9/22/08 - Diamondback Tactical has updated their BattleLab line of tactical nylon for 2008-2009, which includes a complete re-design of their tactical vests, like the BattleLab Advanced Warrior F.A.P.C., reviewed previously. Shown here is the R.B.V. Predator ballistic vest, 2nd Gen, which incorporates these upgrades and new features.

The Predator is essentially the non-cutaway version of the Praetorian Rapid Cutaway Ballistic Vest, which is designed for over-water operations. The Predator is for users who do not have a need for the cutaway feature. It is designed to meet the operators' need for a versatile, modular tactical vest with increased load-carry capacity, mobility, speed and ease of adjustability. It is currently being fielded in the govt, LE and military arena.
Some of the new features for the Predator Gen 2 include:

• SPEAR/BALCS cut NIJ Level IIIA armour package for increased coverage
• Enlarged/integrated front flap external cummerbund closure
• Low profile front flap pocket
• Reinforced drag handle
• Extended/adjustable foam padded shoulder straps with Drilex lining for increased comfort
• Breathable, durable mesh lining for extra comfort and reduced weight
• Side armour plate pockets
• Soft armour pockets in external cummerbund
• Stiffened inserts in cummerbund to prevent sagging

Overall Description - The Predator is available in small, medium (shown here), medium/long, large, XL and XXL sizes with plate pockets to fit the plates of corresponding size. Colours available are Army UCP digital, coyote borwn, ranger green, black and Crye MultiCam (shown here). The user has the option of a couple of three different Level 3A armour ballistic insert packages; the Predator is not available without ballistics. The Predator is compatible with BattleLab's Armoured Warrior Accessories, which include additional ballistic protection and pockets/pouches. The Predator is constructed mainly of 1000D cordura with 500D cordura used in some areas for weight/thickness savings where abrasion is not a concern.

Note that the detailed descriptions that follow apply to the medium size Predator. Other sizes might have additional (or fewer) molle webbing rows or columns.

Front Panel (outside) - The front panel of the Predator is shaped to match the SPEAR/BALCS cut front ballistic insert. The side flaps wrap around the torso towards the rear of the body, providing ballistic protection for the sides. There are 3 rows x 4 columns of PALS webbing on the side flaps/extensions. I personally wouldn't have a need to mount pouches there, as they'd add a lot of bulk under the cummerbund, but I've been told that some people will store flat, small items there, like a pair of medical shears or light sticks. Either way, nothing bulkier than a low profile pouch is very practical there - mount larger items to the external cummerbund instead.

There are 3 rows x 8 columns of PALS/MOLLE webbing on the upper chest; of which the top row is loop velcro for IR squares, name tape etc. In the center is the front pocket/cummerbund flap. It has 4 rows x 6 columns of PALS on it, and flips up to expose the loop velcro panel for securing the ends of the external cummerbunds. Two tabs with snaps at each of the bottom corners provide additional security to lock the flap down over the cummerbund ends.

Behind the PALS webbing is a full size low profile bellows pocket which folds flat, closed at the top with velcro and two snaps. It's designed to be used with the BattleLab Accessory Platform Pouches. It's shown in the photo below with the Utility Zipper Pouch conversion kit, which converts the front pocket into a utility pouch with zipper top. It's stiffened/reinforced with HDPE so that the opening is semi-rigid. I find this accessory very versatile, as you can store items inside the pocket, and this is the lowest profile method of carrying three 30-round M4 mags for replenishing the outer pouches if needed.

Front panel (inside) - The inside of the front panel is lined with open mesh fabric, which covers reticulated foam padding/spacer mesh material. This provides a small standoff distance and a higher level of comfort above that of plain cordura by allowing some breathing space between the inside of the panels and the body. The reticulated foam will not hold water or sweat, and is quick drying. A single row of PALS webbing on the abdomen provides a means of attaching a Ballistic Groin Protector. Inside the front, just below the neck line is loop velcro for attaching an optional ballistic yoke to protect the front of the neck.

Hook velcro on the side panel extensions mate with the loop velcro on the rear panel. A velcro-closed ballistic insert/plate compartment is accessed near the bottom inside of the panel. The bottom of the panel is constructed out of 500D cordura and has three drainage grommets. More on the ballistic panels and plate pockets later.

Predator front panel

Front pocket/flap

Inside of front panel

Rear Panel (outside) - The rear panel is shaped similarly to the front panel, but with a higher collar and shorter side extensions. At the top of the rear panel are the shoulder pads, which extend from the top of the panel, go over the shoulders and connect to the front panel. A heavily reinforced drag handle constructed out of 2" wide webbing is sewn to the top of the panel.

There are 4 rows x 8 columns of PALS webbing on the upper half of the rear panel. In the center of the panel is a flap, which covers the cummerbund attachment compartment and flips up to expose it for access. The flap is secured with velcro, and has 5 rows x 6 columns of PALS webbing. On either side of the center flap are the side extensions which wrap around the back of the torso towards the front. They meet the front panel extensions which overlap them and secure with velcro. The external cummerbunds are inserted into the rear panel through openings on the extensions. There are an additional 4 rows x 3 columns of PALS webbing on the extensions, on either side of the center flap.

Rear Panel (inside) - The inside of the rear panel is lined with the same mesh and reticulated foam padding as the front and has the ballistic insert and plate pockets. The inside of the collar has loop velcro to interface with the optional Ballistic Collar. There is a 4"-wide internal cummerbund, with the fixed portion sewn to the left panel extension. The right side of the internal cummerbund is elastic, and attaches at the rear of the panel (more on that below).

Shoulders - There shoulder pads extend from the top of the rear panel, over the shoulders and slide into guide loops on the inside front of the front panel. The higher the ride height, the more the pads slide into the front loops. Velcro-secured adjustment straps are attached to the front panel, and are routed through triglide buckles sewn on top of the shoulder pads extending from the rear panel. Tightening the straps and pulling down on them in front make the vest ride higher. The strap ends have pull tabs for easy adjustment, which is best done when wearing the vest. The ends of the straps can actually be tucked into the openings for the straps where they come out of the front panel, out of the way. There are no buckles or hardware on the front of the shoulders to interfere with a rifle butt.

The shoulders are lightly padded and lined with Drilex for comfort. They can accomodate Level 3A shoulder armour inserts.

Cummerbund attachment and adjustment - The external cummerbunds wrap around the sides of the vest and meet at the front, under the front pocket/flap. As mentioned above, the left internal cummerbund is fixed while the right side is adjustable in girth. Half of the internal cummerbund is elastic while the other is loop-velcro covered nylon. Two 3/4" wide straps are sewn to the end, each with a male side-release buckle. The straps are bartacked every 1", which provide positive stops every 1" in length adjustment. The side release buckles on the straps click into two female buckles sewn down near the middle of the lower back of the vest. This portion is covered by the rear flap. The girth of the internal cummerbund is adjusted at the rear by lengthening or shortening the straps in 1" increments.

The external cummerbunds have a similar strap setup, but have three instead of two. The three straps are sewn to a vertical strip is nylon which is in turn attached to a a short length of elastic. The elastic allows the cummerbund to 'give' a bit and provides positive tension on it to keep it tight. Both left and right cummerbunds attach and detach very quickly and are easy to adjust equally, by counting the 1" bartacks on the straps. All the loose strap ends are covered up with the rear flap, so it's not as messy as it looks in the pics. The straps have at least 6" of adjustment, which provides an extra foot of girth if that's ever needed.

External cummerbund details - The external cummerbunds have three rows of PALS webbing on the outside. The cummerbunds are stiffened with a plastic insert which support the weight of attached pouches. Inside the cummerbund is a plate/soft armour insert pocket, completely lined with velcro. There are two drainage grommets at the bottom of the pocket. A single row of PALS webbing is sewn at the top, which is carried over from a previous design of a side plate pocket. It still has its uses, though. The front end of the cummerbund is covered in hook velcro on both sides which engages the front velcro area on the vest and the back of the front flap.

Donning the Predator - The internal cummerbund is adjusted in length so that the velcro on the elastic portion overlaps the fixed portion with enough velcro engagement. The external cummerbunds are adjusted equally so that only the velcro end portions overlap the velcro field at the front of the vest. The Predator is donned by lifting it up and placing it over the shoulders. The both ends of the internal cummerbund are brought around to the front and the velcro overlapped. The front panel side extensions are then pressed back and overlap the side extensions on the rear panel, where the velcro will engage. The external cummerbunds are then brought around to the front; the front flap lifted up, and the velcro fields engaged. The front flap is folded over the cummerbund ends and pressed down. The two side tabs with snaps are then secured.

If found that the plate/insert pockets in the external cummerbunds are a great place to hold an 'emergency' 30-round M4 mag with a minimum of bulk. A single mag pouch could be mounted under the external cummerbund to the front panel side extensions, but the addition of a pouch under the cummerbund can add a lot of bulk. I took a length of shock cord with a tab, and utilized the PALS webbing on the front and back of the external cummerbund to provide the retention. There, the magazine is almost unnoticeable until needed. Plus, carrying the magazine there does not take up any PALS webbing on the cummberbund. Note that it cannot be re-inserted into the cummerbund pocket once extracted - the velcro inside the pocket keeps it closed, and it's too hard to separate the velcro when the external cummerbunds are being used.

Outer cummerbund configuration

Magazine in external cummerbund

Shock cord retention

Ballistics - Plates - The Predator does not come with hard armour plates, but will accomodate most 'operator cut' plates like SAPIs with the angled-off corners (ceramic, steel or otherwise). There are plate pockets constructed out of 500D cordura in the front and rear Predator panels, in front of the soft armour compartment. The plate pockets have velcro-closed flaps, and dual snaps (to adjust for longer or shorter plates). I put a SAPI plate in the rear and a CPC in the front (thinner), which are both Level III in-conjunction plates.

Ballistics - Level IIIA Inserts - The Predator vest is available with three different ballistic insert packages; the LTA, SQVA, and QVA. All provide Level IIIA protection and are made by Custom Armor Technologies (CAT) - the main difference between them is the weight, thickness and slight differences in protection specs when it come to edge shots, contact shots, frag etc. All three packages meet and exceed the NIJ standards for ballistic performance and the U.S. Army/USASOC standard for fragmentation. Contact Diamondback Tactical directly for specific ballistic information or questions concerning which ballistic package would be best suited for specific applications.

The QVA inserts shown here are the top of the line package, with a weight of 1.07 lbs per square foot and a thickness of 0.24". The front and rear panels are SPEAR/BALCS cut/shape. The panels are sealed in blue airtight/watertight covers to protect them against the weather, moisture, UV and chemicals.

The soft-armour insert compartments in the Predator are full-panel in size, and have a velcro closure. The front panel side extensions are longer than the rear, and wrap around the sides to overlap the rear extensions providing full size coverage.

The shoulder armour inserts shown below are available as an option, and slide into the compartments of the shoulder pads to provide addtional ballistic protection coverage.

Observations and notes - With the full QVA armour package in place (front and rear ballistic panels, shoulder ballistic inserts), plus front and back ceramic plates, the Predator obviously has some heft to it. However, I felt that the weight was well distributed when I put it on, and 'wears lighter' than it is.

The ride height was easy to adjust while wearing it, by shortening or lengthening the shoulder straps. The medium size fit me perfectly. I have a 42" chest and the front panel side extensions overlapped the rear side extensions with about half the velcro panel engagement. So, there's some accomodation for someone slightly thinner or stouter than I with the medium size. I did have an issue with the external cummerbund, though. As it came with the Predator, it was too long for me. I had both sides adjusted as short as they'd go in the back, and they overlapped too much in the front. I brought this up to BattleLab and was told that there was one size of cummerbund offered at that time. However, they were very receptive to the idea that a smaller size might be needed for size small and medium vests, so they made and sent out a set that was two PALS columns shorter than the ones originally supplied with the Predator. These were the perfect length and had more than enough addtional length adjustment. They also had room to be shortened as well. At the time of this writing, BattleLab is working on adding two additional sizes of external cummerbunds to cover the entire size range of Predator vests.

I found mobility to be good in the Predator, as far as armoured vests go. The SPEAR/BALCS cut front panel isn't so wide that it prevents me from extending my arms forward when using an isoceles stance/hold. The thickness of the plate, armour and vest combined adds about 1.5" of thickness to the shoulders/chest area, and necessitates me running the M4 carbine with the stock fully collapsed. This is no different than other ballistic vests I've tried and it's just one of the things you have to adapt to when shooting with body armour. Keeping the upper chest and shoulder areas relatively clear of pouches also facilitates getting a rifle shouldered. The small EMDOM baby shingle mounted in the middle of my chest is about as much as I'd want mounted there.

The mesh lining and reticulate foam padding on the inside of the front and back panels does make a difference in comfort level. The open cell reticulated foam 'spacer material' is more easily compressed than closed cell foam, but conforms better and the open structure provides airspace (and allows possible airflow) between the body and the main cordura fabric of the vest.

Shown below is the Predator with a minimalist setup - pretty much with water and ammo only for range use (EMDOM USA 3o2 pistol pouch, CQB M4 mag pouches and ITW FAST mag, Crye hydration bladder cover in the back - not available). I kept the sides slick and free of pouches, for better access to my handgun and subload. Obviously, someone with a need to carry more can do so - the Predator can handle it. The improvements and upgrades implemented in the Gen 2 Predator make it a choice worthy of consideration if you're looking for a full-featured ballistic vest.