High-Tech Canine Flak Jacket Lets Tactical Dogs Operate Far from Handlers

By Clay Dillow Posted 12.02.2009 at 1:15 pm 10 Comments

K9 Storm Vest in Action:

He is man's best friend after all, so doesn't he deserve the tactical body armor commensurate with that title? K9 Storm, a Canadian body armor specialist, pulls in millions a year manufacturing body armor for dogs serving in the line of duty on police forces and in militaries around the world. In 2010, their newest line of doggie defense, the K9 Storm Intruder, will pull Fido into the digital age.

K9 Storms Tactical Vests for Dogs: K9 Storm

The Intruder not only protects canines with a sturdy flak jacket enveloping their vital organs, but it sports a wireless camera so the handler can see what the dog sees, as well as speakers so the handler can issue audio commands. As a result, dogs can operate up to 300 yards from their handlers, a big advantage in emergency situations where dogs are often sent into areas deemed too unsafe for humans to operate.

At $20,000 each, the Intruder vests aren't cheap. But considering a military or police dog can cost upwards of $50,000, keeping a well-trained canine from going down in the line of duty is paramount. Not to mention, the operational enhancement from the extended range should up each dogs value on the battlefield or in emergency situations substantially. For our part, we'd be happy with a remote rig that lets us take the dog out to the curb without us ever leaving the couch.

[CNN Money]

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10 Comments

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AreYouKidding

12/03/09 at 7:21 am

Ok this is cool. I love working dogs.

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Azorus

12/04/09 at 8:48 am

That seems messed up to me.. We want to send the dog because it is to unsafe for a person to work in, but hey kill the dog, no one cares.

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striker223

12/07/09 at 3:56 am

yeah... something about people being human and dogs not. i don't know. o_O

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buddiespet

07/27/10 at 9:04 pm

Yes considering that these dogs do not make the choice to take the risks that we humans place them in, we should at least protect them to the best of our ability.

www.buddiespetholidays.co.uk

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TomGI

10/26/10 at 6:28 pm

To Azorus - When someone kills or injures a working dog someone cares. In most domestic places it is a felony just to strike one during an arrest. Shoot or stab one and it is treated the same as if it were a human cop. And if you go into a military battlefield and hurt a dog you better get out of there immediately or his team members will kill you on the spot, same as if you attacked another human soldier. They will definately risk their lives to defend and protect a K-9 team member.

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piercedadept

11/01/10 at 1:24 pm

Even in an urban S&R operation, body armor could help the dogs out- some of those wrecked cityscapes are nasty, to the point that even humans doing the rescuing don't want to be there, and wear basic protective gear. The canines should get the same consideration. Working dogs face all kinds of situations, not just military and policing.

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Eugine McAnical

11/04/10 at 12:59 pm

I agree with the opening statement in the article which describes the need for canine body armor use in protecting the financial cost of training the dog. However, the human-dog attachment mentioned in the rest of the article is the key topic.

Wither you believe, or not, that dogs have choice as to what they are used for; dogs are pack animals. Dogs will stay with and obey their pack leader doing what ever is asked of them no matter if it’s to defend their young from a bear attack or determine that there is a 228kg bomb wired to a cell phone. Dogs, if treated with kindness, will be a loyal friend and will be in pain when separated from their owner/pack. They will follow them into hell itself.

I feel no pity for a service dog, but rather respect and admiration for them. Similar to how I see their handlers, they are patriots and protectors. I am thankful that someone has come up with an armor that gives these dogs a better chance of coming home.

Respectfully,
Eugine McAnical

P.S. The camera is a neat option, I wonder what the dog is thinking when he hears the disembodied voice of its handler giving instructions.

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vtsai

11/23/10 at 3:04 am

With all the money spent on researching and manufacturing why not built an unmanned droid or probe? Dogs are very intelligent creatures and can do better than being testers of live or bogus mines.

Regards,
Sherwin Chen
www.hipetusa.com

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bisleshan

01/03/11 at 12:01 pm

I think it would be better to use unmanned probe to do dangerous work like searching for live mines or bombs. Dogs should not be killed like that

www.hipetusa.com

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absolin

11/16/11 at 7:48 am

vtsai/bisleshan, you'll be happy to know that we tried!

www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/after-19-billion-spent-six-years-pentagon-realizes-best-bomb-detector-dog