggesting potential in controlled scenarios. Pinnacle Armor contested the rulings legally but lost, culminating in the company's by 2010; the episode spurred refinements in testing protocols, shifting oversight to the Army Test and Evaluation Command for enhanced consistency.

Development and Manufacturer

Pinnacle Armor History

Pinnacle Armor, Inc. was founded by Murray L. Neal, an inventor and author in the field of ballistic armor, with the company developing the Dragon Skin body armor technology originating from Neal's work initiated in 1999. Based in Fresno, California, the small-scale operation focused on innovative flexible body armor solutions amid surging demand for enhanced personal protection in the post-9/11 era, including during U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The firm emphasized proprietary technologies for rifle-level threat mitigation, operating with a lean structure dedicated to advancing multi-hit resistant designs suitable for high-risk environments. Pinnacle Armor secured supply contracts with entities such as the CIA, , and select agencies, providing armor for specialized federal and operational use. Despite these achievements, the company encountered significant hurdles, including protracted legal challenges related to processes and difficulties in expanding procurement agreements. These factors led to mounting financial pressures, resulting in Pinnacle Armor's filing for Chapter 11 on January 3, 2010, after which it ceased operations as an independent entity.

Design and Invention

Dragon Skin was invented by Murray L. Neal, founder and CEO of Pinnacle Armor, Inc., as a response to the constraints of rigid plates in systems like the U.S. 's Interceptor Body Armor, which prioritized single-hit protection against rounds but sacrificed wearer mobility and multi-hit resilience. The core innovation lay in a flexible array of independent, overlapping discs—typically two-inch diameter tiles made from —arranged to mimic the scalable structure of reptilian skin, enabling full torso coverage without the bulk or immobility of monolithic inserts. This scalar design sought to distribute incoming projectile energy across multiple tiles, theoretically isolating damage to localized areas and preserving adjacent sections for subsequent impacts, in contrast to traditional plates where a single defeat often rendered the entire panel ineffective. Prototyping occurred in the mid-2000s, building on earlier acquisitions, with the system marketed for its capacity to withstand threats like 7.62x51mm ammunition while allowing enhanced articulation, such as 40-degree torso twisting essential for maneuvers. The motivation emphasized causal distribution of kinetic forces: each disc functions autonomously, backed by composite materials to absorb and dissipate , aiming to elevate flexible armor from handgun-level to rifle-grade without compromising . Initial development focused on for vests like the SOV-2000 model, positioning Dragon Skin as a toward bio-inspired, modular protection prioritizing operational freedom over static rigidity.

Technical Specifications

Structure and Materials

Dragon Skin consists of numerous overlapping ceramic discs, each approximately two inches in diameter, arranged in a scale-like configuration to cover the without rigid plates. These high-tensile strength discs are encased in a and bonded within a polymeric composite matrix, enabling multi-directional flexibility while maintaining structural integrity through lamination and embedding of glass fibers. The design eschews traditional large, inflexible ceramic plates in favor of this segmented array, with hundreds of individual discs providing continuous coverage across the vital areas. The ceramic elements, known for their hardness akin to applications in automotive brakes, are integrated to form a cohesive yet adaptable layer. A full extra-large vest configuration typically weighs around 47 pounds, reflecting the density of the components and the extent of coverage achieved through the disc assembly.

Ballistic Protection Mechanisms

Dragon Skin's protection mechanism centers on an array of small, overlapping ceramic discs, each approximately two inches in diameter, embedded in a high-tensile-strength matrix such as . Upon ballistic impact, the struck disc fractures locally, dissipating the projectile's through ceramic and deformation of the , while the backing fibers arrest fragments via tensile absorption. This localized failure prevents widespread crack inherent in monolithic plates, theoretically confining damage to the individual disc and minimal adjacent elements. The overlapping scale-like configuration enhances coverage by minimizing unprotected gaps between elements, surpassing traditional plate carriers where rigid edges create vulnerabilities. By reducing the edge-affected zone per disc—due to their compact size—the design increases the effective protective area and supports multi-hit tolerance, with claims of withstanding over 10 rounds if sufficiently spaced to avoid overlapping damage zones. This derives from the modular nature of the , where independent disc integrity preserves overall ballistic resistance. In principle, energy transfer involves initial deflection and shear within the disc array, distributing residual across overlaps without . However, basic suggest limitations: cumulative shear stresses from repeated impacts could displace discs, eroding and exposing gaps, while oblique trajectories may reduce effective thickness and promote inter-disc sliding or edge defeats. Pinnacle Armor asserted this system defeated standard rifle rounds like 5.56x45mm M855, attributing efficacy to the combined ceramic-fiber synergy.

Testing and Performance Claims

Independent and Media Tests

commissioned independent ballistics testing of Dragon Skin on May 3, 2007, at the Beschussamt Mellrichstadt laboratory in , comparing it directly to the U.S. Army's Interceptor vest. In these tests, Dragon Skin withstood multiple 7.62mm rounds, including scenarios where the Interceptor vest experienced penetrations after fewer impacts, demonstrating superior performance in single-hit and limited multi-shot sequences under controlled indoor conditions. The Discovery Channel's series, which premiered in April 2006, featured demonstrations of Dragon Skin stopping numerous 7.62x39mm rounds from an , including steel-core variants, with no penetrations observed in the spaced-shot trials shown. Similarly, the History Channel's Mail Call program tested the armor against nine steel-core rounds fired in full-automatic bursts from an on dates in 2006, reporting complete stoppage without vest failure in the demonstrated configuration. These media-conducted evaluations, typically limited to ideal or range settings without multi-hit clustering, exposure, or sweat , highlighted claims of up to 100% ballistic stoppage for designated threats in non-adjacent impacts, contributing to heightened advocacy and public scrutiny of standard-issue gear. Local affiliates of ABC News and other outlets echoed these results in 2007 reports, amplifying interest ahead of more rigorous protocols.

Law Enforcement Evaluations

The Fresno Police Department acquired 26 sets of Dragon Skin for its team after internal tests demonstrated the vest's ability to stop multiple .308 rifle rounds and 30 rounds from a 9mm MP5 , indicating potential effectiveness against rifle-caliber threats encountered in urban tactical scenarios. Field suitability assessments by law enforcement highlighted viability for specialized high-threat operations but identified drawbacks including excessive weight—up to 47.5 pounds in full configurations—which limited mobility during extended patrols or pursuits. Heat retention in the layered disc design was also noted as a concern, with environmental exposure potentially exacerbating wearer fatigue and reducing comfort in prolonged urban deployments. Pre-2007 evaluations by the Department of Justice's (NIJ) certified select Dragon Skin models to Level III standards, verifying protection against 7.62mm rifle rounds in controlled single-shot tests, though performance varied in multi-hit protocols due to potential shifting of the overlapping discs. Limited adoptions occurred in select agencies for roles, where units reported successful integration for targeted operations, but widespread patrol use was constrained by per-vest costs starting at approximately $2,000 for basic torso coverage—escalating with add-ons—and ongoing maintenance needs for disc alignment and integrity.

Military and Official Trials

The U.S. conducted ballistic tests on Dragon Skin from May 16 to 19, 2006, at the H.P. White Laboratory near , , using standardized First Article Testing (FAT) protocols with 7.62x63mm APM2 armor-piercing ammunition. Across eight vests, 48 shots were fired, resulting in 13 complete penetrations—primarily on the first or second shot—with four vests failing outright, yielding a penetration rate of approximately 27%. These failures stemmed from displacement of the overlapping ceramic discs after initial impacts, which created gaps at edges or impact zones, allowing subsequent rounds to penetrate in multi-hit sequences where the structure degraded irreparably. Environmental conditioning tests, simulating shipment to Middle Eastern theaters with temperature cycles from -60°F to 160°F, caused catastrophic failures, leading to disc , bunching at the vest bottom, and exposure of vital areas through widened gaps. In comparative trials against the Interceptor with ESAPI plates, Dragon Skin—measuring 47.5 pounds and 1.7–1.9 inches thick—underperformed in and consistency under identical protocols, exhibiting greater vulnerability to multi-hit degradation despite its bulkier design relative to the 28-pound Interceptor. The U.S. Marine Corps, applying analogous standards to the Army's Interceptor system, reported similar empirical shortcomings in Dragon Skin evaluations, including inadequate disc stability and resilience under field-like stresses, rendering it unsuitable for scalable deployment during high-demand operations such as the Iraq surge. Prior assessments by the in January 2006 and Test Center in February 2006 corroborated these results, identifying persistent ballistic and durability deficiencies in standardized military protocols.

Certification Status

Initial NIJ Certification

On December 20, 2006, the (NIJ) issued Pinnacle Armor, Inc. a Notice of Compliance with NIJ 2005 Interim Requirements, officially certifying the Dragon Skin SOV-2000 flexible system as meeting Level III protection standards under NIJ Standard 0101.04. This approval stemmed from independent compliance testing conducted on August 2, 2006, at the National and Technology Center, where the armor demonstrated sufficient ballistic resistance and trauma mitigation. Level III certification required the armor to defeat one 7.62x51 FMJ lead-core round at a of approximately 847 m/s (2,780 ft/s), while limiting backface deformation to no more than 44 to minimize blunt . The testing adhered to NIJ's protocols, which evaluated absorption and penetration resistance without mandating multi-hit performance for this protection level at the time. This certification provided formal validation for applications, enabling placement on NIJ's compliant products list and supporting limited by agencies seeking rifle-threat protection, though it carried no endorsement for multi-hit scenarios beyond the tested parameters.

Decertification and Appeals

In August 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice's (NIJ) decertified the Dragon Skin model, removing it from the NIJ Compliant Products List effective immediately. The decision stemmed from NIJ's review of evidence submitted by Pinnacle Armor, Inc., which determined that the armor failed to comply with NIJ Standard-0101.04, particularly due to inadequate documentation supporting its multi-hit resistance and backface deformation limits (trauma reduction). Pinnacle had warranted the armor's performance under rigorous conditions, but NIJ found the provided data from non-accredited sources insufficient to verify consistent adherence to the standard's ballistic testing protocols. Pinnacle Armor challenged the decertification through legal appeals, filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (Case No. 1:07-cv-01655) alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, due process, and arbitrary application of standards influenced by external military tests. The company argued that NIJ imposed overly stringent or non-reproducible criteria not aligned with the original certification process and that warranty language discrepancies were being misused to mask performance validity. Courts rejected these claims, upholding NIJ's discretionary authority to revoke compliance based on reproducible failures observed in independent laboratory evaluations and Pinnacle's inability to submit compliant objective evidence. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal in 2011, noting that Pinnacle had not exhausted administrative remedies and failed to demonstrate the agency's actions were arbitrary or capricious. Decertification resulted in the loss of federal eligibility under programs like the Partnership, prompting agencies to cancel orders and seek replacements, which exacerbated Pinnacle's financial strain and contributed to operational challenges. NIJ advised existing users to continue wearing the armor until substituted but emphasized the risks of non-compliant models.

Controversies and Bans

U.S. Army Ban

In March 2006, the U.S. Army issued Safety of Use Message (SOUM) 06-017, directing the discontinuation of procurement and use of Dragon Skin , including purchases funded by soldiers themselves. The policy explicitly prohibited deployment of the armor in combat zones, framing its employment as a liability due to lack of formal approval and under Army standards. The ban aligned with acquisition protocols requiring equipment to adhere to established , which emphasized rigid ceramic plates integrated into the Interceptor (IBA) system for consistent performance across standardized configurations. Dragon Skin's flexible disk construction raised concerns over logistical integration, as it had not been evaluated or fitted for compatibility with the IBA's outer tactical vest, potentially disrupting uniform supply chains and maintenance procedures. Enforcement involved direct warnings to personnel and orders for units to surrender any acquired Dragon Skin vests to the Program Executive Office Soldier. Although some soldiers and families lobbied for review amid media coverage, subsequent inquiries yielded no policy reversal, with leadership upholding the directive to prioritize verified, doctrinally aligned protective gear.

Disputes Over Test Validity

Pinnacle Armor, the manufacturer of Dragon Skin, contested the validity of U.S. ballistic tests conducted in 2007, alleging inaccuracies and potential sample tampering that invalidated results showing penetration in 13 of 48 shots with armor-piercing rounds, including instances of "catastrophic failures" where discs shattered without fully stopping projectiles. The company argued that these outcomes contrasted sharply with independent demonstrations, such as footage from 2007 depicting the armor withstanding multiple hits, and anecdotal field reports from users claiming high efficacy rates, including assertions of up to 94% effectiveness in combat scenarios based on operator feedback emphasizing mobility and repeated impact resistance. Proponents, including some congressional advocates like Rep. , suggested institutional resistance to disruptive technologies favoring established suppliers such as , whose rigid plate systems dominated military contracts, potentially influencing test protocols to prioritize incumbent designs over flexible alternatives. Counter-evidence from Army evaluations, however, highlighted reproducible design vulnerabilities rather than procedural flaws or falsification. Environmental stress tests revealed disc delamination and migration after heat exposure, with X-rays documenting scales detaching from backing materials and creating unprotected gaps, a failure mode confirmed in drop tests where overlapping discs shifted under impact or thermal cycling. These issues persisted across multiple trials, undermining claims of superiority and aligning with Department of Justice findings in 2007 that Dragon Skin failed to maintain integrity under operational extremes like desert temperatures, leading to decertification without evidence of data manipulation. Independent analyses, including a Defense Technical Information Center review, noted that while media-highlighted ballistic demos showed promise, they lacked comprehensive protocols matching military standards, such as angled shots or multi-hit sequences, revealing flexible armor's limitations in high-intensity environments where empirical wound data from and favored rigid plates for consistent torso coverage. Analysts have acknowledged Dragon Skin's potential niche viability for low-profile operations requiring flexibility, but empirical hit location data from —predominantly center-mass threats—demonstrates inferior performance against sustained fire compared to monolithic ceramics, with no verifiable suppression of positive field outcomes beyond discrepancies in submitted samples. Absent substantiation for , disputes underscore inherent trade-offs in scale-based designs versus validated alternatives, informing stricter post-2007 testing regimes without invalidating core failure mechanisms. In 2007, following the U.S. Army's ban on Dragon Skin body armor and the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) decertification, Pinnacle Armor faced proposed debarment by the U.S. Air Force on June 21, which prohibited the company from receiving federal contracts across government agencies. This stemmed from investigations into allegations that Pinnacle had delivered Dragon Skin vests falsely labeled as meeting NIJ Level III standards to Air Force entities, including the Office of Special Investigations. The debarment proceedings, combined with terminations for cause on existing delivery orders upheld by the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals in 2009, resulted in substantial revenue losses, as federal procurement constituted a primary market for advanced body armor manufacturers. Pinnacle responded by initiating litigation against the in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of (Case No. 1:07-cv-01655-LJO-SAB), claiming the NIJ's certification revocation violated under the Fifth and seeking reinstatement and damages. The district court dismissed the suit on March 11, 2008, holding that NIJ certification represented no cognizable property or liberty interest protected by the . Pinnacle appealed, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal on May 26, 2011, reiterating the absence of a due process entitlement to certification. These legal setbacks and contract prohibitions eroded Pinnacle's financial position, leading the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 3, 2010, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of (Case No. 10-bk-10011). The proceedings were dismissed on November 29, 2010, after which assets, including related to Dragon Skin, were liquidated through sales, though no immediate commercial successors adopted the technology for ongoing production. Founder and CEO Murray Neal, who had defended the product in congressional hearings, encountered filings amid the company's collapse (Case No. 10-bk-12372), marking the effective end of Pinnacle's operations in the sector.

Legacy and Impact

Influence on Body Armor Design

The Dragon Skin system's overlapping disc configuration, intended to provide flexible, gapless coverage, prompted U.S. Army research into scalable flexible armor hybrids, notably influencing the development of prototypes like the FSAPV-E/X, which sought to balance enhanced mobility with ballistic resistance. However, rigorous testing demonstrated that the discs were prone to shifting under heat exposure and physical stress, compromising protection at oblique angles and during multi-hit scenarios, thereby reinforcing the superiority of rigid plates for vital areas where consistent performance was paramount. These vulnerabilities highlighted critical design trade-offs, informing subsequent armor iterations to prioritize mechanisms preventing component displacement and ensuring uniform trauma reduction across coverage zones. The empirical data from Dragon Skin evaluations contributed to heightened emphasis on environmental durability in flexible systems, though no direct disc-based technologies achieved broad military integration, with hybrid soft-rigid constructs prevailing due to validated multi-hit efficacy. In the broader market, the controversies surrounding Dragon Skin escalated scrutiny of manufacturer claims, resulting in more stringent pre-adoption testing protocols and independent oversight, such as the shift to Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) validations post-2007 hearings. This legacy fostered cautious innovation, directing resources toward empirically robust designs over unproven flexible alternatives while sustaining interest in bio-inspired scale architectures for potential future applications.

Modern Reassessments and Criticisms

Post-2010 technical analyses have attributed Dragon Skin's shortcomings primarily to inherent physical limitations of its overlapping disk design, rather than external political factors. The modular structure, while enabling flexibility, suffered from where projectiles striking near disk boundaries experienced reduced energy dissipation due to limited lateral support and potential gaps, compromising consistent ballistic performance across the vest's surface. Environmental stressors exacerbated these issues, with high temperatures causing and disk displacement, as observed in standardized drop and heat exposure tests, rendering the armor unreliable under operational conditions like prolonged wear in arid environments. Despite these flaws, retrospective evaluations credit Dragon Skin with pioneering demonstrations of flexible, multi-hit rifle-rated protection, which influenced subsequent explorations in civilian markets by highlighting the potential for non-rigid solutions against intermediate calibers. However, critics argue that promotional claims overstated capabilities by sidelining real-world variables, such as thermal-induced shifting that could create vulnerabilities during extended use. As of 2025, the design has seen no mainstream revival, with hard plates continuing to dominate military and applications due to superior verified combat statistics in stopping high-velocity threats without flexibility-related trade-offs. Niche initiatives, such as Armor Research Company's claiming enhanced Dragon Skin iterations, assert zero field penetrations but provide no independently validated test data, underscoring persistent challenges in scaling tiled flexible armor beyond prototypes. Recent evaluations of similar hexagonal-tile flexible plates indicate viability for better body conformity but highlight ongoing backface deformation exceeding limits, reinforcing plate superiority for high-threat scenarios.

References

  1. https://www.atomicdefense.com/blogs/news/what-is-dragon-skin-body-armor
  2. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA632359.pdf
  3. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18790506
  4. https://shadowspear.com/threads/dragon-skin-body-armor-by-pinnacle-armor.399/
  5. https://missoulian.com/news/local/entrepreneur-bringing-high-tech-manufacturing-of-body-armor-to-missoula/article_91ba4c7c-ce34-11e1-bc23-001a4bcf887a.html
  6. https://sftt.org/point-blank-body-armor-and-dragon-skin-conclusion/
  7. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg37812/pdf/CHRG-110hhrg37812.pdf
  8. https://sftt.org/point-blank-body-armor-and-dragon-skin/
  9. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caeb-1_10-bk-10011
  10. https://www.wired.com/2007/08/dragon-skin-tou/
  11. https://www.stripes.com/news/2007-05-23/army-defends-quality-of-its-armor-1931993.html1
  12. https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2014200592A2/en
  13. https://www.military.com/defensetech/2007/08/06/dragon-skin-gets-the-shaft
  14. https://www.military.com/video/armor/body-armor/dragon-skin-body-armour-pt1/644317163001
  15. https://www.academia.edu/23201296/Analysis_of_Military_Body_Armor_Dragon_Skin
  16. https://www.military.com/defensetech/2007/05/18/dragon-skin-vs-army
  17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521002823
  18. https://www.quora.com/How-does-DRAGON-Skin-body-armor-work-and-is-it-better-than-standard-Kevlar-vests
  19. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18771904
  20. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18720550
  21. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19078640
  22. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3252906
  23. https://blueridgearmor.com/dragonskinarmor/
  24. https://editverse.com/dragon-skin-body-armor-the-controversial-technology-that-changed-protection-forever/
  25. https://www.army.mil/article/3292/army_defends_body_armor_quality
  26. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/army-privately-sold-armor-failed-tests/
  27. https://www.military.com/defensetech/2007/06/07/dragon-skin-takes-a-beating-on-hill
  28. https://defensereview.com/dragon-skin-flexible-body-armor-officially-receives-nij-level-iii-certification/
  29. https://www.asbca.mil/Portals/143/Decisions/2009/55831.pdf?ver=nmJB9oAv5Y9ZTfFxy48UqA%253D%253D
  30. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183651.pdf
  31. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/equipment-and-technology/body-armor/ballistic-resistant-armor
  32. https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/archives/pressreleases/2007/NIJ07057.htm
  33. https://www.policemag.com/news/doj-revokes-dragon-skin-body-armors-nij-certification-over-warranty-claims
  34. https://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/08-16209/08-16209-2011-05-26.pdf
  35. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01655/pdf/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01655-4.pdf
  36. https://www.police1.com/police-products/body-armor/articles/doj-removes-dragon-skin-vests-from-approved-list-nXqTAxwCvxCBjWIE/
  37. https://www.npr.org/2006/03/31/5316448/army-bans-non-military-issued-body-armor
  38. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-31-fg-armor31-story.html
  39. https://www.military.com/defensetech/2007/05/22/army-called-to-capitol-hill-carpet
  40. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3252906&page=1
  41. https://www.stripes.com/news/2007-08-09/justice-department-drops-dragon-skin-body-armor-recommendation-1979135.html1
  42. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/usaf-wants-fresno-body-armor-maker-banned-from-federal-contracts
  43. https://www.asbca.mil/Portals/143/Decisions/2009/55831.pdf
  44. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914f091add7b049349766a9
  45. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/08-16209/08-16209-2011-05-26.html
  46. https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/5431/Pinnacle_Armor%2C_Inc
  47. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caeb-1_10-bk-12372
  48. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44182-025-00052-1
  49. https://www.reddit.com/r/QualityTacticalGear/wiki/dragonskin/
  50. https://www.reddit.com/r/WarCollege/comments/11civ0u/whatever_happened_to_dragons_teeth_body_armor_why/
  51. https://www.armorresearchco.com/bodyarmor
  52. https://www.bodyarmornews.com/the-2025-personal-armour-systems-symposium-field-notes-part-i/
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