The US Navy’s Special Warfare Group has purchased canine tactical bulletproof vests for enlisted dogs from Canadian firm K9 Storm Incorporation.
Under the $86,500-plus contract, K9 Storm will provide four waterproof assault jackets equipped with intruder communications systems that can be used during reconnaissance missions.
The assault vests also include video cameras and recorders, night-vision devices and signal-transmission strengths capable of penetrating multiple concrete walls.
K9 Storm Incorporation owner Jim Slater said that the bulletproof Kevlar suits allowed the dogs to be lowered from helicopters and to move easily in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said the vests were custom-sized for each canine customer to ensure full mobility and to allow the animal to do its job.
The company’s dog gear is used by the The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian coastguard, and by security forces in Switzerland and the Netherlands.
