Star Wars fans, you may be getting the ballistic armor of your dreams. AR500 Armor announced recently that it is collaborating with several other industry leaders and artist Ryan B. Flowers in designing Mandalorian-themed ballistic armor. The first pictures of what may be a prototype of the new armor were released on social media earlier this week.
“GalacTac Project. A special project that we have been working on with other industry leaders,” AR500 Armor, a body armor manufacturer, wrote on its Facebook. “We hope to see everyone at SHOT 2016 Booth #6605!”
Heckler & Koch SOG Knives & Tools SureFire, LLC Team Wendy Armasight, Inc., Trijicon, Inc. TEA Headsets Wilcox Industries Corp. Metalhead Photography
Posted by AR500 Armor on Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Not engrossed enough in the Star Wars lore to know what a Mandalorian is? Although playing only a peripheral part in the films, the Mandalorians are a fictional culture of nomadic warriors that have enjoyed great popularity in the franchise’s Expanded Universe, now known as Star Wars Legends. The most famous Mandalorian in the series is the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who despite his minor role in the films was popular enough to inspire later writers to expand upon his history and the history of his people. As a warrior culture, the Mandalorians fought for both the Sith and the Jedi throughout their history, and were known for their distinctive body armor.
For reference, this is a cosplayer’s version of Boba Fett’s armor.
Heckler & Koch SOG Knives & Tools SureFire, LLC Team Wendy Armasight, Inc.., Trijicon, Inc.. TEA Headsets Wilcox Industries Corp. Metalhead Photography
Posted by AR500 Armor on Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Heckler & Koch, TEA Headsets, Sog Knives & Tools, Armasight, SureFire, Wilcox Industries Corp, and Team Wendy were also part of the GalacTac Project. The suit itself was designed and built by Flowers, who has long been popular in airsoft circles for his custom Mandalorian armor. Unlike his typical build for airsoft players however, this suit of armor comes complete with custom AR500 ballistic plates and is outfitted with an overabundance of gear from companies attached on the project. There is no word yet on if the armor would ever be sold or would remain as a one-off piece. Flowers does sell the airsoft version of his Mandalorian armor at around $325 on his website. It is not known what materials the armor is made out of, but each set includes the Mandalorian helmet with the iconic T-shaped visor, chest and shoulder armor, gauntlets, and a cod piece.
What do you think? Would you shell out some of your hard-earned money to buy this armor? Or is it simply too impractical to be worth it?
Ballistic Boba Fett badassery! Here’s a shot I took from the Galactac Project I did with Heckler & Koch , AR500 Armor,…
Posted by Metalhead Photography on Wednesday, January 13, 2016
GalacTac Project: For the glory of Mandalore! Ryan Flowers put together this awesome creation with help from Team Wendy,…
Posted by Heckler & Koch on Friday, January 15, 2016
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It’s for playing airsoft? I wouldn’t call it ballistic armor then….
“Unlike his typical build for airsoft players however, this suit of armor comes complete with custom AR500 ballistic plates and is outfitted with an overabundance of gear from companies attached on the project”
Reading for comprehension is a thing…
“Unlike his typical build for airsoft players however, this suit of armor comes complete with custom AR500 ballistic plates[…]”
Reading comprehension used to be a thing anyways. Not too many people have it anymore.
Except for you of course. You’re exceptional.
I try my best! Sometimes I have to read things a few times to get it lol
a guy who makes air soft armor helped make the look of it. It uses ballistic plates. You can BUY the air soft model now but they don’t know when or if they’ll ever sell this.
reading is fundamental. theres a real prototype and theres an airsoft version
I use LVIIIa hard ballistic and soft ballistic plates in a standard issue OTV Interceptor plate carrier for airsoft. As well as a standard issue LVIIa ACH with Armasight PVS-14 monocular. In fact the whole loadout is worth about $6800.00 excluding the rifle and sidearm. I personally do it for realism. It’s the exact same thing you would be issued in the army. Yes it adds a tremendous amount of weight but nothing is a mock replica. Everything is meant to be used in real combat. That’s usually the mentality of most people who play airsoft.
Jesus, people. This is a poorly written article… Dan phonics just fine, I’m sure.
He sells an air soft version. The one they’re talking about is a real ballistic version
more ballistic protection than your face i’d imagine.
shut up and take my money
Absolutely.
mine too!
So, why was this not around when I was in the Army?
Because it’s from a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
covering up that much of your peripheral vision just for looks? Unless it has some kind of HUD inside, No thanks..
Looks like it only blocks the far extremes of your peripheral vision. Not as bad as many medieval helms.
Holy crap!, I would so rock this during convoy escorts in A’stan or when we go back to Iraq, it would sooo scare the shit out of insurgent types…
Only problem I see is it’s so damn awesome, 50 bad guys would be pumping lead into you, to knock you down so they could steal it! They’d be thinking the same as you! “Oh man, Sahid, and Farook are going to shit their camels, when I come back to the village wearing this awesome INFIDEL TROPHY!!! Hand me my RPG, Hasim!!!”
That’s an interesting point (not so much about the desire to steal the armor- I doubt insurgents win enough to plunder U.S. forces for their gear). Seeing an enemy outfitted in such a strange/Star Wars gear would either provoke fear or derisive amusement, and either way it kinda makes me think you might become the special project for some sniper or another to test the capabilities of the armor. Seems like it always sucks to be a guinea pig no matter what. (Leaving aside all the problems with coverage and ridiculous blind-spots/lack of peripheral vision).
Looks more like a cylon head than Boba Fett.
Only because of the paint job. It’s a more practical (wider field of view) version of the cosplay helmet, but in grey.
I can’t help but notice they’re only showing from the chest up. That’s because when you go lower you see the beer gut in the black Lycra bodysuit.
I like the way you think, Holly_Wight. ; )
I would sleep in that
To the negative trolls online. How about instead of bashing the gear (which is obviously for show not functionality) you give props to HK for making something that looks pretty dang cool. But my guess is you won’t and you’ll proceed to bash this comment instead.
It’s probably a good thing I didn’t win Powerball, because I’d be buying this stuff…
Good thing your head is completely covered so that you are protected from all the pot shots by enemies sneaking up right next to all your copious blind spots in that helmet. What a joke.
I mean…in the star wars universe, the mandalorian armor provides a 360 view thanks to the little L thing on the side of the helmet.
I doubt that’d be “doable”, though. Seems a bit high tech.
No doubt in a “real world” combat situation, the eye area would take precedence in how the armor is constructed. A soldier has to see, range, and quickly acquire that kill shot on his adversary, with respect for his particular sights on his own weapon. The eye armor area would probably involve a very thick, bullet proof glass, much larger than the thin slot type configuration shown. And it would probably have to include a “cover” element of Lexan to first absorb some of the enemies projectile’s energy, before striking the glass over the eyes, but still allow the bullet to “glance” off the soldiers face. And that cover element would need to fly off with the “hit” and be easily replaced with a “spare” fresh cover in the field, if the soldier is hit. There’s no sense in any of this, if you have to remove your helmet to continue to confront the enemy whom shot you. Angles for the glass and cover element would be crucial in “deflecting” any potential “kill shot” made to this system. So the front of this “helmet” would probably be quite “angular”, and those optics involved in this would be very complex, and I imagine “soldier specific”, given eye distance, noses, forehead, jaw line, etc. Every device would require specific “personal fitting” to be effective, and not be a death-trap, waiting to happen. Just my 2 cents.
It’s “do-able”, but would require lots of customization and fitting, and practice. After all, some enemies are “real”, effective in fire, and not “scared” by the “Hollywood” prop departments! They are effective, resolute, killers, intent on “you” being the receiver of their “talents”. Your job as a soldier, is to be quicker, and more effective at greater distances than your adversary. Sending your opponent on his way to his 77 virgins, and preparing to help the rest of his comrades on to their “rewards” in a similar, expeditious fashion. God speed!
They should make Phase 2 Clone Armor
I would rather have the armored suit from ” Starship Troopers ” . The book ,not that tripled fouled Hollywood puke of a movie .
Can one buy this/parts of the armour for airsoft/cosplaying somewhere? All I can find is this is the only one made and some people ordered it from the maker but they ended up never getting them :/