Bulletproof life vest could better protect sailors.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin
• Position: Global Defence

* The floating armor torso system, built by United Kingdom-based BCB International, is a dual life jacket and waterproof body armor that gives users "two life saving chances" after being shot.

"If you get shot the body armor saves your life, but if you get shot while in the water ... the life jacket saves your life again," said Ben Simmons, BCB International's sales and special projects manager for the Asia, Australia, South America and Caribbean regions.

If a user is shot, he will initially be protected by the system's waterproof and lightweight bulletproof armor, which protects against 9mm and .44-magnum ammunition. If that user --perhaps a sailor, member of a coast guard or police officer who works near a dock--falls into a body of water, the life jacket will automatically inflate, Simmons said.

The life jacket component includes the vest, an automatic inflator, a C02 canister and a manual override device. Within three seconds of submersion, the automatic inflator will release 60 grams of C02 into the lifejacket. "If it doesn't you can manually pull it," he said.

The vest has the capability to swell up with 275 newtons of force, which is strong enough to keep a user weighing around 175 pounds with...