DÉFENSE ZONE
In every profession in the defence and security fields, personal protection is a recurring issue. But equipping yourself for protection is a complex equation between your mission, the environment and the weight to be carried. In theory, a soldier in the middle of an operation in the Sahel desert should have higher ballistic protection than a police officer on patrol in the streets of mainland France... in theory only!
The protection headache
While a protective helmet seems obvious as protection against gunfire and fragments, it is equally so against falling objects or when moving through narrow, confined spaces. While protecting the vital organs (heart, lungs) seems obvious, so too is the essential protection of the eyes and ears. Compulsory on a civilian shooting range, these “accessories” were not necessarily so for soldiers, right up until the 1990s.
But studies in recent years show a significant increase in hearing and/or visual trauma, leaving people temporarily or even permanently unable to carry out their mission. Today, ballistic glasses and earplugs are compulsory in the kit of every soldier about to deploy on operations, and are increasingly used by the security forces.
Choosing the right equipment
On a mission, for example, sight accounts for 70% of our sensory perception. Choosing a good pair of glasses is therefore essential. For soldiers on operations, recent studies show that around 15% of injuries are eye injuries. Most of this damage is caused by projectile fragments, such as IED explosions, but also mortar fire or bullet fragments.
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