FSBE Amphibious Assault Vest - AAVII / AAV-QR '00

USMC FSBE

Amphibious Assault Vest - AAVII / AAV-QR

2000

...

This is a rare 

Brand

SDS / Specialty Plastic Products

TITLE

 

----

Part Number

 

 ----

Date 

 

2000

nSN

 

----

MATERIALS

 

Cordura 1000D

Contract

 

DAAD16-00-C-9231

OBJECT TYPE

Assault Armour Vest

LOT NUMBER

 

----

NASA ID

 

----

London Bridge LBT Rare Silver Tag 804 Prototype 300 Win Mag Sniper Stock Pouch

PERSON DEPICTED

 

----

DIMENSIONS

 

image size: 7 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.
paper size: 8 x 10 in.

CREDIT LINE

 

The Jack Shear Collection of Photography at the Tang Teaching Museum

Share This Page

FSBE AAV-QR Amphibious Assault Vest

The Full Spectrum Battle Equipment (FSBE) is a Marine Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM) solution for the replacement of the Close Quarters Battle Equipment (CQBE). It is designed for Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) Amphibious Raids.

Background

During a Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) training exercise on 9 December 1999, a CH46 carrying a platoon from 1st Force Reconnaissance Company struck the side of the USS Pecos off the coast of Camp Pendleton, CA. The helicopter rolled into the water and sank immediately. The investigation that followed revealed that one of the major contributors to the fatalities were the heavy weight of the assault equipment worn by the boarding party and the difficulty in rapid egress from the helicopter.

Features

FSBE provides ballistic protection, brief underwater breathing capability, flotation, and limited load carriage to meet the specific mission profiles of the USMC Force Reconnaissance community, Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams (FAST), and MEU (SOC) Helicopter Assault Companies.

Components

A new interim ensemble was rushed into production in 2000 as the Full Spectrum Battle Equipment (FSBE). The new kit gave each Force Recon Marine a flotation device and portable breathing air. It also provided a new set of body armor and load-carriage equipment to replace both the AVS and the patrolling gear.

The centerpiece was the Amphibious Assault Vest , the AAV was a nearly neutrally-buoyant vest derived from the SPEAR BALCS fielded by US Special Operations Command, using comparable soft armor and SAPI plates .


A refinement was a cable-release system permitting the vest to be jettisoned in an emergency by pulling a handle at lower front to simultaneously decouple four attachment points at the shoulders and hips. The initial AAV had unsuitable Velcro closures at these points , and the subsequent cablerelease version became standard


The core of the FSBE is the Amphibious Assault Vest (AAV) designed to work in conjunction with the Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) the AAV will accept load bearing devices over the top of it or mission related pockets attached directly to it and is compatible with all MOLLE equipment.


A quick release cut-away allows the Marine wearing the vest ( AAV II / AAV - QR ) to drop the system directly off his body with one pull, operable by either the left of right hand.

------------------------------------

The Icon Set is under Construction

..

USMC Force Recon issued Close Quarters Battle Equipment Assault Vest (CQBE AV). The CQBE AV was a more streamlined/low profile option in the Interceptor line and was issued to Force Recon operators as part of the original Full Spectrum Battle Equipment (FSBE) kit. This model vest saw service from 1996 through the early 2000s. It was eventually replaced by the Full Spectrum Battle Equipment Amphibious Assault Vest, Quick Release (FSBE AAV QR); the predecessor to the Eagle CIRAS. Both of these systems have a quick release feature which allows operators to ditch the entire vest in the event of an emergency. This was developed in response to a helicopter crash over the Pacific on December 9th 1999 in which several members of 5th Platoon - 1st Force Reconnaissance Company drowned because they could not ditch their CQBE AV in time. Since this incident, a quick release feature is standard issue for our special operators. The CQBE AV is an extremely rare, and tragic, piece of our recent military history. This vest was combat proven by a Force Recon Marine during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. It is a size Large and will accept size Large SPEAR cut ballistic inserts and has internal pouches for size Large SAPI/ESAPI plates. The internal cummerbund is built into the vest.