Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ Loadout Review — One LEO’s Take

By Braylon Smith On Sep 28, 2024 0

In today’s article, veteran police officer Alan M. Rice evaluates the Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ Loadout suitability for protection from rifle threats. Body armor, sometimes called a bulletproof vest, offers resistance to ballistic threats, but not absolute protection. Premier Body Armor provided the gear in this article for review.

As a police officer and firearms instructor, I evaluate related equipment such as holsters, ballistic vests and other duty gear. I was surprised to learn that even in 2024, many officers who work for smaller, generally rural agencies must supply some or all of their own equipment.

Fortis III+ rifle plates and Alpha carrier being set up with the company’s Medical/Admin/Assault Pouch (MAAP) using the integrated MOLLE. Image: Premier Body Armor

While agencies outfitting officers with a ballistic vest is more common, in my experience I have seen that far fewer supply rifle-rated ballistic plates and the appropriate carrier. Plate carriers and plates that protect against rifle fire are much less officer-specific than ballistic vests.

[Know the difference? Be sure to read Soft Armor vs. Hard Armor for more information.]

In some cases, agencies do outfit every cruiser with plates and ballistic helmets that can be used by any officer who happens to be driving that cruiser. This works for most because plate carriers are somewhat universally sized and can fit most officers. The reality is, if an officer wants protection from rifle fire, he or she might have to supply their own plates and plate carrier.

author testing Premier Body Armory Fortis III+ plates and carrier body armor — The author’s Premier Body Armor setup with his Springfield Armory Hellion. The body armor uses Fortis III+ rifle plates in the Alpha Carrier with three spare 5.56x45mm NATO STANAG magazines.

Officers are expected to run towards the sound of gunfire and seek out the attacker. Police officers do not have the option of running away. Precisely because of this commitment to duty, some officers purchase, with their own funds, a set of rifle-rated plates to keep in their personal vehicle in case they come across an active shooter incident while off duty and choose to respond as they were trained to do. They also often take these personally owned plates on patrol.

Premier Body Armor’s Fortis Loadout

I have been using and evaluating the Fortis Level III+/RF1 Multi-Curve Loadout from Premier Body Armor. This setup includes two plates and the extremely versatile Fortis Alpha Carrier. I chose the RF1 Multi-Curve Level III+ plates because they weigh about half of what Level IV plates do, yet still offer substantial protection.

ease of movement in Premier Body Armor Fortis Loadout — The Fortis carrier and plate are shown in use on the shooting range. While rifle plates are necessarily thick, they do not have to limit movement. Image: Premier Body Armor

I added a Medical/Admin/Assault Pouch (MAAP) that carries spare rifle magazines as well as a small zipper pouch in front and a pouch in the middle (between the magazines and the front pouch) that has a divider. The MAAP has plenty of room for a tourniquet and other medical gear as well as space to carry a Hellcat back-up gun in a pocket holster separated from everything else. (It is good practice to always use a pocket holster in cases like this and to never place anything else in a pocket that contains a pistol.)

Premier Body Armor told me that their Level III+ ballistic plates are made from Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE). This makes them multi-hit capable with edge-to-edge protection. Premier also told me that their plates include Integrated Trauma Mitigation Technology that limits backface deformation. This is an important feature because it limits blunt force trauma to the wearer of the plates.

Level III+ is not a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard. However, Premier has done their own product testing. The versions of their Level III+ that interest me the most are both part of the Fortis line. The GT/RF2 Multi-Curve will stop all handgun bullets, many rifle loads including “green tip” M855 5.56x45mm NATO, as well as shotgun slugs or buckshot up to 12 gauge. It will not stop .50 BMG or .30-06 Springfield loads using “black tip” bullets — the M2 AP (armor piercing).

[Don’t miss Richard Johnson’s article on Cop Killer Bullets.]

If weight and comfort are more of a concern than the threat of M855 green tip ammunition, the Level III+/RF1 Multi-Curve is a good solution. A set of the RF1 plates weighs about 7 lbs., compared to about 9 lbs. for the RF2 Multi-Curve. The Fortis IV/RF3 (Level IV plates), weigh about 15 lbs.

Premier Body Armor MAAP review — The author’s MAAP pouch is open to show his Springfield Hellcat back-up pistol in a pocket carry holster. In a separate front pocket is a tourniquet.

All of these will fit into the same Fortis Alpha Carrier. The carrier has four separate adjustment points, one on each shoulder and one on each side. I found it easy to adjust for use with or without a ballistic vest worn underneath.

Hands-On with the Fortis III+

Is Level III + comfortable for all-day wear? Yes, it is very comfortable. Where I work, any time officers are training on a range, body armor must be worn. I recently participated in a two-day instructor course and decided to wear the Premier Fortis III+/RF1 Multi-Curve. The MAAP pouch made it easy to carry a tourniquet and other range gear. It was easy to put on and take off. The Fortis carrier takes only seconds to remove and to put back on.

author testing the Premier Body Armor Fortis rifle plates in review with Springfield Hellion rifle — During the author’s testing of the Fortis III+ Loadout gear, he found the body armor comfortable to wear for long stretches of time. Additionally, it was easy to don and doff.

This is a huge benefit! When an officer needs to enter an active shooter scene, the ease with which the Fortis Carrier can be donned will save precious time. I did not use the rifle magazine holders because this particular course only required pistols. However, it was very obvious that if used, rifle magazines will be positioned to allow a fast reload.

During the two training days that I wore the plate carrier, it was unseasonably hot for New England and we took frequent water breaks. Taking the plates on and off was very easy. The Fortis Carrier is not nearly as hot and uncomfortable as concealable body armor. While unscientific, my observation is that due to the multiple adjustment points, the plates sit on the body differently than concealable body armor, and even on a hot day they are less uncomfortable than other plate carriers I have used. In addition, the material on the inside of the carrier which is worn against the body is made from a cushioned mesh that has excellent moisture-wicking properties that kept me cool and comfortable.

Final Thoughts on Premier Body Armor

Fortis rifle-rated plates come with a seven-year warranty, and Premier’s top-of-the-line Stratis plates carry an eight-year warranty. The company’s soft armor is warrantied for five years.

Premier Body Armor warranty — The Fortis III+ Multi-Curve Plates are backed by a seven-year warranty. The company also offers an Incident Guarantee. The company’s website has all the details. Image: Premier Body Armor

Whether a person is a law enforcement officer or armed private security responsible for public safety in an area that might be attacked violently, the protection of vital organs with ballistic plates is a perfectly reasonable step to ensure one’s safety.

The Fortis Alpha Carrier and plates — equipped with spare rifle magazines, medical equipment and possibly a backup pistol — makes for a system that is, in my opinion, a valuable piece of equipment for any LE officer.

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