UK Servicewomen Still Lack Proper Body Armour 5 Years After 2021 Safety Warning
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
UK Servicewomen Still Lack Proper Body Armour 5 Years After 2021 Safety Warning
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Summary
Five years after the Atherton report, women in the UK armed forces told the BBC they are still being issued ill-fitting kit, with body armour and clothing shortages leaving some forced into the wrong sizes.
The MoD introduced an updated Virtus vest in 2022, but former reservist Rhian Brown said it still used flat plates that did not fit female bodies properly, making safety—not appearance—the core problem.
The gap is sharpened by the MoD's purchase of 2,000 curved body-armour plate sets for Ukrainian women, while equivalent curved plates are not yet available to UK servicewomen.
Ofsted said in October 2025 that women and smaller recruits were receiving ill-fitting kit for a fourth straight year, and veterans, researchers and an MP said slow progress could hurt safety, recruitment and the goal of 30% female personnel by 2030.
The MoD says new flat ballistic plates will arrive in 2028, with a separate programme for curved plates that could begin deliveries from 2029.