"And now for something completely different." That famous line from Monty Python's Flying Circus should precede Crye Precision's Armoured Chassis every time it makes an appearance. However you describe it - innovative, different, 'looks like a scorpion from behind', 'Starship Trooper-ish' etc; the Chassis really IS quite different from anything currently available, and I'll go out on a limb and say that it's the most advanced and forward-thinking system yet. In a relatively short time, Crye Precision has established itself as the military gear-design and manufacturing company to keep an eye on.
Note that this is an initial preview/writeup - I haven't had a chance to talk to the guys at Crye about the specifications, but I'll update it as I go along.

Overview - There are always pros and cons to the protection that the soldier wears to the battlefield. Personal protection is provided at the cost of mobility and weight. There's no easy way around it. The more protection that armour provides against bullets and shrapnel, the heavier and bulkier it becomes. The Crye Armoured Chassis aims to provide the soldier with a balance of the maximum amount of protection possible with today's existing material technology while still enabling the him to perform his job without restricting his freedom of movement and mobility.

The main components that make up the Chassis are: Front plate carrier, Rear plate carrier, left/right flank/torso, and left/right shoulder pieces. The flanks and shoulders are made out of ballistic material, providing level IIIA+fragment protection (2 grain through 64 grain). Instead of an armoured carrier that holds soft armour inserts with plate pockets on the outside, the Crye Chassis IS the armour. Front and rear plate pockets hold Crye-proprietary shaped plates, and connect the left and right flanks. The Chassis is cut short - and ends right above the belly button. It is meant to be worn in conjunction with the Crye Armoured Belt (more on that later), and allows complete freedom of motion when bending or sitting, while still providing ballistic protection at the waist level. The Chassis is covered in PALS webbing for attachment of pouches. The Chassis has an emergency release system - pulling two release cables will dump the entire rig. Chassis components come in M-XL sizes, and can be mixed and matched to fit a wide range of people. The medium Chassis shown weighs about 8lbs, without plates.

Front view with armoured belt

Right side view

Rear quarter view

Rear view

Left side view

Chassis Components

Front Plate Carrier - The medium-size front plate carrier shown accepts Crye's proprietary shaped plate (Crye will be making another version to accept standard sized military rifle plates). The carrier is made in different sizes to accomodate the M-L Crye plates. A stand-alone plate must be used as there is no ballistic layer between the rear of the plate and the body. They have a 3/4" to 1" standoff distance from your body. There's an air gap in the front and back of the chassis, about 4-5" wide. The plates are supported where they overlap the chassis. If there's any back face deformation over the gap, there's that standoff distance between the back of the plate and the body. If you get a hit on the plate where it overlaps the chassis, the impact is distributed over a larger area as the chassis is pretty much rigid, unlike a soft panel, which can deform in a smaller, localized area. There's also about 1/4" of closed cell foam padding behind the chassis.
With a conventional plate carrier/vest, there isn't any standoff and the plate lies directly on top of the soft panel, so any backface deformation is transmitted through the panel into the body.
In-conjunction plates can be used with the crye chassis, as long as a ballistic insert is used behind them in the plate pockets. The top-opening pocket closes with snaps on the sides and a velcro flap on top. The pocket is lined with semi-rigid sheets of kydex inside, so it retains its shape, even without a plate inside, plus the kydex sheets provide some protection from fragments if the plate is hit. The front face of the carrier is covered in PALS webbing for attachment of pouches. A groin protection panel can be suspended from the webbing sewn on the bottom of the rear face of the carrier. The front plate carrier incorporates the main opening mechanism for the Chassis. A sliding plastic plate has a hook on the outboard upper corner, that hooks over a receptacle on the left flank panel, and is released by pulling a tab. Alternate plate carriers are available to fit other plates like SAPI, for both front and rear.

Rear Plate Carrier - The rear plate carrier shown fits a Crye-shaped medium plate (approx 9.5" wide x 14" tall). Shaped a bit like a wide hydration carrier, the carrier is top-opening via a velcro flap, and has a drag handle sewn in at the top. Rows of PALS webbing cover the outer face. When I first saw the Crye armoured Chassis, I noticed that the PALS webbing isn't sewn down tight, and that there is a little slack in it. I asked them if pouches would be secure if this were so, and they explained that providing a bit of slack in the webbing made it possible to weave the MOLLE straps more easily without sacrificing rigidity. I've found this to be true. Like the front plate carrier, the rear is lined with semi-rigid sheets of kydex, to keep its shape without a plate inside. I found that a 70oz camelbak bladder fits inside the rear plate carrier. I can't fill it up to capacity as it's flattened out, but I can fill it up about 3/4 full. If needed, it's possible to use the rear carrier for hydration if you don't have a rear plate. Rear plate carriers are also available to fit standard SAPI or similar plates.

Front plate carrier pocket

Rear plate carrier pocket

Crye-proprietary shaped plates - Both front and back are triple-curved, and conform to my body-shape better than any other I've tried. Preference of plate shape is subjective, of course, and depends on your body size and shape. The plates are stand-alone, providing SAPI+API level protection. The dummy plates are .7" thick - same as the production ones. Plates will come in M-L sizes and weigh approximately 5.5-6lbs each. They are bigger than conventional plates and provide 20%-30% more coverage than traditional plates depending on size.

Ballistic Flanks - The side pieces (flanks) are semi-rigid, and molded/shaped to conform to your body. The ballistic material provides an equivalent of Level IIIA+frag protection, and provides the rigidity to the flanks. The rigidity of the flanks help support the load in the pouches - they won't flop. They also help distribute the load through the entire chassis instead of all the weight being borne by the shoulders. By incorporating the ballistic material as part of the component, instead of having a compartment and removable insert, a perfect fit with some weight savings can be achieved. 3 rows of PALS webbing cover the sides, and also on the rear quarter for attachment of the double hydration pouches, which are worn off-center. The inside surfaces of the flanks are lined with soft, velcro-compatible material, to which the removable pads are attached. Each flank has 3 removable pads - front, side and rear. Maximum thickness of the pads themselves are about .4" uncompressed. The pads provide a standoff from the armour, which insulates the user from impacts and blunt trauma, and the air gaps increase passive cooling, especially when worn with the Crye Combat shirt. The pads are made of fabric-covered closed cell foam with air channels molded into the surface, and can be removed for washing. No hard part of the chassis system contacts the body - it's suspended away from the body by these pads. As seen from the photos of me wearing the chassis, it's not as bulky as I thought it would be. The flanks themselves are about .5" thick, without the pads. The pads also serve to provide flotation.

Ballistic Shoulders - Like the flanks, the shoulders are also armoured. They're rigid, pre-shaped, and also about .5" thick, without the removable pads. A row of webbing runs over the top of the shoulder, and a stock-lock (rifle butt catch) is attached to the front of each shoulder. The stock-lock is molded of firm, slightly rubbery material, and with a 'tread' pattern on the front surface. The raised sides prevent the butt from slipping off the shoulders. I've tried shouldering my rifle and it feels pretty stable. The ballistic shoulders can also be had without the stock-locks. Chassis ride height is adjusted by swapping out the shoulder pieces with a different size.
Different shooters will position the rifle butt in different places on their shoulder. I shoot with my shoulders more square to the target whereas someone might be more bladed. At first, I found that my rifle butt was best on the inside of the stock lock, half on and half off. I'd have liked the stock lock to be farther inboard. I mentioned this to Caleb and he offered up what should have been an obvious solution: Adjust the rear lace so that the flanks are farther apart so the front can be pulled closer together. It worked. The inboard-outboard position of the stock locks can be adjusted about an inch, by varying the ratio of the distance between the front and rear flanks.

View of rear plate carrier and flanks

Detail of rear plate carrier attachment

Right flank and front plate carrier

Flank and shoulder padding removed

Detail of rear face of front plate carrier

How it all goes together - Rather than being add-ons, the front and rear plate carriers form a structural part of the Chassis. On the inside front of the right flank are four black velcro straps which form vertical loops. Sewn to the outside of the right flank are 1.5" wide straps, on which the front carrier slides horizontally on, which also form two loops. A cable runs through the loops and keeps the front carrier connected to the right flank. Also spaced in between the black and web straps are three colour-coded plastic eyelets for 550 cord. The plastic plate attached to the front carrier (which hooks to the left flank) is also free to slide horizontally relative to the front carrier, and has corresponding lacing holes for 550 cord. The 550 cord is laced, connecting the right flank and the sliding plate. Tightening the cord closes the gap between the right flank and the plate, which is connected to the left flank, effectively bringing the left and right flanks towards the middle.
A similar setup connects the rear plate carrier to the back of the right and left flanks. The rear plate carrier slides horizontally on web straps that form loops, through which the release cord goes through. These straps are held in place by the black velcro straps, with which the tension is adjusted (loosening up the loops make it easier to pull the cable). 550 cord lacing adjusts the rear distance between the right and left flanks. The 550 cord is tightened, and the ends tucked away. I used a short length of velcro to retain the cord ends.
The two release cables that hold the rear of the Chassis together, end in loops, and follow the inside of the shoulder pieces to the front, where they're secured with velcro tabs. To release the Chassis, either one of the loops is pulled. The cable is pulled out, separating one side of the flank/rear carrier connection, and the entire rig falls forward. Only one of the release cables needs to be pulled - not both.
The shoulder pieces are connected to each flank by allen bolts, and can swivel/adjust.

Front opening showing sliding plate 'hook'.

Normal doffing procedure

Donning/doffing - The front and rear lace adjustments are loosened and the Chassis is donned like any other break-front vest, similar to the Interceptor. The 'hook' on the sliding plate on the front carrier is mated and seated on its receptacle on the left flank. The front and rear 550 cord laces are pulled down and adjusted, then the ends tucked away (I used a short length of velcro to secure the ends). To doff the Chassis, the front lace is loosened (this makes it easier), and the black tab on the 'hook' is pulled out and forward, opening the front of the vest. It's pretty simple and fast to put on and take off - no zippers or straps. Another advantage of this design is that the vest is easily adjusted when worn. Just loosen or tighten the front or rear laces to move the flank pieces back and forth. The Chassis can be loosened up during a break for more ventilation and then quickly snugged up for action, without having to remove it.

Weight - Chassis weight depends on the threat package. For the current package, including plates, the approximate weights are as follows: Medium 17lbs, Large 20lbs, XLarge 23lbs.

Accessory Cummerbund - If for some reason, side plate protection is desired, or a second layer of pouches, a cummerbund setup is available (similar to the one on the Eagle Industries MC-CIRAS vest). The left and right cummerbunds attach to the side of the flank using Crye's MOLLE-compatible system. Each cummerbund has a inside pouch that will fit a plate up to 6"x9" (usually 6"x6"). A front panel is attached to the front plate carrier which serves to wrap around the overlapping ends of the right and left cummerbund pieces. Each cummerbund is brought forward and the ends overlapped. The front panel then wraps over the ends, securing them, and the bottom of the panel wraps under the plate carrier and secures to the velcro patch on the inside bottom. The left side cummerbund has to be released for the Chassis to be doffed.

Left cummerbund, center panel, right cummerbund

Right cummerbund wrapping around the flank

Center panel open, then cummerbunds overlapped

Panel closed

A word about the Crye Molle-compatible system - Instead of horizontal strips of 1" webbing sewn on the back of pouches, a black Hypalon panel is sewn to the back of each pouch. Hypalon is a "reinforced flexible geomembrane with an exceptional service life. It is a synthetic rubber product manufactured by the calandar process into plies that are combined over a reinforcing polyester scrim fabric during manufacture." It's the same stuff used on Zodiac rubber boats and that Kifaru uses on their packs. Anyway, the Hypalon panel has slots in it every 1" through which the attachment strap weaves through, just as you would any other MOLLE compatible pouch. The end of the strap folds under and tucks into the Hypalon backing or the last row of webbing. It's lighter and just as secure as any MOLLE attachment method I've used.

Crye Armoured "Blast Belt™' - The Crye Armoured Blast Belt is meant to be worn in conjunction with the Chassis to provide additional ballistic protection around the waist and hips (Level IIIA+fragmentation). Contoured and padded, it's extremely comfortable. It has the same non-removable ballistic material as the Chassis which gives it it's shape and rigidity. 2" wide webbing wraps around the entire belt, routed through the outer channel, to which the 2 rows of PALS webbing are sewn. The belt is lined with removable, closed-cell foam panels (2 side, 1 center back), which also provide some flotation. Weight of the belt is 2lb for Medium, 2.5lb for Large, and 2.75lbs for XLarge.

Front view

Side

Rear

Rear quarter

Inside of belt with removable pads

Gen 2 Blast Belt- Shown below is Crye Precision's Gen 2 Blast Belt. While it looks similar to the Gen 1 at a glance, it's got quite a few added features and modularity. The overall configuration is the same - it's a shaped/contoured battle belt providing level IIIA ballistic protection for the waist, and designed as a stand-alone item or for use in conjunction with the Crye Armoured Chassis.

On the Gen 1 Blast Belt, the removable internal 2" web belt was just a single thickness of webbing. The Gen 2 web belt is made of two layers of webbing that sandwich a plastic stiffener, like some pistol/duty belts, to prevent rollover of the belt when pouches or holsters are attached. It has hook velcro on the loose ends to secure them to the loop velcro sewn to the outside of the front of the belt. The web belt passes through the rear PALS panel, and two belt loops on either side. This was due to the request for standard belt for attachment of standard holster that did not have a MOLLE attachment. The web belt is tightened by pulling on the loose ends through the ITW QR buckle and securing them along the sides with their velcro backing.

The Gen 2 pads are removable, like the Gen 1, but are lower profile. The back of the pad has hook velcro, and the inside of the blast belt is lined with loop velcro fabric. Instead of the ballistic insert being sewn into the blast belt and non-removable, the Gen 2 blast belt is actually a removable cover/shell for the ballistic insert. This modularity was added so the user can have multiple covers in different camo patterns/colours and can switch covers from MultiCam to Khaki while using the same ballistic insert. The rear PALS panel wraps around the rear of the belt, and velcroes at the bottom inside. It is flipped open to expose the black ballistic insert. The panel has a pocket for putting 6" x 6" plates inside to up the armour protection level. Plates can also be slipped between the cover and the ballistic insert on either side of the opening. To remove, the ballistic is simply slipped out of the cover, as shown below. It's rigid, and provides the belt with the support and shape.
To provide the option of PALS/MOLLE webbing on the sides, a couple of MOLLE sleeves can be slipped over the ends of the blast belt. They are lined with velcro and secure themselves to the belt.

Internal belt

Pads

Rear PALS panel

Plate pocket

Level IIIA insert removed

MOLLE sleeves

Also available are simple suspenders for the Blast belt. They are in a Y configuration and the shoulder portion is 2" wide webbing. The shoulder straps meet in the back and connect to a vertical portion. The vertical portion is 2" wide elastic, with 1" seam tape webbing sewn in a 'ladder' with loose loops. This allows the elastic to stretch, but not overstretch, as the webbing flattens out and limits the amount of stretch. The ends are two 1" pieces of webbing, which wrap around the entire belt and pass through the PALS webbing. The 1" webbing in the front and back is supplied extra long and can be trimmed to size by the user. I just passed the loose ends through the triglides and tucked them back behind the belt. The suspenders are comfortable and low profile.

As far as feel, the Gen 2 feels pretty much the same as the Gen 1, except I think the new lower profile padding is more comfortable. In the photos below, I've installed the MOLLE panel only on the right side, so you can see the difference.

With Crye suspenders installed

Rear view

Left side

Right side, MOLLE panel installed

SAPI Plate Pockets- If you already have SAPI plates and you don't want to purchase the Crye-shaped plates for use with the chassis, Crye produces SAPI-shaped plate pockets. They're available to fit most sizes of SAPI plates (at least in medium and large). The SAPI plates aren't as well-contoured to the body as the Crye shaped ones, but they'll work just fine. Bear in mind that stand-alone plates must be used, or a Level IIIA insert placed in the pocket behind an in-conjunction plate.

Front faces of plate pockets

Backs of plate pockets

Large SAPI plate

Shown here are the pockets for the large sized SAPI plates. They're a direct replacement for the Crye-shaped pockets and aren't too difficult to switch out. The pockets have the velcro-closed opening on the top, and don't have the snaps on the diagonals that the Crye ones do. You can compare the coverage of the large SAPIs to the Crye-shaped medium plates in the previous photos. The rear plate is wider at the bottom, but shorter than the Crye shape.

Front view

Front quarter

Rear

Rear quarter